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Salvador-Garcia D, Jin L, Hensley A, Gölcük M, Gallaud E, Chaaban S, Port F, Vagnoni A, Planelles-Herrero VJ, McClintock MA, Derivery E, Carter AP, Giet R, Gür M, Yildiz A, Bullock SL. A force-sensitive mutation reveals a non-canonical role for dynein in anaphase progression. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202310022. [PMID: 38949648 PMCID: PMC11215527 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202310022] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The diverse roles of the dynein motor in shaping microtubule networks and cargo transport complicate in vivo analysis of its functions significantly. To address this issue, we have generated a series of missense mutations in Drosophila Dynein heavy chain. We show that mutations associated with human neurological disease cause a range of defects, including impaired cargo trafficking in neurons. We also describe a novel microtubule-binding domain mutation that specifically blocks the metaphase-anaphase transition during mitosis in the embryo. This effect is independent from dynein's canonical role in silencing the spindle assembly checkpoint. Optical trapping of purified dynein complexes reveals that this mutation only compromises motor performance under load, a finding rationalized by the results of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. We propose that dynein has a novel function in anaphase progression that depends on it operating in a specific load regime. More broadly, our work illustrates how in vivo functions of motors can be dissected by manipulating their mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Salvador-Garcia
- Cell Biology Division, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Li Jin
- Cell Biology Division, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrew Hensley
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Mert Gölcük
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Emmanuel Gallaud
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Sami Chaaban
- Structural Studies Division, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fillip Port
- Cell Biology Division, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alessio Vagnoni
- Cell Biology Division, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Mark A. McClintock
- Cell Biology Division, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emmanuel Derivery
- Cell Biology Division, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrew P. Carter
- Structural Studies Division, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Régis Giet
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Mert Gür
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ahmet Yildiz
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Simon L. Bullock
- Cell Biology Division, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
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2
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Dong D, Zhang Z, Li Y, Latallo MJ, Wang S, Nelson B, Wu R, Krishnan G, Gao FB, Wu B, Sun S. Poly-GR repeats associated with ALS/FTD gene C9ORF72 impair translation elongation and induce a ribotoxic stress response in neurons. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eadl1030. [PMID: 39106320 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adl1030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene is the most frequent inherited cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The expansion results in multiple dipeptide repeat proteins, among which arginine-rich poly-GR proteins are highly toxic to neurons and decrease the rate of protein synthesis. We investigated whether the effect on protein synthesis contributes to neuronal dysfunction and degeneration. We found that the expression of poly-GR proteins inhibited global translation by perturbing translation elongation. In iPSC-differentiated neurons, the translation of transcripts with relatively slow elongation rates was further slowed, and stalled, by poly-GR. Elongation stalling increased ribosome collisions and induced a ribotoxic stress response (RSR) mediated by ZAKα that increased the phosphorylation of the kinase p38 and promoted cell death. Knockdown of ZAKα or pharmacological inhibition of p38 ameliorated poly-GR-induced toxicity and improved the survival of iPSC-derived neurons from patients with C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Our findings suggest that targeting the RSR may be neuroprotective in patients with ALS/FTD caused by repeat expansion in C9ORF72.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daoyuan Dong
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yini Li
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Malgorzata J Latallo
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Blake Nelson
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rong Wu
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Gopinath Krishnan
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shuying Sun
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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3
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Luan T, Li Q, Huang Z, Feng Y, Xu D, Zhou Y, Hu Y, Wang T. Axonopathy Underlying Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Unraveling Complex Pathways and Therapeutic Insights. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01267-2. [PMID: 39097850 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01267-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive axonopathy, jointly leading to the dying back of the motor neuron, disrupting both nerve signaling and motor control. In this review, we highlight the roles of axonopathy in ALS progression, driven by the interplay of multiple factors including defective trafficking machinery, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Dysfunctional intracellular transport, caused by disruptions in microtubules, molecular motors, and adaptors, has been identified as a key contributor to disease progression. Aberrant protein aggregation involving TDP-43, FUS, SOD1, and dipeptide repeat proteins further amplifies neuronal toxicity. Mitochondrial defects lead to ATP depletion, oxidative stress, and Ca2+ imbalance, which are regarded as key factors underlying the loss of neuromuscular junctions and axonopathy. Mitigating these defects through interventions including neurotrophic treatments offers therapeutic potential. Collaborative research efforts aim to unravel ALS complexities, opening avenues for holistic interventions that target diverse pathological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongshu Luan
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Qing Li
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Zhi Huang
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yu Feng
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Duo Xu
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yujie Zhou
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yiqing Hu
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Tong Wang
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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4
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Scaber J, Thomas-Wright I, Clark AJ, Xu Y, Vahsen BF, Carcolé M, Dafinca R, Farrimond L, Isaacs AM, Bennett DL, Talbot K. Cellular and axonal transport phenotypes due to the C9ORF72 HRE in iPSC motor and sensory neurons. Stem Cell Reports 2024; 19:957-972. [PMID: 38876108 PMCID: PMC11252479 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2024.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons (MNs) from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the C9ORF72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) have multiple cellular phenotypes, but which of these accurately reflect the biology underlying the cell-specific vulnerability of ALS is uncertain. We therefore compared phenotypes due to the C9ORF72 HRE in MNs with sensory neurons (SNs), which are relatively spared in ALS. The iPSC models were able to partially reproduce the differential gene expression seen between adult SNs and MNs. We demonstrated that the typical hallmarks of C9ORF72-ALS, including RNA foci and dipeptide formation, as well as specific axonal transport defects, occurred equally in MNs and SNs, suggesting that these in vitro phenotypes are not sufficient to explain the cell-type selectivity of ALS in isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Scaber
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK.
| | - Iona Thomas-Wright
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Alex J Clark
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University, E1 2AT London, UK
| | - Yinyan Xu
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), CAMS Oxford Institute (COI), Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 7FZ Oxford, UK
| | - Björn F Vahsen
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Mireia Carcolé
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, WCIN 3BG London, UK
| | - Ruxandra Dafinca
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Lucy Farrimond
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, WCIN 3BG London, UK
| | - David L Bennett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK.
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5
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Heber S, McClintock MA, Simon B, Mehtab E, Lapouge K, Hennig J, Bullock SL, Ephrussi A. Tropomyosin 1-I/C coordinates kinesin-1 and dynein motors during oskar mRNA transport. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:476-488. [PMID: 38297086 PMCID: PMC10948360 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01212-x] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Dynein and kinesin motors mediate long-range intracellular transport, translocating towards microtubule minus and plus ends, respectively. Cargoes often undergo bidirectional transport by binding to both motors simultaneously. However, it is not known how motor activities are coordinated in such circumstances. In the Drosophila female germline, sequential activities of the dynein-dynactin-BicD-Egalitarian (DDBE) complex and of kinesin-1 deliver oskar messenger RNA from nurse cells to the oocyte, and within the oocyte to the posterior pole. We show through in vitro reconstitution that Tm1-I/C, a tropomyosin-1 isoform, links kinesin-1 in a strongly inhibited state to DDBE-associated oskar mRNA. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering and structural modeling indicate that Tm1-I/C suppresses kinesin-1 activity by stabilizing its autoinhibited conformation, thus preventing competition with dynein until kinesin-1 is activated in the oocyte. Our work reveals a new strategy for ensuring sequential activity of microtubule motors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Heber
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mark A McClintock
- Division of Cell Biology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Bernd Simon
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Eve Mehtab
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karine Lapouge
- Protein Expression and Purification Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Janosch Hennig
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Biochemistry IV, Biophysical Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Simon L Bullock
- Division of Cell Biology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Anne Ephrussi
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
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6
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Van Daele SH, Masrori P, Van Damme P, Van Den Bosch L. The sense of antisense therapies in ALS. Trends Mol Med 2024; 30:252-262. [PMID: 38216448 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has entered a new era now that encouraging results about antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are becoming available and a first ASO therapy for ALS has been approved by the FDA. Moreover, there is hope not only that ALS can be stopped but also that symptoms can be reversed. Until now, degrading ASOs seemed to be successful mostly for rarer forms of familial ALS. However, the first attempts to correct mis-splicing events in sporadic ALS are underway, as well as a clinical trial examining interference with a genetic modifier. In this review, we discuss the current status of using ASOs in ALS and the possibilities and pitfalls of this therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sien H Van Daele
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pegah Masrori
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip Van Damme
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.
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7
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Dittlau KS, Chandrasekaran A, Freude K, Van Den Bosch L. Generation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (hiPSC)-Derived Astrocytes for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Other Neurodegenerative Disease Studies. Bio Protoc 2024; 14:e4936. [PMID: 38405076 PMCID: PMC10883889 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4936] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are increasingly recognized for their important role in neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In ALS, astrocytes shift from their primary function of providing neuronal homeostatic support towards a reactive and toxic role, which overall contributes to neuronal toxicity and cell death. Currently, our knowledge on these processes is incomplete, and time-efficient and reproducible model systems in a human context are therefore required to understand and therapeutically modulate the toxic astrocytic response for future treatment options. Here, we present an efficient and straightforward protocol to generate human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived astrocytes implementing a differentiation scheme based on small molecules. Through an initial 25 days, hiPSCs are differentiated into astrocytes, which are matured for 4+ weeks. The hiPSC-derived astrocytes can be cryopreserved at every passage during differentiation and maturation. This provides convenient pauses in the protocol as well as cell banking opportunities, thereby limiting the need to continuously start from hiPSCs. The protocol has already proven valuable in ALS research but can be adapted to any desired research field where astrocytes are of interest. Key features • This protocol requires preexisting experience in hiPSC culturing for a successful outcome. • The protocol relies on a small molecule differentiation scheme and an easy-to-follow methodology, which can be paused at several time points. • The protocol generates >50 × 106 astrocytes per differentiation, which can be cryopreserved at every passage, ensuring a large-scale experimental output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Stoklund Dittlau
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Abinaya Chandrasekaran
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Kristine Freude
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
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8
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Tziortzouda P, Steyaert J, Scheveneels W, Sicart A, Stoklund Dittlau K, Barbosa Correia AM, Burg T, Pal A, Hermann A, Van Damme P, Moens TG, Van Den Bosch L. PP2A and GSK3 act as modifiers of FUS-ALS by modulating mitochondrial transport. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:41. [PMID: 38363426 PMCID: PMC10873455 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02689-y] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease which currently lacks effective treatments. Mutations in the RNA-binding protein FUS are a common cause of familial ALS, accounting for around 4% of the cases. Understanding the mechanisms by which mutant FUS becomes toxic to neurons can provide insight into the pathogenesis of both familial and sporadic ALS. We have previously observed that overexpression of wild-type or ALS-mutant FUS in Drosophila motor neurons is toxic, which allowed us to screen for novel genetic modifiers of the disease. Using a genome-wide screening approach, we identified Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 (GSK3) as novel modifiers of FUS-ALS. Loss of function or pharmacological inhibition of either protein rescued FUS-associated lethality in Drosophila. Consistent with a conserved role in disease pathogenesis, pharmacological inhibition of both proteins rescued disease-relevant phenotypes, including mitochondrial trafficking defects and neuromuscular junction failure, in patient iPSC-derived spinal motor neurons (iPSC-sMNs). In FUS-ALS flies, mice, and human iPSC-sMNs, we observed reduced GSK3 inhibitory phosphorylation, suggesting that FUS dysfunction results in GSK3 hyperactivity. Furthermore, we found that PP2A acts upstream of GSK3, affecting its inhibitory phosphorylation. GSK3 has previously been linked to kinesin-1 hyperphosphorylation. We observed this in both flies and iPSC-sMNs, and we rescued this hyperphosphorylation by inhibiting GSK3 or PP2A. Moreover, increasing the level of kinesin-1 expression in our Drosophila model strongly rescued toxicity, confirming the relevance of kinesin-1 hyperphosphorylation. Our data provide in vivo evidence that PP2A and GSK3 are disease modifiers, and reveal an unexplored mechanistic link between PP2A, GSK3, and kinesin-1, that may be central to the pathogenesis of FUS-ALS and sporadic forms of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi Tziortzouda
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jolien Steyaert
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wendy Scheveneels
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Adria Sicart
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katarina Stoklund Dittlau
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Adriana Margarida Barbosa Correia
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Instituto Superior Técnico-Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Thibaut Burg
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arun Pal
- Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory (HLD-EMFL), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht Kossel", Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147, Rostock, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Fur Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, 18147, Rostock, Germany
- Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thomas G Moens
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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9
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Zhou Y, Liu W, Jiang H, Chen F, Li Y, Gardea-Torresdey JL, Zhou XX, Yan B. Surface-Charge-Driven Ferroptosis and Mitochondrial Dysfunction Is Involved in Toxicity Diversity in the Marine Bivalve Exposed to Nanoplastics. ACS NANO 2024; 18:2370-2383. [PMID: 38189275 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c10536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Nanoplastics (NPs) pervade daily life, posing serious threats to marine ecosystems. Despite the crucial role that surface charge plays in NP effects, there is a substantial gap in our understanding of how surface charge influences NP toxicity. Herein, by exposing Ruditapes philippinarum (R. philippinarum) to both positively charged NPs (p-NPs) and negatively charged NPs (n-NPs) at environmentally relevant particle number levels for a duration of 35 days, we unequivocally demonstrate that both types of NPs had discernible impacts on the clams depending on their surface charge. Through transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we unveiled the primary mechanisms behind p-NP toxicity, which stem from induced mitochondrial dysfunction and ferroptosis. In contrast, n-NPs predominantly stimulated innate immune responses, influencing salivary secretion and modulating the complement and coagulation cascades. Furthermore, in vitro tests on clam immune cells confirmed that internalized p-NPs triggered alterations in mitochondrial morphology, a decrease in membrane potential, and the initiation of ferroptosis. Conversely, n-NPs, to a certain extent, moderated the expression of genes related to immune responses, thus mitigating their adverse effects. Taken together, these findings indicate that the differential surface-charge-driven ferroptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in clams play a critical role in the toxicity profile of NPs, providing an insightful reference for assessing the ecological toxicity associated with NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Zhou
- Institute of Environmental Research at the Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenzhi Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengyuan Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanping Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Jorge L Gardea-Torresdey
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Xiao-Xia Zhou
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-Environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Yan
- Institute of Environmental Research at the Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
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10
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Beckers J, Tharkeshwar AK, Fumagalli L, Contardo M, Van Schoor E, Fazal R, Thal DR, Chandran S, Mancuso R, Van Den Bosch L, Van Damme P. A toxic gain-of-function mechanism in C9orf72 ALS impairs the autophagy-lysosome pathway in neurons. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:151. [PMID: 37723585 PMCID: PMC10506245 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01648-0] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motor neurons (MNs), which are primarily affected in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are a specialized type of neurons that are long and non-dividing. Given their unique structure, these cells heavily rely on transport of organelles along their axons and the process of autophagy to maintain their cellular homeostasis. It has been shown that disruption of the autophagy pathway is sufficient to cause progressive neurodegeneration and defects in autophagy have been associated with various subtypes of ALS, including those caused by hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene. A more comprehensive understanding of the dysfunctional cellular mechanisms will help rationalize the design of potent and selective therapies for C9orf72-ALS. METHODS In this study, we used induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MNs from C9orf72-ALS patients and isogenic control lines to identify the underlying mechanisms causing dysregulations of the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Additionally, to ascertain the potential impact of C9orf72 loss-of-function on autophagic defects, we characterized the observed phenotypes in a C9orf72 knockout iPSC line (C9-KO). RESULTS Despite the evident presence of dysfunctions in several aspects of the autophagy-lysosome pathway, such as disrupted lysosomal homeostasis, abnormal lysosome morphology, inhibition of autophagic flux, and accumulation of p62 in C9orf72-ALS MNs, we were surprised to find that C9orf72 loss-of-function had minimal influence on these phenotypes. Instead, we primarily observed impairment in endosome maturation as a result of C9orf72 loss-of-function. Additionally, our study shed light on the pathological mechanisms underlying C9orf72-ALS, as we detected an increased TBK1 phosphorylation at S172 in MNs derived from C9orf72 ALS patients. CONCLUSIONS Our data provides further insight into the involvement of defects in the autophagy-lysosome pathway in C9orf72-ALS and strongly indicate that those defects are mainly due to the toxic gain-of-function mechanisms underlying C9orf72-ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Beckers
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Arun Kumar Tharkeshwar
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- Center for Molecular Neurology, Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Matilde Contardo
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evelien Van Schoor
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Raheem Fazal
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Renzo Mancuso
- Center for Molecular Neurology, Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Louvain, Belgium.
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11
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Akçimen F, Lopez ER, Landers JE, Nath A, Chiò A, Chia R, Traynor BJ. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: translating genetic discoveries into therapies. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:642-658. [PMID: 37024676 PMCID: PMC10611979 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00592-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in sequencing technologies and collaborative efforts have led to substantial progress in identifying the genetic causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This momentum has, in turn, fostered the development of putative molecular therapies. In this Review, we outline the current genetic knowledge, emphasizing recent discoveries and emerging concepts such as the implication of distinct types of mutation, variability in mutated genes in diverse genetic ancestries and gene-environment interactions. We also propose a high-level model to synthesize the interdependent effects of genetics, environmental and lifestyle factors, and ageing into a unified theory of ALS. Furthermore, we summarize the current status of therapies developed on the basis of genetic knowledge established for ALS over the past 30 years, and we discuss how developing treatments for ALS will advance our understanding of targeting other neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulya Akçimen
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Elia R Lopez
- Therapeutic Development Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - John E Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Avindra Nath
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Adriano Chiò
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, C.N.R, Rome, Italy
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Citta' della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy
| | - Ruth Chia
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bryan J Traynor
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Therapeutic Development Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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12
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Salvador-Garcia D, Jin L, Hensley A, Gölcük M, Gallaud E, Chaaban S, Port F, Vagnoni A, Planelles-Herrero VJ, McClintock MA, Derivery E, Carter AP, Giet R, Gür M, Yildiz A, Bullock SL. A force-sensitive mutation reveals a spindle assembly checkpoint-independent role for dynein in anaphase progression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.03.551815. [PMID: 37577480 PMCID: PMC10418259 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.03.551815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The cytoplasmic dynein-1 (dynein) motor organizes cells by shaping microtubule networks and moving a large variety of cargoes along them. However, dynein's diverse roles complicate in vivo studies of its functions significantly. To address this issue, we have used gene editing to generate a series of missense mutations in Drosophila Dynein heavy chain (Dhc). We find that mutations associated with human neurological disease cause a range of defects in larval and adult flies, including impaired cargo trafficking in neurons. We also describe a novel mutation in the microtubule-binding domain (MTBD) of Dhc that, remarkably, causes metaphase arrest of mitotic spindles in the embryo but does not impair other dynein-dependent processes. We demonstrate that the mitotic arrest is independent of dynein's well-established roles in silencing the spindle assembly checkpoint. In vitro reconstitution and optical trapping assays reveal that the mutation only impairs the performance of dynein under load. In silico all-atom molecular dynamics simulations show that this effect correlates with increased flexibility of the MTBD, as well as an altered orientation of the stalk domain, with respect to the microtubule. Collectively, our data point to a novel role of dynein in anaphase progression that depends on the motor operating in a specific load regime. More broadly, our work illustrates how cytoskeletal transport processes can be dissected in vivo by manipulating mechanical properties of motors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Li Jin
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Andrew Hensley
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Mert Gölcük
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, 34437, Turkey
| | - Emmanuel Gallaud
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes - UMR 6290, Université de Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Sami Chaaban
- Structural Studies Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Fillip Port
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
- Current address: Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alessio Vagnoni
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
- Current address: Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | | | - Mark A. McClintock
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Emmanuel Derivery
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Andrew P. Carter
- Structural Studies Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Régis Giet
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes - UMR 6290, Université de Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Mert Gür
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, 34437, Turkey
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Ahmet Yildiz
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Simon L. Bullock
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
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13
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Smith G, Sweeney ST, O’Kane CJ, Prokop A. How neurons maintain their axons long-term: an integrated view of axon biology and pathology. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1236815. [PMID: 37564364 PMCID: PMC10410161 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1236815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Axons are processes of neurons, up to a metre long, that form the essential biological cables wiring nervous systems. They must survive, often far away from their cell bodies and up to a century in humans. This requires self-sufficient cell biology including structural proteins, organelles, and membrane trafficking, metabolic, signalling, translational, chaperone, and degradation machinery-all maintaining the homeostasis of energy, lipids, proteins, and signalling networks including reactive oxygen species and calcium. Axon maintenance also involves specialised cytoskeleton including the cortical actin-spectrin corset, and bundles of microtubules that provide the highways for motor-driven transport of components and organelles for virtually all the above-mentioned processes. Here, we aim to provide a conceptual overview of key aspects of axon biology and physiology, and the homeostatic networks they form. This homeostasis can be derailed, causing axonopathies through processes of ageing, trauma, poisoning, inflammation or genetic mutations. To illustrate which malfunctions of organelles or cell biological processes can lead to axonopathies, we focus on axonopathy-linked subcellular defects caused by genetic mutations. Based on these descriptions and backed up by our comprehensive data mining of genes linked to neural disorders, we describe the 'dependency cycle of local axon homeostasis' as an integrative model to explain why very different causes can trigger very similar axonopathies, providing new ideas that can drive the quest for strategies able to battle these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaynor Smith
- Cardiff University, School of Medicine, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sean T. Sweeney
- Department of Biology, University of York and York Biomedical Research Institute, York, United Kingdom
| | - Cahir J. O’Kane
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Prokop
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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14
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Szebényi K, Barrio-Hernandez I, Gibbons GM, Biasetti L, Troakes C, Beltrao P, Lakatos A. A human proteogenomic-cellular framework identifies KIF5A as a modulator of astrocyte process integrity with relevance to ALS. Commun Biol 2023; 6:678. [PMID: 37386082 PMCID: PMC10310856 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05041-4] [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: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies identified several disease-causing mutations in neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the contribution of genetic variants to pathway disturbances and their cell type-specific variations, especially in glia, is poorly understood. We integrated ALS GWAS-linked gene networks with human astrocyte-specific multi-omics datasets to elucidate pathognomonic signatures. It predicts that KIF5A, a motor protein kinesin-1 heavy-chain isoform, previously detected only in neurons, can also potentiate disease pathways in astrocytes. Using postmortem tissue and super-resolution structured illumination microscopy in cell-based perturbation platforms, we provide evidence that KIF5A is present in astrocyte processes and its deficiency disrupts structural integrity and mitochondrial transport. We show that this may underly cytoskeletal and trafficking changes in SOD1 ALS astrocytes characterised by low KIF5A levels, which can be rescued by c-Jun N-terminal Kinase-1 (JNK1), a kinesin transport regulator. Altogether, our pipeline reveals a mechanism controlling astrocyte process integrity, a pre-requisite for synapse maintenance and suggests a targetable loss-of-function in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kornélia Szebényi
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | | | - George M Gibbons
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Luca Biasetti
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Claire Troakes
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Pedro Beltrao
- European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, UK.
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8093, Switzerland.
| | - András Lakatos
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK.
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK.
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15
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Boeynaems S, Dorone Y, Zhuang Y, Shabardina V, Huang G, Marian A, Kim G, Sanyal A, Şen NE, Griffith D, Docampo R, Lasker K, Ruiz-Trillo I, Auburger G, Holehouse AS, Kabashi E, Lin Y, Gitler AD. Poly(A)-binding protein is an ataxin-2 chaperone that regulates biomolecular condensates. Mol Cell 2023; 83:2020-2034.e6. [PMID: 37295429 PMCID: PMC10318123 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.05.025] [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: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensation underlies the biogenesis of an expanding array of membraneless assemblies, including stress granules (SGs), which form under a variety of cellular stresses. Advances have been made in understanding the molecular grammar of a few scaffold proteins that make up these phases, but how the partitioning of hundreds of SG proteins is regulated remains largely unresolved. While investigating the rules that govern the condensation of ataxin-2, an SG protein implicated in neurodegenerative disease, we unexpectedly identified a short 14 aa sequence that acts as a condensation switch and is conserved across the eukaryote lineage. We identify poly(A)-binding proteins as unconventional RNA-dependent chaperones that control this regulatory switch. Our results uncover a hierarchy of cis and trans interactions that fine-tune ataxin-2 condensation and reveal an unexpected molecular function for ancient poly(A)-binding proteins as regulators of biomolecular condensate proteins. These findings may inspire approaches to therapeutically target aberrant phases in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Boeynaems
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Therapeutic Innovation Center (THINC), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases (CAND), Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (DLDCCC), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Yanniv Dorone
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yanrong Zhuang
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Centre for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Victoria Shabardina
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona 08003 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Guozhong Huang
- Department of Cellular Biology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Anca Marian
- Imagine Institute, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité 1163, Paris Descartes Université, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Garam Kim
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Anushka Sanyal
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nesli-Ece Şen
- Experimental Neurology, Goethe-University Hospital, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Griffith
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Roberto Docampo
- Department of Cellular Biology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Keren Lasker
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona 08003 Catalonia, Spain; ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona 08010 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Georg Auburger
- Experimental Neurology, Goethe-University Hospital, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Alex S Holehouse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Edor Kabashi
- Imagine Institute, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité 1163, Paris Descartes Université, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Yi Lin
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Centre for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Aaron D Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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16
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Abstract
Neurons are markedly compartmentalized, which makes them reliant on axonal transport to maintain their health. Axonal transport is important for anterograde delivery of newly synthesized macromolecules and organelles from the cell body to the synapse and for the retrograde delivery of signaling endosomes and autophagosomes for degradation. Dysregulation of axonal transport occurs early in neurodegenerative diseases and plays a key role in axonal degeneration. Here, we provide an overview of mechanisms for regulation of axonal transport; discuss how these mechanisms are disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, hereditary spastic paraplegia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; and discuss therapeutic approaches targeting axonal transport.
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17
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Lefebvre-Omar C, Liu E, Dalle C, d'Incamps BL, Bigou S, Daube C, Karpf L, Davenne M, Robil N, Jost Mousseau C, Blanchard S, Tournaire G, Nicaise C, Salachas F, Lacomblez L, Seilhean D, Lobsiger CS, Millecamps S, Boillée S, Bohl D. Neurofilament accumulations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients' motor neurons impair axonal initial segment integrity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:150. [PMID: 37184603 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04797-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron (MN) disease in adults with no curative treatment. Neurofilament (NF) level in patient' fluids have recently emerged as the prime biomarker of ALS disease progression, while NF accumulation in MNs of patients is the oldest and one of the best pathological hallmarks. However, the way NF accumulations could lead to MN degeneration remains unknown. To assess NF accumulations and study the impact on MNs, we compared MNs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) of patients carrying mutations in C9orf72, SOD1 and TARDBP genes, the three main ALS genetic causes. We show that in all mutant MNs, light NF (NF-L) chains rapidly accumulate in MN soma, while the phosphorylated heavy/medium NF (pNF-M/H) chains pile up in axonal proximal regions of only C9orf72 and SOD1 MNs. Excitability abnormalities were also only observed in these latter MNs. We demonstrate that the integrity of the MN axonal initial segment (AIS), the region of action potential initiation and responsible for maintaining axonal integrity, is impaired in the presence of pNF-M/H accumulations in C9orf72 and SOD1 MNs. We establish a strong correlation between these pNF-M/H accumulations, an AIS distal shift, increased axonal calibers and modified repartition of sodium channels. The results expand our understanding of how NF accumulation could dysregulate components of the axonal cytoskeleton and disrupt MN homeostasis. With recent cumulative evidence that AIS alterations are implicated in different brain diseases, preserving AIS integrity could have important therapeutic implications for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Lefebvre-Omar
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Elise Liu
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Carine Dalle
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Boris Lamotte d'Incamps
- Université Paris-Cité, CNRS, Saints-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Bigou
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Clément Daube
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Léa Karpf
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Marc Davenne
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | | | - Coline Jost Mousseau
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Blanchard
- Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1115, Unité Biothérapies pour les Maladies Neurodégénératives, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Tournaire
- Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1115, Unité Biothérapies pour les Maladies Neurodégénératives, Paris, France
| | | | - François Salachas
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Département de Neurologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Centre de Référence SLA Ile de France, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Lucette Lacomblez
- Département de Neurologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Centre de Référence SLA Ile de France, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Danielle Seilhean
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Département de Neuropathologie, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Christian S Lobsiger
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Millecamps
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Boillée
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Bohl
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
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18
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Lee S, Jun YW, Linares GR, Butler B, Yuva-Adyemir Y, Moore J, Krishnan G, Ruiz-Juarez B, Santana M, Pons M, Silverman N, Weng Z, Ichida JK, Gao FB. Downregulation of Hsp90 and the antimicrobial peptide Mtk suppresses poly(GR)-induced neurotoxicity in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Neuron 2023; 111:1381-1390.e6. [PMID: 36931278 PMCID: PMC10264157 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.029] [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: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
GGGGCC repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repeat RNAs can be translated into dipeptide repeat proteins, including poly(GR), whose mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. In an RNA-seq analysis of poly(GR) toxicity in Drosophila, we found that several antimicrobial peptide genes, such as metchnikowin (Mtk), and heat shock protein (Hsp) genes are activated. Mtk knockdown in the fly eye or in all neurons suppresses poly(GR) neurotoxicity. These findings suggest a cell-autonomous role of Mtk in neurodegeneration. Hsp90 knockdown partially rescues both poly(GR) toxicity in flies and neurodegeneration in C9ORF72 motor neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Topoisomerase II (TopoII) regulates poly(GR)-induced upregulation of Hsp90 and Mtk. TopoII knockdown also suppresses poly(GR) toxicity in Drosophila and improves survival of C9ORF72 iPSC-derived motor neurons. These results suggest potential novel therapeutic targets for C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soojin Lee
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Yong-Woo Jun
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gabriel R Linares
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brandon Butler
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yeliz Yuva-Adyemir
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jill Moore
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gopinath Krishnan
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Bryan Ruiz-Juarez
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Manuel Santana
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marine Pons
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Neal Silverman
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Justin K Ichida
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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19
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Guo W, Wang H, Tharkeshwar AK, Couthouis J, Braems E, Masrori P, Van Schoor E, Fan Y, Ahuja K, Moisse M, Jacquemyn M, da Costa RFM, Gajjar M, Balusu S, Tricot T, Fumagalli L, Hersmus N, Janky R, Impens F, Berghe PV, Ho R, Thal DR, Vandenberghe R, Hegde ML, Chandran S, De Strooper B, Daelemans D, Van Damme P, Van Den Bosch L, Verfaillie C. CRISPR/Cas9 screen in human iPSC-derived cortical neurons identifies NEK6 as a novel disease modifier of C9orf72 poly(PR) toxicity. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:1245-1259. [PMID: 35993441 PMCID: PMC9943798 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are hexanucleotide repeats in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72). These repeats produce dipeptide repeat proteins with poly(PR) being the most toxic one. METHODS We performed a kinome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out screen in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) -derived cortical neurons to identify modifiers of poly(PR) toxicity, and validated the role of candidate modifiers using in vitro, in vivo, and ex-vivo studies. RESULTS Knock-down of NIMA-related kinase 6 (NEK6) prevented neuronal toxicity caused by poly(PR). Knock-down of nek6 also ameliorated the poly(PR)-induced axonopathy in zebrafish and NEK6 was aberrantly expressed in C9orf72 patients. Suppression of NEK6 expression and NEK6 activity inhibition rescued axonal transport defects in cortical neurons from C9orf72 patient iPSCs, at least partially by reversing p53-related DNA damage. DISCUSSION We identified NEK6, which regulates poly(PR)-mediated p53-related DNA damage, as a novel therapeutic target for C9orf72 FTD/ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Guo
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Haibo Wang
- Division of DNA Repair Research, Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Arun Kumar Tharkeshwar
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julien Couthouis
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Elke Braems
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pegah Masrori
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evelien Van Schoor
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yannan Fan
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karan Ahuja
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthieu Moisse
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Jacquemyn
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Madhavsai Gajjar
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sriram Balusu
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tine Tricot
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole Hersmus
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Francis Impens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Proteomics Core, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vanden Berghe
- Translational Research Centre for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven–University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ritchie Ho
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Vandenberghe
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven-Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Muralidhar L. Hegde
- Division of DNA Repair Research, Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK-Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- UK-Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Dirk Daelemans
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catherine Verfaillie
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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20
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Piol D, Robberechts T, Da Cruz S. Lost in local translation: TDP-43 and FUS in axonal/neuromuscular junction maintenance and dysregulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuron 2023; 111:1355-1380. [PMID: 36963381 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.028] [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: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Key early features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are denervation of neuromuscular junctions and axonal degeneration. Motor neuron homeostasis relies on local translation through controlled regulation of axonal mRNA localization, transport, and stability. Yet the composition of the local transcriptome, translatome (mRNAs locally translated), and proteome during health and disease remains largely unexplored. This review covers recent discoveries on axonal translation as a critical mechanism for neuronal maintenance/survival. We focus on two RNA binding proteins, transactive response DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS), whose mutations cause ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Emerging evidence points to their essential role in the maintenance of axons and synapses, including mRNA localization, transport, and local translation, and whose dysfunction may contribute to ALS. Finally, we describe recent advances in omics-based approaches mapping compartment-specific local RNA and protein compositions, which will be invaluable to elucidate fundamental local processes and identify key targets for therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Piol
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tessa Robberechts
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sandrine Da Cruz
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
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21
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Boeynaems S, Ma XR, Yeong V, Ginell GM, Chen JH, Blum JA, Nakayama L, Sanyal A, Briner A, Haver DV, Pauwels J, Ekman A, Schmidt HB, Sundararajan K, Porta L, Lasker K, Larabell C, Hayashi MAF, Kundaje A, Impens F, Obermeyer A, Holehouse AS, Gitler AD. Aberrant phase separation is a common killing strategy of positively charged peptides in biology and human disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.09.531820. [PMID: 36945394 PMCID: PMC10028949 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.09.531820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Positively charged repeat peptides are emerging as key players in neurodegenerative diseases. These peptides can perturb diverse cellular pathways but a unifying framework for how such promiscuous toxicity arises has remained elusive. We used mass-spectrometry-based proteomics to define the protein targets of these neurotoxic peptides and found that they all share similar sequence features that drive their aberrant condensation with these positively charged peptides. We trained a machine learning algorithm to detect such sequence features and unexpectedly discovered that this mode of toxicity is not limited to human repeat expansion disorders but has evolved countless times across the tree of life in the form of cationic antimicrobial and venom peptides. We demonstrate that an excess in positive charge is necessary and sufficient for this killer activity, which we name 'polycation poisoning'. These findings reveal an ancient and conserved mechanism and inform ways to leverage its design rules for new generations of bioactive peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Boeynaems
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Therapeutic Innovation Center (THINC), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases (CAND), Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (DLDCCC), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - X. Rosa Ma
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vivian Yeong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Garrett M. Ginell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jian-Hua Chen
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jacob A. Blum
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lisa Nakayama
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Anushka Sanyal
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Adam Briner
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Delphi Van Haver
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, 9000 Gent, Belgium
- VIB Proteomics Core, 9000 Gent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Jarne Pauwels
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, 9000 Gent, Belgium
- VIB Proteomics Core, 9000 Gent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Axel Ekman
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - H. Broder Schmidt
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kousik Sundararajan
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lucas Porta
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Keren Lasker
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Carolyn Larabell
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Mirian A. F. Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anshul Kundaje
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Francis Impens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, 9000 Gent, Belgium
- VIB Proteomics Core, 9000 Gent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Allie Obermeyer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Alex S. Holehouse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Aaron D. Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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22
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Stoklund Dittlau K, Van Den Bosch L. Why should we care about astrocytes in a motor neuron disease? FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2023; 3:1047540. [PMID: 39086676 PMCID: PMC11285655 DOI: 10.3389/fmmed.2023.1047540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron disease in adults, causing progressive degeneration of motor neurons, which results in muscle atrophy, respiratory failure and ultimately death of the patients. The pathogenesis of ALS is complex, and extensive efforts have focused on unravelling the underlying molecular mechanisms with a large emphasis on the dying motor neurons. However, a recent shift in focus towards the supporting glial population has revealed a large contribution and influence in ALS, which stresses the need to explore this area in more detail. Especially studies into astrocytes, the residential homeostatic supporter cells of neurons, have revealed a remarkable astrocytic dysfunction in ALS, and therefore could present a target for new and promising therapeutic entry points. In this review, we provide an overview of general astrocyte function and summarize the current literature on the role of astrocytes in ALS by categorizing the potentially underlying molecular mechanisms. We discuss the current efforts in astrocyte-targeted therapy, and highlight the potential and shortcomings of available models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Stoklund Dittlau
- KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
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23
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Yang X, Ma Z, Lian P, Xu Y, Cao X. Common mechanisms underlying axonal transport deficits in neurodegenerative diseases: a mini review. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1172197. [PMID: 37168679 PMCID: PMC10164940 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1172197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are characterized by the accumulation of pathogenic proteins and abnormal localization of organelles. These pathological features may be related to axonal transport deficits in neurons, which lead to failures in pathological protein targeting to specific sites for degradation and organelle transportation to designated areas needed for normal physiological functioning. Axonal transport deficits are most likely early pathological events in such diseases and gradually lead to the loss of axonal integrity and other degenerative changes. In this review, we investigated reports of mechanisms underlying the development of axonal transport deficits in a variety of common neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease to provide new ideas for therapeutic targets that may be used early in the disease process. The mechanisms can be summarized as follows: (1) motor protein changes including expression levels and post-translational modification alteration; (2) changes in microtubules including reducing stability and disrupting tracks; (3) changes in cargoes including diminished binding to motor proteins. Future studies should determine which axonal transport defects are disease-specific and whether they are suitable therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases.
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24
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Kriachkov V, Ormsby AR, Kusnadi EP, McWilliam HE, Mintern JD, Amarasinghe SL, Ritchie ME, Furic L, Hatters DM. Arginine-rich C9ORF72 ALS proteins stall ribosomes in a manner distinct from a canonical ribosome-associated quality control substrate. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102774. [PMID: 36481270 PMCID: PMC9830226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hexanucleotide expansion mutations in C9ORF72 are a frequent cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We previously reported that long arginine-rich dipeptide repeats (DPRs), mimicking abnormal proteins expressed from the hexanucleotide expansion, caused translation stalling when expressed in cell culture models. Whether this stalling provides a mechanism of pathogenicity remains to be determined. Here, we explored the molecular features of DPR-induced stalling and examined whether known mechanisms such as ribosome quality control (RQC) regulate translation elongation on sequences that encode arginine-rich DPRs. We demonstrate that arginine-rich DPRs lead to stalling in a length-dependent manner, with lengths longer than 40 repeats invoking severe translation arrest. Mutational screening of 40×Gly-Xxx DPRs shows that stalling is most pronounced when Xxx is a charged amino acid (Arg, Lys, Glu, or Asp). Through a genome-wide knockout screen, we find that genes regulating stalling on polyadenosine mRNA coding for poly-Lys, a canonical RQC substrate, act differently in the case of arginine-rich DPRs. Indeed, these findings point to a limited scope for natural regulatory responses to resolve the arginine-rich DPR stalls, even though the stalls may be sensed, as evidenced by an upregulation of RQC gene expression. These findings therefore implicate arginine-rich DPR-mediated stalled ribosomes as a source of stress and toxicity and may be a crucial component in pathomechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viacheslav Kriachkov
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Angelique R. Ormsby
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eric P. Kusnadi
- Translational Prostate Cancer Research Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hamish E.G. McWilliam
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Justine D. Mintern
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Matthew E. Ritchie
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Luc Furic
- Translational Prostate Cancer Research Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Danny M. Hatters
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,For correspondence: Danny M. Hatters
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25
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Marchi PM, Marrone L, Brasseur L, Coens A, Webster CP, Bousset L, Destro M, Smith EF, Walther CG, Alfred V, Marroccella R, Graves EJ, Robinson D, Shaw AC, Wan LM, Grierson AJ, Ebbens SJ, De Vos KJ, Hautbergue GM, Ferraiuolo L, Melki R, Azzouz M. C9ORF72-derived poly-GA DPRs undergo endocytic uptake in iAstrocytes and spread to motor neurons. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/9/e202101276. [PMID: 35568435 PMCID: PMC9108631 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins are aggregation-prone polypeptides encoded by the pathogenic GGGGCC repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene, the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. In this study, we focus on the role of poly-GA DPRs in disease spread. We demonstrate that recombinant poly-GA oligomers can directly convert into solid-like aggregates and form characteristic β-sheet fibrils in vitro. To dissect the process of cell-to-cell DPR transmission, we closely follow the fate of poly-GA DPRs in either their oligomeric or fibrillized form after administration in the cell culture medium. We observe that poly-GA DPRs are taken up via dynamin-dependent and -independent endocytosis, eventually converging at the lysosomal compartment and leading to axonal swellings in neurons. We then use a co-culture system to demonstrate astrocyte-to-motor neuron DPR propagation, showing that astrocytes may internalise and release aberrant peptides in disease pathogenesis. Overall, our results shed light on the mechanisms of poly-GA cellular uptake and propagation, suggesting lysosomal impairment as a possible feature underlying the cellular pathogenicity of these DPR species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo M Marchi
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lara Marrone
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laurent Brasseur
- The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Institut François Jacob (MIRcen) and The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (UMR9199), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Audrey Coens
- The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Institut François Jacob (MIRcen) and The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (UMR9199), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Christopher P Webster
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Luc Bousset
- The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Institut François Jacob (MIRcen) and The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (UMR9199), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Marco Destro
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emma F Smith
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK.,Centre for Membrane Interactions and Dynamics, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Christa G Walther
- The Wolfson Light Microscopy Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Victor Alfred
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Raffaele Marroccella
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emily J Graves
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Darren Robinson
- The Wolfson Light Microscopy Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Allan C Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lai Mei Wan
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Andrew J Grierson
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Stephen J Ebbens
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Kurt J De Vos
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK.,Centre for Membrane Interactions and Dynamics, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Guillaume M Hautbergue
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Ronald Melki
- The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Institut François Jacob (MIRcen) and The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (UMR9199), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Mimoun Azzouz
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK .,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
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26
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Braems E, Bercier V, Van Schoor E, Heeren K, Beckers J, Fumagalli L, Dedeene L, Moisse M, Geudens I, Hersmus N, Mehta AR, Selvaraj BT, Chandran S, Ho R, Thal DR, Van Damme P, Swinnen B, Van Den Bosch L. HNRNPK alleviates RNA toxicity by counteracting DNA damage in C9orf72 ALS. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:465-488. [PMID: 35895140 PMCID: PMC9381635 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02471-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A 'GGGGCC' repeat expansion in the first intron of the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The exact mechanism resulting in these neurodegenerative diseases remains elusive, but C9 repeat RNA toxicity has been implicated as a gain-of-function mechanism. Our aim was to use a zebrafish model for C9orf72 RNA toxicity to identify modifiers of the ALS-linked phenotype. We discovered that the RNA-binding protein heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (HNRNPK) reverses the toxicity of both sense and antisense repeat RNA, which is dependent on its subcellular localization and RNA recognition, and not on C9orf72 repeat RNA binding. We observed HNRNPK cytoplasmic mislocalization in C9orf72 ALS patient fibroblasts, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons and post-mortem motor cortex and spinal cord, in line with a disrupted HNRNPK function in C9orf72 ALS. In C9orf72 ALS/FTD patient tissue, we discovered an increased nuclear translocation, but reduced expression of ribonucleotide reductase regulatory subunit M2 (RRM2), a downstream target of HNRNPK involved in the DNA damage response. Last but not least, we showed that increasing the expression of HNRNPK or RRM2 was sufficient to mitigate DNA damage in our C9orf72 RNA toxicity zebrafish model. Overall, our study strengthens the relevance of RNA toxicity as a pathogenic mechanism in C9orf72 ALS and demonstrates its link with an aberrant DNA damage response, opening novel therapeutic avenues for C9orf72 ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Braems
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valérie Bercier
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Evelien Van Schoor
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kara Heeren
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jimmy Beckers
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lieselot Dedeene
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiomarker Research and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthieu Moisse
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ilse Geudens
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole Hersmus
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arpan R Mehta
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Bhuvaneish T Selvaraj
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ritchie Ho
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Swinnen
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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27
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Sung H, Lloyd TE. Defective axonal transport of endo-lysosomes and dense core vesicles in a Drosophila model of C9-ALS/FTD. Traffic 2022; 23:430-441. [PMID: 35908282 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
A GGGGCC (G4 C2 ) repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Although disruptions in axonal transport are implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, the underlying mechanisms causing these defects remain unclear. Here, we performed live imaging of Drosophila motor neurons expressing expanded G4 C2 repeats in third-instar larvae and investigated the axonal transport of multiple organelles in vivo. Expression of expanded G4 C2 repeats causes an increase in static axonal lysosomes, while it impairs trafficking of late endosomes (LEs) and dense core vesicles (DCVs). Surprisingly, however, axonal transport of mitochondria is unaffected in motor axons expressing expanded G4 C2 repeats. Thus, our data indicate that expanded G4 C2 repeat expression differentially impacts axonal transport of vesicular organelles and mitochondria in Drosophila models of C9orf72-associated ALS/FTD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Sung
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Thomas E Lloyd
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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28
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Multiple roles for the cytoskeleton in ALS. Exp Neurol 2022; 355:114143. [PMID: 35714755 PMCID: PMC10163623 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by more than sixty genes identified through classic linkage analysis and new sequencing methods. Yet no clear mechanism of onset, cure, or effective treatment is known. Popular discourse classifies the proteins encoded from ALS-related genes into four disrupted processes: proteostasis, mitochondrial function and ROS, nucleic acid regulation, and cytoskeletal dynamics. Surprisingly, the mechanisms detailing the contribution of the neuronal cytoskeletal in ALS are the least explored, despite involvement in these cell processes. Eight genes directly regulate properties of cytoskeleton function and are essential for the health and survival of motor neurons, including: TUBA4A, SPAST, KIF5A, DCTN1, NF, PRPH, ALS2, and PFN1. Here we review the properties and studies exploring the contribution of each of these genes to ALS.
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29
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Selective motor activation in organelle transport along axons. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022; 23:699-714. [DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00491-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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30
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Houghton OH, Mizielinska S, Gomez-Suaga P. The Interplay Between Autophagy and RNA Homeostasis: Implications for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:838402. [PMID: 35573690 PMCID: PMC9096704 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.838402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia are neurodegenerative disorders that lie on a disease spectrum, sharing genetic causes and pathology, and both without effective therapeutics. Two pathways that have been shown to play major roles in disease pathogenesis are autophagy and RNA homeostasis. Intriguingly, there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting a critical interplay between these pathways. Autophagy is a multi-stage process for bulk and selective clearance of malfunctional cellular components, with many layers of regulation. Although the majority of autophagy research focuses on protein degradation, it can also mediate RNA catabolism. ALS/FTD-associated proteins are involved in many stages of autophagy and autophagy-mediated RNA degradation, particularly converging on the clearance of persistent pathological stress granules. In this review, we will summarise the progress in understanding the autophagy-RNA homeostasis interplay and how that knowledge contributes to our understanding of the pathobiology of ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- O H Houghton
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.,UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - S Mizielinska
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.,UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - P Gomez-Suaga
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.,Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), Cáceres, Spain
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31
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Baron DM, Fenton AR, Saez-Atienzar S, Giampetruzzi A, Sreeram A, Shankaracharya, Keagle PJ, Doocy VR, Smith NJ, Danielson EW, Andresano M, McCormack MC, Garcia J, Bercier V, Van Den Bosch L, Brent JR, Fallini C, Traynor BJ, Holzbaur ELF, Landers JE. ALS-associated KIF5A mutations abolish autoinhibition resulting in a toxic gain of function. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110598. [PMID: 35385738 PMCID: PMC9134378 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of disease mutations is critical to advancing treatments. ALS-associated mutations in the gene encoding the microtubule motor KIF5A result in skipping of exon 27 (KIF5AΔExon27) and the encoding of a protein with a novel 39 amino acid residue C-terminal sequence. Here, we report that expression of ALS-linked mutant KIF5A results in dysregulated motor activity, cellular mislocalization, altered axonal transport, and decreased neuronal survival. Single-molecule analysis revealed that the altered C terminus of mutant KIF5A results in a constitutively active state. Furthermore, mutant KIF5A possesses altered protein and RNA interactions and its expression results in altered gene expression/splicing. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that causative ALS mutations result in a toxic gain of function in the intracellular motor KIF5A that disrupts intracellular trafficking and neuronal homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiree M Baron
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Adam R Fenton
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sara Saez-Atienzar
- Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anthony Giampetruzzi
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Aparna Sreeram
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Shankaracharya
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Pamela J Keagle
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Victoria R Doocy
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Nathan J Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Eric W Danielson
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Megan Andresano
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Mary C McCormack
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jaqueline Garcia
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Valérie Bercier
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonathan R Brent
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Claudia Fallini
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA; Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Bryan J Traynor
- Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Therapeutic Development Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Erika L F Holzbaur
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John E Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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Masrori P, Beckers J, Gossye H, Van Damme P. The role of inflammation in neurodegeneration: novel insights into the role of the immune system in C9orf72 HRE-mediated ALS/FTD. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:22. [PMID: 35303907 PMCID: PMC8932121 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00525-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is an important hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). An inflammatory reaction to neuronal injury is deemed vital for neuronal health and homeostasis. However, a continued activation of the inflammatory response can be detrimental to remaining neurons and aggravate the disease process. Apart from a disease modifying role, some evidence suggests that neuroinflammation may also contribute to the upstream cause of the disease. In this review, we will first focus on the role of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 gene (C9orf72) hexanucleotide repeat expansions (HRE)-mediated ALS/FTD (C9-ALS/FTD). Additionally, we will discuss evidence from ex vivo and in vivo studies and finally, we briefly summarize the trials and progress of anti-inflammatory therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pegah Masrori
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Laboratory of Neurobiology, Experimental Neurology, Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, 602, 3000, Leuven, PB, Belgium.,Neurology Department, University Hospitals Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Antwerp, 2650, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Jimmy Beckers
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Laboratory of Neurobiology, Experimental Neurology, Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, 602, 3000, Leuven, PB, Belgium
| | - Helena Gossye
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Antwerp, 2650, Edegem, Belgium.,VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases, University of Antwerp, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. .,Laboratory of Neurobiology, Experimental Neurology, Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, 602, 3000, Leuven, PB, Belgium. .,Neurology Department, University Hospitals Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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Van Schoor E, Vandenbulcke M, Bercier V, Vandenberghe R, van der Zee J, Van Broeckhoven C, Otto M, Hanseeuw B, Van Damme P, Van Den Bosch L, Thal DR. Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Case with an N-Terminal TUBA4A Mutation Exhibits Reduced TUBA4A Levels in the Brain and TDP-43 Pathology. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12030440. [PMID: 35327632 PMCID: PMC8946841 DOI: 10.3390/biom12030440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, disease-associated variants of the TUBA4A gene were identified in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we present the neuropathological report of a patient with the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia with a family history of Parkinsonism, harboring a novel frameshift mutation c.187del (p.Arg64Glyfs*90) in TUBA4A. Immunohistochemistry showed abundant TAR DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43) dystrophic neurite pathology in the frontal and temporal cortex and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, consistent with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). The observed pathology pattern fitted best with that of FTLD-TDP Type C. qPCR showed the presence of mutant TUBA4A mRNA. However, no truncated TUBA4A was detected at the protein level. A decrease in total TUBA4A mRNA and protein levels suggests loss-of-function as a potential pathogenic mechanism. This report strengthens the idea that N-terminal TUBA4A mutations are associated with FTLD-TDP. These N-terminal mutations possibly exert their pathogenic effects through haploinsufficiency, contrary to C-terminal TUBA4A mutations which are thought to disturb the microtubule network via a dominant-negative mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelien Van Schoor
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven (University of Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven (University of Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (V.B.); (P.V.D.); (L.V.D.B.)
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence: (E.V.S.); (D.R.T.)
| | - Mathieu Vandenbulcke
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Valérie Bercier
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven (University of Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (V.B.); (P.V.D.); (L.V.D.B.)
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Vandenberghe
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julie van der Zee
- Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases, Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.v.d.Z.); (C.V.B.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Christine Van Broeckhoven
- Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases, Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.v.d.Z.); (C.V.B.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany;
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Bernard Hanseeuw
- UC Louvain and Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurosciences, University Hospital Saint-Luc, 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven (University of Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (V.B.); (P.V.D.); (L.V.D.B.)
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven (University of Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (V.B.); (P.V.D.); (L.V.D.B.)
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven (University of Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence: (E.V.S.); (D.R.T.)
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Gomez‐Suaga P, Mórotz GM, Markovinovic A, Martín‐Guerrero SM, Preza E, Arias N, Mayl K, Aabdien A, Gesheva V, Nishimura A, Annibali A, Lee Y, Mitchell JC, Wray S, Shaw C, Noble W, Miller CCJ. Disruption of ER-mitochondria tethering and signalling in C9orf72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13549. [PMID: 35026048 PMCID: PMC8844122 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72 are the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The mechanisms by which the expansions cause disease are not properly understood but a favoured route involves its translation into dipeptide repeat (DPR) polypeptides, some of which are neurotoxic. However, the precise targets for mutant C9orf72 and DPR toxicity are not fully clear, and damage to several neuronal functions has been described. Many of these functions are regulated by signalling between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. ER‐mitochondria signalling requires close physical contacts between the two organelles that are mediated by the VAPB‐PTPIP51 ‘tethering’ proteins. Here, we show that ER‐mitochondria signalling and the VAPB‐PTPIP51 tethers are disrupted in neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from patients carrying ALS/FTD pathogenic C9orf72 expansions and in affected neurons in mutant C9orf72 transgenic mice. In these mice, disruption of the VAPB‐PTPIP51 tethers occurs prior to disease onset suggesting that it contributes to the pathogenic process. We also show that neurotoxic DPRs disrupt the VAPB‐PTPIP51 interaction and ER‐mitochondria contacts and that this may involve activation of glycogen synthase kinases‐3β (GSK3β), a known negative regulator of VAPB‐PTPIP51 binding. Finally, we show that these DPRs disrupt delivery of Ca2+ from ER stores to mitochondria, which is a primary function of the VAPB‐PTPIP51 tethers. This delivery regulates a number of key neuronal functions that are damaged in ALS/FTD including bioenergetics, autophagy and synaptic function. Our findings reveal a new molecular target for mutant C9orf72‐mediated toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Gomez‐Suaga
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Gábor M. Mórotz
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Andrea Markovinovic
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Sandra M. Martín‐Guerrero
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Elisavet Preza
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology London UK
| | - Natalia Arias
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Keith Mayl
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Afra Aabdien
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Vesela Gesheva
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Agnes Nishimura
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Ambra Annibali
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Younbok Lee
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Jacqueline C. Mitchell
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Selina Wray
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology London UK
| | - Christopher Shaw
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Christopher C. J. Miller
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
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Assessment of Mitochondrial Trafficking as a Surrogate for Fast Axonal Transport in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Spinal Motor Neurons. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2431:311-322. [PMID: 35412284 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1990-2_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Axonal transport is essential for the development, function, and survival of the nervous system. In an energy-demanding process, motor proteins act in concert with microtubules to deliver cargoes, such as organelles, from one end of the axon to the other. Perturbations in axonal transport are a prominent phenotype of many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Here, we describe a simple method to fluorescently label mitochondrial cargo, a surrogate for fast axonal transport, in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons. This method enables the sparse labeling of axons to track directionality of movement and can be adapted to assess not only the cell autonomous effects of a genetic mutation on axonal transport but also the cell non-autonomous effects, through the use of conditioned medium and/or co-culture systems.
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36
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Guo S, Nguyen L, Ranum LPW. RAN proteins in neurodegenerative disease: Repeating themes and unifying therapeutic strategies. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 72:160-170. [PMID: 34953315 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Microsatellite-expansion mutations cause >50 neurological diseases but there are no effective treatments. Mechanistic studies have historically focused on protein loss-of-function and protein or RNA gain-of-function effects. It is now clear that many expansion mutations are bidirectionally transcribed producing two toxic expansion RNAs, which can produce up to six mutant proteins by repeat associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. Multiple types of RAN proteins have been shown to be toxic in cell and animal models, to lead to common types of neuropathological changes, and to dysregulate key pathways. How RAN proteins are produced without the canonical AUG or close-cognate AUG-like initiation codons is not yet completely understood but RNA structure, flanking sequences and stress pathways have been shown to be important. Here, we summarize recent progress in understanding the role of RAN proteins, mechanistic insights into their production, and the identification of novel therapeutic strategies that may be applicable across these neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Guo
- Center for NeuroGenetics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Lien Nguyen
- Center for NeuroGenetics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA.
| | - Laura P W Ranum
- Center for NeuroGenetics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA; Genetics Institute, University of Florida, USA; McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, USA; Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, USA.
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37
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Wang H, Kodavati M, Britz GW, Hegde ML. DNA Damage and Repair Deficiency in ALS/FTD-Associated Neurodegeneration: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Implication. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:784361. [PMID: 34975400 PMCID: PMC8716463 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.784361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies reveal that neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), are commonly linked to DNA damage accumulation and repair deficiency. Neurons are particularly vulnerable to DNA damage due to their high metabolic activity, relying primarily on oxidative phosphorylation, which leads to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and subsequent DNA damage. Efficient and timely repair of such damage is critical for guarding the integrity of genomic DNA and for cell survival. Several genes predominantly associated with RNA/DNA metabolism have been implicated in both ALS and FTD, suggesting that the two diseases share a common underlying pathology with varied clinical manifestations. Recent studies reveal that many of the gene products, including RNA/DNA binding proteins (RBPs) TDP-43 and FUS are involved in diverse DNA repair pathways. A key question in the etiology of the ALS/FTD spectrum of neurodegeneration is the mechanisms and pathways involved in genome instability caused by dysfunctions/mutations of those RBP genes and their consequences in the central nervous system. The understanding of such converging molecular mechanisms provides insights into the underlying etiology of the rapidly progressing neurodegeneration in ALS/FTD, while also revealing novel DNA repair target avenues for therapeutic development. In this review, we summarize the common mechanisms of neurodegeneration in ALS and FTD, with a particular emphasis on the DNA repair defects induced by ALS/FTD causative genes. We also highlight the consequences of DNA repair defects in ALS/FTD and the therapeutic potential of DNA damage repair-targeted amelioration of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Manohar Kodavati
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Gavin W. Britz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Muralidhar L. Hegde
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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Kanekura K, Hayamizu Y, Kuroda M. Order controls disordered droplets: structure-function relationships in C9orf72-derived poly(PR). Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2021; 322:C197-C204. [PMID: 34910602 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00372.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) have been thought as two distinct neurodegenerative diseases. However, recent genetic screening and careful investigations found the genetic and pathological overlap among these disorders. Hexanucleotide expansions in intron 1 of C9orf72 are a leading cause of familial ALS and familial FTD. These expansions facilitate the repeat-associated non-ATG initiated translation (RAN translation), producing five dipeptide repeat proteins (DRPs), including Arg-rich poly(PR: Pro-Arg) and poly-(GR: Gly-Arg) peptides. Arg is a positively charged, highly polar amino acid that facilitates interactions with anionic molecules such as nucleic acids and acidic amino acids via electrostatic forces and aromatic amino acids via cation-pi interaction, suggesting that Arg-rich DRPs underlie the pathophysiology of ALS via Arg-mediated molecular interactions. Arg-rich DRPs have also been reported to induce neurodegeneration in cellular and animal models via multiple mechanisms; however, it remains unclear why the Arg-rich DRPs exhibit such diverse toxic properties, because not all Arg-rich peptides are toxic. In this mini-review, we discuss the current understanding of the pathophysiology of Arg-rich C9orf72 DRPs and introduce recent findings on the role of Arg distribution as a determinant of the toxicity and its contribution to the pathogenesis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohsuke Kanekura
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuhei Hayamizu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiko Kuroda
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Vanneste J, Van Den Bosch L. The Role of Nucleocytoplasmic Transport Defects in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12175. [PMID: 34830069 PMCID: PMC8620263 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
There is ample evidence that nucleocytoplasmic-transport deficits could play an important role in the pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the currently available data are often circumstantial and do not fully clarify the exact causal and temporal role of nucleocytoplasmic transport deficits in ALS patients. Gaining this knowledge will be of great significance in order to be able to target therapeutically nucleocytoplasmic transport and/or the proteins involved in this process. The availability of good model systems to study the nucleocytoplasmic transport process in detail will be especially crucial in investigating the effect of different mutations, as well as of other forms of stress. In this review, we discuss the evidence for the involvement of nucleocytoplasmic transport defects in ALS and the methods used to obtain these data. In addition, we provide an overview of the therapeutic strategies which could potentially counteract these defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joni Vanneste
- Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven–University of Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven–University of Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Teng FY, Jiang ZZ, Guo M, Tan XZ, Chen F, Xi XG, Xu Y. G-quadruplex DNA: a novel target for drug design. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6557-6583. [PMID: 34459951 PMCID: PMC11072987 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03921-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) DNA is a type of quadruple helix structure formed by a continuous guanine-rich DNA sequence. Emerging evidence in recent years authenticated that G4 DNA structures exist both in cell-free and cellular systems, and function in different diseases, especially in various cancers, aging, neurological diseases, and have been considered novel promising targets for drug design. In this review, we summarize the detection method and the structure of G4, highlighting some non-canonical G4 DNA structures, such as G4 with a bulge, a vacancy, or a hairpin. Subsequently, the functions of G4 DNA in physiological processes are discussed, especially their regulation of DNA replication, transcription of disease-related genes (c-MYC, BCL-2, KRAS, c-KIT et al.), telomere maintenance, and epigenetic regulation. Typical G4 ligands that target promoters and telomeres for drug design are also reviewed, including ellipticine derivatives, quinoxaline analogs, telomestatin analogs, berberine derivatives, and CX-5461, which is currently in advanced phase I/II clinical trials for patients with hematologic cancer and BRCA1/2-deficient tumors. Furthermore, since the long-term stable existence of G4 DNA structures could result in genomic instability, we summarized the G4 unfolding mechanisms emerged recently by multiple G4-specific DNA helicases, such as Pif1, RecQ family helicases, FANCJ, and DHX36. This review aims to present a general overview of the field of G-quadruplex DNA that has progressed in recent years and provides potential strategies for drug design and disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Yuan Teng
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zong-Zhe Jiang
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Man Guo
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiao-Zhen Tan
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xu-Guang Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
- LBPA, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, 61, Avenue du Président Wilson, 94235, Cachan, France.
| | - Yong Xu
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
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Liguori F, Amadio S, Volonté C. Fly for ALS: Drosophila modeling on the route to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis modifiers. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6143-6160. [PMID: 34322715 PMCID: PMC11072332 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03905-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, devastating disease, causing movement impairment, respiratory failure and ultimate death. A plethora of genetic, cellular and molecular mechanisms are involved in ALS signature, although the initiating causes and progressive pathological events are far from being understood. Drosophila research has produced seminal discoveries for more than a century and has been successfully used in the past 25 years to untangle the process of ALS pathogenesis, and recognize potential markers and novel strategies for therapeutic solutions. This review will provide an updated view of several ALS modifiers validated in C9ORF72, SOD1, FUS, TDP-43 and Ataxin-2 Drosophila models. We will discuss basic and preclinical findings, illustrating recent developments and novel breakthroughs, also depicting unsettled challenges and limitations in the Drosophila-ALS field. We intend to stimulate a renewed debate on Drosophila as a screening route to identify more successful disease modifiers and neuroprotective agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Liguori
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Susanna Amadio
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Volonté
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143, Rome, Italy.
- Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science "A. Ruberti", National Research Council (IASI-CNR), Via dei Taurini 19, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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42
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Jiménez-Villegas J, Ferraiuolo L, Mead RJ, Shaw PJ, Cuadrado A, Rojo AI. NRF2 as a therapeutic opportunity to impact in the molecular roadmap of ALS. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 173:125-141. [PMID: 34314817 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating heterogeneous disease with still no convincing therapy. To identify the most strategically significant hallmarks for therapeutic intervention, we have performed a comprehensive transcriptomics analysis of dysregulated pathways, comparing datasets from ALS patients and healthy donors. We have identified crucial alterations in RNA metabolism, intracellular transport, vascular system, redox homeostasis, proteostasis and inflammatory responses. Interestingly, the transcription factor NRF2 (nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) has significant effects in modulating these pathways. NRF2 has been classically considered as the master regulator of the antioxidant cellular response, although it is currently considered as a key component of the transduction machinery to maintain coordinated control of protein quality, inflammation, and redox homeostasis. Herein, we will summarize the data from NRF2 activators in ALS pre-clinical models as well as those that are being studied in clinical trials. As we will discuss, NRF2 is a promising target to build a coordinated transcriptional response to motor neuron injury, highlighting its therapeutic potential to combat ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Jiménez-Villegas
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Paz (IdiPaz), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - L Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - R J Mead
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - P J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A Cuadrado
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Paz (IdiPaz), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - A I Rojo
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Paz (IdiPaz), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
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Braems E, Tziortzouda P, Van Den Bosch L. Exploring the alternative: Fish, flies and worms as preclinical models for ALS. Neurosci Lett 2021; 759:136041. [PMID: 34118308 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons. In general, patients succumb to respiratory insufficiency due to respiratory muscle weakness. Despite many promising therapeutic strategies primarily identified in rodent models, patient trials remain rather unsuccessful. There is a clear need for alternative approaches, which could provide directions towards the justified use of rodents and which increase the likelihood to identify new promising clinical candidates. In the last decades, the use of fast genetic approaches and the development of high-throughput screening platforms in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and in zebrafish (Danio rerio) have contributed to new insights into ALS pathomechanisms, disease modifiers and therapeutic targets. In this mini-review, we provide an overview of these alternative small animal studies, modeling the most common ALS genes and discuss the most recent preclinical discoveries. We conclude that small animal models will not replace rodent models, yet they clearly represent an important asset for preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Braems
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paraskevi Tziortzouda
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.
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Nishimura AL, Arias N. Synaptopathy Mechanisms in ALS Caused by C9orf72 Repeat Expansion. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:660693. [PMID: 34140881 PMCID: PMC8203826 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.660693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disease caused by degeneration of motor neurons (MNs). ALS pathogenic features include accumulation of misfolded proteins, glutamate excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction at distal axon terminals, and neuronal cytoskeleton changes. Synergies between loss of C9orf72 functions and gain of function by toxic effects of repeat expansions also contribute to C9orf72-mediated pathogenesis. However, the impact of haploinsufficiency of C9orf72 on neurons and in synaptic functions requires further examination. As the motor neurons degenerate, the disease symptoms will lead to neurotransmission deficiencies in the brain, spinal cord, and neuromuscular junction. Altered neuronal excitability, synaptic morphological changes, and C9orf72 protein and DPR localization at the synapses, suggest a potential involvement of C9orf72 at synapses. In this review article, we provide a conceptual framework for assessing the putative involvement of C9orf72 as a synaptopathy, and we explore the underlying and common disease mechanisms with other neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we reflect on the major challenges of understanding C9orf72-ALS as a synaptopathy focusing on integrating mitochondrial and neuronal cytoskeleton degeneration as biomarkers and potential targets to treat ALS neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes L Nishimura
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, UK Dementia Research Institute, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Arias
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, UK Dementia Research Institute, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,INEUROPA, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
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Pakravan D, Orlando G, Bercier V, Van Den Bosch L. Role and therapeutic potential of liquid-liquid phase separation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Mol Cell Biol 2020; 13:15-28. [PMID: 32976566 PMCID: PMC8036000 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjaa049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease selectively affecting motor neurons, leading to progressive paralysis. Although most cases are sporadic, ∼10% are familial. Similar proteins are found in aggregates in sporadic and familial ALS, and over the last decade, research has been focused on the underlying nature of this common pathology. Notably, TDP-43 inclusions are found in almost all ALS patients, while FUS inclusions have been reported in some familial ALS patients. Both TDP-43 and FUS possess ‘low-complexity domains’ (LCDs) and are considered as ‘intrinsically disordered proteins’, which form liquid droplets in vitro due to the weak interactions caused by the LCDs. Dysfunctional ‘liquid–liquid phase separation’ (LLPS) emerged as a new mechanism linking ALS-related proteins to pathogenesis. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on ALS-related gene products associated with a proteinopathy and discuss their status as LLPS proteins. In addition, we highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting LLPS for treating ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donya Pakravan
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gabriele Orlando
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valérie Bercier
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence to: Ludo Van Den Bosch, E-mail:
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