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Fare CM, Rothstein JD. Nuclear pore dysfunction and disease: a complex opportunity. Nucleus 2024; 15:2314297. [PMID: 38383349 PMCID: PMC10883112 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2024.2314297] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The separation of genetic material from bulk cytoplasm has enabled the evolution of increasingly complex organisms, allowing for the development of sophisticated forms of life. However, this complexity has created new categories of dysfunction, including those related to the movement of material between cellular compartments. In eukaryotic cells, nucleocytoplasmic trafficking is a fundamental biological process, and cumulative disruptions to nuclear integrity and nucleocytoplasmic transport are detrimental to cell survival. This is particularly true in post-mitotic neurons, where nuclear pore injury and errors to nucleocytoplasmic trafficking are strongly associated with neurodegenerative disease. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of nuclear pore biology in physiological and pathological contexts and discuss potential therapeutic approaches for addressing nuclear pore injury and dysfunctional nucleocytoplasmic transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte M Fare
- Department of Neurology and Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Rothstein
- Department of Neurology and Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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2
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Cui Q, Liu Z, Bai G. Friend or foe: The role of stress granule in neurodegenerative disease. Neuron 2024; 112:2464-2485. [PMID: 38744273 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.025] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Stress granules (SGs) are dynamic membraneless organelles that form in response to cellular stress. SGs are predominantly composed of RNA and RNA-binding proteins that assemble through liquid-liquid phase separation. Although the formation of SGs is considered a transient and protective response to cellular stress, their dysregulation or persistence may contribute to various neurodegenerative diseases. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of SG physiology and pathology. It covers the formation, composition, regulation, and functions of SGs, along with their crosstalk with other membrane-bound and membraneless organelles. Furthermore, this review discusses the dual roles of SGs as both friends and foes in neurodegenerative diseases and explores potential therapeutic approaches targeting SGs. The challenges and future perspectives in this field are also highlighted. A more profound comprehension of the intricate relationship between SGs and neurodegenerative diseases could inspire the development of innovative therapeutic interventions against these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinqin Cui
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou 311100, China.
| | - Zongyu Liu
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ge Bai
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou 311100, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Institute of Fundamental and Transdisciplinary Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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3
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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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4
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Wang H, Zeng R. Aberrant protein aggregation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 2024; 271:4826-4851. [PMID: 38869826 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12485-z] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease. As its pathological mechanisms are not well understood, there are no efficient therapeutics for it at present. While it is highly heterogenous both etiologically and clinically, it has a common salient hallmark, i.e., aberrant protein aggregation (APA). The upstream pathogenesis and the downstream effects of APA in ALS are sophisticated and the investigation of this pathology would be of consequence for understanding ALS. In this paper, the pathomechanism of APA in ALS and the candidate treatment strategies for it are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaixiu Wang
- Department Neurology, Shanxi Provincial Peoples Hospital: Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, China.
- Beijing Ai-Si-Kang Medical Technology Co. Ltd., No. 18 11th St Economical & Technological Development Zone, Beijing, 100176, China.
| | - Rong Zeng
- Department Neurology, Shanxi Provincial Peoples Hospital: Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, China
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Jacob SM, Lee S, Kim SH, Sharkey KA, Pfeffer G, Nguyen MD. Brain-body mechanisms contribute to sexual dimorphism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:475-494. [PMID: 38965379 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-024-00991-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of human motor neuron disease. It is characterized by the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons, leading to generalized motor weakness and, ultimately, respiratory paralysis and death within 3-5 years. The disease is shaped by genetics, age, sex and environmental stressors, but no cure or routine biomarkers exist for the disease. Male individuals have a higher propensity to develop ALS, and a different manifestation of the disease phenotype, than female individuals. However, the mechanisms underlying these sex differences remain a mystery. In this Review, we summarize the epidemiology of ALS, examine the sexually dimorphic presentation of the disease and highlight the genetic variants and molecular pathways that might contribute to sex differences in humans and animal models of ALS. We advance the idea that sexual dimorphism in ALS arises from the interactions between the CNS and peripheral organs, involving vascular, metabolic, endocrine, musculoskeletal and immune systems, which are strikingly different between male and female individuals. Finally, we review the response to treatments in ALS and discuss the potential to implement future personalized therapeutic strategies for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Jacob
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sukyoung Lee
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Neurology, Hanyang University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Keith A Sharkey
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gerald Pfeffer
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Minh Dang Nguyen
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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6
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Ho PC, Hsieh TC, Tsai KJ. TDP-43 proteinopathy in frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: From pathomechanisms to therapeutic strategies. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 100:102441. [PMID: 39069095 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102441] [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: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Proteostasis failure is a common pathological characteristic in neurodegenerative diseases. Revitalizing clearance systems could effectively mitigate these diseases. The transactivation response (TAR) DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) plays a critical role as an RNA/DNA-binding protein in RNA metabolism and synaptic function. Accumulation of TDP-43 aggregates in the central nervous system is a hallmark of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Autophagy, a major and highly conserved degradation pathway, holds the potential for degrading aggregated TDP-43 and alleviating FTLD/ALS. This review explores the causes of TDP-43 aggregation, FTLD/ALS-related genes, key autophagy factors, and autophagy-based therapeutic strategies targeting TDP-43 proteinopathy. Understanding the underlying pathological mechanisms of TDP-43 proteinopathy can facilitate therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Chuan Ho
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Chi Hsieh
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kuen-Jer Tsai
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Research Center of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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7
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Rajabi D, Khanmohammadi S, Rezaei N. The role of long noncoding RNAs in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Rev Neurosci 2024; 35:533-547. [PMID: 38452377 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0155] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with a poor prognosis leading to death. The diagnosis and treatment of ALS are inherently challenging due to its complex pathomechanism. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides involved in different cellular processes, incisively gene expression. In recent years, more studies have been conducted on lncRNA classes and interference in different disease pathologies, showing their promising contribution to diagnosing and treating neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discussed the role of lncRNAs like NEAT1 and C9orf72-as in ALS pathogenesis mechanisms caused by mutations in different genes, including TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43), fused in sarcoma (FUS), superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1). NEAT1 is a well-established lncRNA in ALS pathogenesis; hence, we elaborate on its involvement in forming paraspeckles, stress response, inflammatory response, and apoptosis. Furthermore, antisense lncRNAs (as-lncRNAs), a key group of transcripts from the opposite strand of genes, including ZEB1-AS1 and ATXN2-AS, are discussed as newly identified components in the pathology of ALS. Ultimately, we review the current standing of using lncRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic agents and the future vision of further studies on lncRNA applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Rajabi
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Felestin St., Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran, 1416634793, Iran
| | - Shaghayegh Khanmohammadi
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Felestin St., Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran, 1416634793, Iran
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, No 63, Gharib Ave, Keshavarz Blv, Tehran, 1419733151, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Children's Medical Center, No 63, Gharib Ave, Keshavarz Blv, Tehran, 1419733151, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, No 63, Gharib Ave, Keshavarz Blv, Tehran, 1419733151, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Children's Medical Center, No 63, Gharib Ave, Keshavarz Blv, Tehran, 1419733151, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Felestin St., Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran, 1416634793, Iran
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8
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Min JH, Sarlus H, Harris RA. Copper toxicity and deficiency: the vicious cycle at the core of protein aggregation in ALS. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1408159. [PMID: 39050823 PMCID: PMC11267976 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1408159] [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: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiology of ALS involves many signs of a disruption in copper homeostasis, with both excess free levels and functional deficiency likely occurring simultaneously. This is crucial, as many important physiological functions are performed by cuproenzymes. While it is unsurprising that many ALS symptoms are related to signs of copper deficiency, resulting in vascular, antioxidant system and mitochondrial oxidative respiration deficiencies, there are also signs of copper toxicity such as ROS generation and enhanced protein aggregation. We discuss how copper also plays a key role in proteostasis and interacts either directly or indirectly with many of the key aggregate-prone proteins implicated in ALS, such as TDP-43, C9ORF72, SOD1 and FUS as well as the effect of their aggregation on copper homeostasis. We suggest that loss of cuproprotein function is at the core of ALS pathology, a condition that is driven by a combination of unbound copper and ROS that can either initiate and/or accelerate protein aggregation. This could trigger a positive feedback cycle whereby protein aggregates trigger the aggregation of other proteins in a chain reaction that eventually captures elements of the proteostatic mechanisms in place to counteract them. The end result is an abundance of aggregated non-functional cuproproteins and chaperones alongside depleted intracellular copper stores, resulting in a general lack of cuproenzyme function. We then discuss the possible aetiology of ALS and illustrate how strong risk factors including environmental toxins such as BMAA and heavy metals can functionally behave to promote protein aggregation and disturb copper metabolism that likely drives this vicious cycle in sporadic ALS. From this synthesis, we propose restoration of copper balance using copper delivery agents in combination with chaperones/chaperone mimetics, perhaps in conjunction with the neuroprotective amino acid serine, as a promising strategy in the treatment of this incurable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Hong Min
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital at Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
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Li X, Bedlack R. Evaluating emerging drugs in phase II & III for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2024; 29:93-102. [PMID: 38516735 DOI: 10.1080/14728214.2024.2333420] [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: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a rapidly progressive motor neuron disorder causing severe disability and premature death. Owing to the advances in uncovering ALS pathophysiology, efficient clinical trial design and research advocacy program, several disease-modifying drugs have been approved for treating ALS. Despite this progress, ALS remains a rapidly disabling and life shortening condition. There is a critical need for more effective therapies. AREAS COVERED Here, we reviewed the emerging ALS therapeutics undergoing phase II & III clinical trials. To identify the investigational drugs, we searched ALS and phase II/III trials that are active and recruiting or not yet recruiting on clinicaltrials.gov and Pharmaprojects database. EXPERT OPINION The current pipeline is larger and more diverse than ever, with drugs targeting potential genetic and retroviral causes of ALS and drugs targeting a wide array of downstream pathways, including RNA metabolism, protein aggregation, integrated stress response and neuroinflammation.We remain most excited about those that target direct causes of ALS, e.g. antisense oligonucleotides targeting causative genes. Drugs that eliminate abnormal protein aggregates are also up-and-coming. Eventually, because of the heterogeneity of ALS pathophysiology, biomarkers that determine which biological events are most important for an individual ALS patient are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Neurology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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10
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Nguyen L. Updates on Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutics for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Cells 2024; 13:888. [PMID: 38891021 PMCID: PMC11172142 DOI: 10.3390/cells13110888] [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: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a motor neuron disease. In ALS, upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord progressively degenerate during the course of the disease, leading to the loss of the voluntary movement of the arms and legs. Since its first description in 1869 by a French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, the scientific discoveries on ALS have increased our understanding of ALS genetics, pathology and mechanisms and provided novel therapeutic strategies. The goal of this review article is to provide a comprehensive summary of the recent findings on ALS mechanisms and related therapeutic strategies to the scientific audience. Several highlighted ALS research topics discussed in this article include the 2023 FDA approved drug for SOD1 ALS, the updated C9orf72 GGGGCC repeat-expansion-related mechanisms and therapeutic targets, TDP-43-mediated cryptic splicing and disease markers and diagnostic and therapeutic options offered by these recent discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien Nguyen
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
- Center for NeuroGenetics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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De Cock L, Bercier V, Van Den Bosch L. New developments in pre-clinical models of ALS to guide translation. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 176:477-524. [PMID: 38802181 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.04.008] [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: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which selective death of motor neurons leads to muscle weakness and paralysis. Most research has focused on understanding and treating monogenic familial forms, most frequently caused by mutations in SOD1, FUS, TARDBP and C9orf72, although ALS is mostly sporadic and without a clear genetic cause. Rodent models have been developed to study monogenic ALS, but despite numerous pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, few disease-modifying therapies are available. ALS is a heterogeneous disease with complex underlying mechanisms where several genes and molecular pathways appear to play a role. One reason for the high failure rate of clinical translation from the current models could be oversimplification in pre-clinical studies. Here, we review advances in pre-clinical models to better capture the heterogeneous nature of ALS and discuss the value of novel model systems to guide translation and aid in the development of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenja De Cock
- 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
| | - Valérie Bercier
- 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
| | - 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.
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12
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Cicardi ME, Kankate V, Sriramoji S, Krishnamurthy K, Markandaiah SS, Verdone BM, Girdhar A, Nelson A, Rivas LB, Boehringer A, Haeusler AR, Pasinelli P, Guo L, Trotti D. The nuclear import receptor Kapβ2 modifies neurotoxicity mediated by poly(GR) in C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD. Commun Biol 2024; 7:376. [PMID: 38548902 PMCID: PMC10978903 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06071-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Expanded intronic G4C2 repeats in the C9ORF72 gene cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These intronic repeats are translated through a non-AUG-dependent mechanism into five different dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), including poly-glycine-arginine (GR), which is aggregation-prone and neurotoxic. Here, we report that Kapβ2 and GR interact, co-aggregating, in cultured neurons in-vitro and CNS tissue in-vivo. Importantly, this interaction significantly decreased the risk of death of cultured GR-expressing neurons. Downregulation of Kapβ2 is detrimental to their survival, whereas increased Kapβ2 levels mitigated GR-mediated neurotoxicity. As expected, GR-expressing neurons displayed TDP-43 nuclear loss. Raising Kapβ2 levels did not restore TDP-43 into the nucleus, nor did alter the dynamic properties of GR aggregates. Overall, our findings support the design of therapeutic strategies aimed at up-regulating Kapβ2 expression levels as a potential new avenue for contrasting neurodegeneration in C9orf72-ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Cicardi
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - V Kankate
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S Sriramoji
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - K Krishnamurthy
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S S Markandaiah
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - B M Verdone
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - A Girdhar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - A Nelson
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - L B Rivas
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - A Boehringer
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - A R Haeusler
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - P Pasinelli
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - L Guo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - D Trotti
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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13
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Marques C, Held A, Dorfman K, Sung J, Song C, Kavuturu AS, Aguilar C, Russo T, Oakley DH, Albers MW, Hyman BT, Petrucelli L, Lagier-Tourenne C, Wainger BJ. Neuronal STING activation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:56. [PMID: 38478117 PMCID: PMC10937762 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02688-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While prior studies have focused on STING within immune cells, little is known about STING within neurons. Here, we document neuronal activation of the STING pathway in human postmortem cortical and spinal motor neurons from individuals affected by familial or sporadic ALS. This process takes place selectively in the most vulnerable cortical and spinal motor neurons but not in neurons that are less affected by the disease. Concordant STING activation in layer V cortical motor neurons occurs in a mouse model of C9orf72 repeat-associated ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). To establish that STING activation occurs in a neuron-autonomous manner, we demonstrate the integrity of the STING signaling pathway, including both upstream activators and downstream innate immune response effectors, in dissociated mouse cortical neurons and neurons derived from control human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Human iPSC-derived neurons harboring different familial ALS-causing mutations exhibit increased STING signaling with DNA damage as a main driver. The elevated downstream inflammatory markers present in ALS iPSC-derived neurons can be suppressed with a STING inhibitor. Our results reveal an immunophenotype that consists of innate immune signaling driven by the STING pathway and occurs specifically within vulnerable neurons in ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Marques
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Held
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Dorfman
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joon Sung
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Song
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amey S Kavuturu
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Corey Aguilar
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tommaso Russo
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Derek H Oakley
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark W Albers
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | | | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brian J Wainger
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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14
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Gotoh S, Mori K, Fujino Y, Kawabe Y, Yamashita T, Omi T, Nagata K, Tagami S, Nagai Y, Ikeda M. eIF5 stimulates the CUG initiation of RAN translation of poly-GA dipeptide repeat protein (DPR) in C9orf72 FTLD/ALS. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105703. [PMID: 38301895 PMCID: PMC10904283 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105703] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Tandem GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9orf72 is a genetic cause of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Transcribed repeats are translated into dipeptide repeat proteins via repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. However, the regulatory mechanism of RAN translation remains unclear. Here, we reveal a GTPase-activating protein, eukaryotic initiation factor 5 (eIF5), which allosterically facilitates the conversion of eIF2-bound GTP into GDP upon start codon recognition, as a novel modifier of C9orf72 RAN translation. Compared to global translation, eIF5, but not its inactive mutants, preferentially stimulates poly-GA RAN translation. RAN translation is increased during integrated stress response, but the stimulatory effect of eIF5 on poly-GA RAN translation was additive to the increase of RAN translation during integrated stress response, with no further increase in phosphorylated eIF2α. Moreover, an alteration of the CUG near cognate codon to CCG or AUG in the poly-GA reading frame abolished the stimulatory effects, indicating that eIF5 primarily acts through the CUG-dependent initiation. Lastly, in a Drosophila model of C9orf72 FTLD/ALS that expresses GGGGCC repeats in the eye, knockdown of endogenous eIF5 by two independent RNAi strains significantly reduced poly-GA expressions, confirming in vivo effect of eIF5 on poly-GA RAN translation. Together, eIF5 stimulates the CUG initiation of poly-GA RAN translation in cellular and Drosophila disease models of C9orf72 FTLD/ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiho Gotoh
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Kohji Mori
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
| | - Yuzo Fujino
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan; Department of Neurology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuya Kawabe
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Tomoko Yamashita
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Tsubasa Omi
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Kenichi Nagata
- Department of Precision Medicine for Dementia, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Shinji Tagami
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Nagai
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Manabu Ikeda
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
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15
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Bhatt N, Puangmalai N, Sengupta U, Jerez C, Kidd M, Gandhi S, Kayed R. C9orf72-associated dipeptide protein repeats form A11-positive oligomers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105628. [PMID: 38295729 PMCID: PMC10844744 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hexanucleotide repeat expansion in C9orf72 is one of the most common causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. The hexanucleotide expansion, formed by GGGGCC (G4C2) repeats, leads to the production of five dipeptide protein repeats (DPRs) via repeat-associated non-AUG translation. Among the five dipeptide repeats, Gly-Arg, Pro-Arg, and Gly-Ala form neuronal inclusions that contain aggregates of the peptides. Several studies have attempted to model DPR-associated toxicity using various repeat lengths, which suggests a unique conformation that is cytotoxic and is independent of the repeat length. However, the structural characteristics of DPR aggregates have yet to be determined. Increasing evidence suggests that soluble species, such as oligomers, are the main cause of toxicity in proteinopathies, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. To investigate the ability of DPRs to aggregate and form toxic oligomers, we adopted a reductionist approach using small dipeptide repeats of 3, 6, and 12. This study shows that DPRs, particularly glycine-arginine and proline-arginine, form oligomers that exhibit distinct dye-binding properties and morphologies. Importantly, we also identified toxic DPR oligomers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia postmortem brains that are morphologically similar to those generated recombinantly. This study demonstrates that, similar to soluble oligomers formed by various amyloid proteins, DPR oligomers are toxic, independent of their repeat length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nemil Bhatt
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Nicha Puangmalai
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Urmi Sengupta
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Cynthia Jerez
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Madison Kidd
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Shailee Gandhi
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
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16
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He D, Xu Y, Liu M, Cui L. The Inflammatory Puzzle: Piecing together the Links between Neuroinflammation and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Aging Dis 2024; 15:96-114. [PMID: 37307819 PMCID: PMC10796096 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0519] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that has a complex genetic basis. Through advancements in genetic screening, researchers have identified more than 40 mutant genes associated with ALS, some of which impact immune function. Neuroinflammation, with abnormal activation of immune cells and excessive production of inflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system, significantly contributes to the pathophysiology of ALS. In this review, we examine recent evidence on the involvement of ALS-associated mutant genes in immune dysregulation, with a specific focus on the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway and N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-mediated immune regulation in the context of neurodegeneration. We also discuss the perturbation of immune cell homeostasis in both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues in ALS. Furthermore, we explore the advancements made in the emerging genetic and cell-based therapies for ALS. This review underscores the complex relationship between ALS and neuroinflammation, highlighting the potential to identify modifiable factors for therapeutic intervention. A deeper understanding of the connection between neuroinflammation and the risk of ALS is crucial for advancing effective treatments for this debilitating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di He
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing, China
| | - Mingsheng Liu
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing, China
| | - Liying Cui
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing, China
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17
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Gupta MN, Uversky VN. Biological importance of arginine: A comprehensive review of the roles in structure, disorder, and functionality of peptides and proteins. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128646. [PMID: 38061507 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128646] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Arginine shows Jekyll and Hyde behavior in several respects. It participates in protein folding via ionic and H-bonds and cation-pi interactions; the charge and hydrophobicity of its side chain make it a disorder-promoting amino acid. Its methylation in histones; RNA binding proteins; chaperones regulates several cellular processes. The arginine-centric modifications are important in oncogenesis and as biomarkers in several cardiovascular diseases. The cross-links involving arginine in collagen and cornea are involved in pathogenesis of tissues but have also been useful in tissue engineering and wound-dressing materials. Arginine is a part of active site of several enzymes such as GTPases, peroxidases, and sulfotransferases. Its metabolic importance is obvious as it is involved in production of urea, NO, ornithine and citrulline. It can form unusual functional structures such as molecular tweezers in vitro and sprockets which engage DNA chains as part of histones in vivo. It has been used in design of cell-penetrating peptides as drugs. Arginine has been used as an excipient in both solid and injectable drug formulations; its role in suppressing opalescence due to liquid-liquid phase separation is particularly very promising. It has been known as a suppressor of protein aggregation during protein refolding. It has proved its usefulness in protein bioseparation processes like ion-exchange, hydrophobic and affinity chromatographies. Arginine is an amino acid, whose importance in biological sciences and biotechnology continues to grow in diverse ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munishwar Nath Gupta
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
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18
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Chong ZZ, Menkes DL, Souayah N. Pathogenesis underlying hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72 gene in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Rev Neurosci 2024; 35:85-97. [PMID: 37525497 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0060] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Mutations in C9orf72 and the resulting hexanucleotide repeat (GGGGCC) expansion (HRE) has been identified as a major cause of familial ALS, accounting for about 40 % of familial and 6 % of sporadic cases of ALS in Western patients. The pathological outcomes of HRE expansion in ALS have been recognized as the results of two mechanisms that include both the toxic gain-of-function and loss-of-function of C9ORF72. The gain of toxicity results from RNA and dipeptide repeats (DPRs). The HRE can be bidirectionally transcribed into RNA foci, which can bind to and disrupt RNA splicing, transport, and translation. The DPRs that include poly-glycine-alanine, poly-glycine-proline, poly-glycine- arginine, poly-proline-alanine, and poly-proline-arginine can induce toxicity by direct binding and sequestrating other proteins to interfere rRNA synthesis, ribosome biogenesis, translation, and nucleocytoplasmic transport. The C9ORF72 functions through binding to its partners-Smith-Magenis chromosome regions 8 (SMCR8) and WD repeat-containing protein (WDR41). Loss of C9ORF72 function results in impairment of autophagy, deregulation of autoimmunity, increased stress, and disruption of nucleocytoplasmic transport. Further insight into the mechanism in C9ORF72 HRE pathogenesis will facilitate identifying novel and effective therapeutic targets for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Zhong Chong
- Department of Neurology, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, 185 S. Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Daniel L Menkes
- Department of Neurology, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, 3555 West 13 Mile Road, Suite N120, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA
| | - Nizar Souayah
- Department of Neurology, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, 90 Bergen Street DOC 8100, Newark, NJ 07101, USA
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19
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Khalil B, Linsenmeier M, Smith CL, Shorter J, Rossoll W. Nuclear-import receptors as gatekeepers of pathological phase transitions in ALS/FTD. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:8. [PMID: 38254150 PMCID: PMC10804745 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00698-1] [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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders on a disease spectrum that are characterized by the cytoplasmic mislocalization and aberrant phase transitions of prion-like RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). The common accumulation of TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43), fused in sarcoma (FUS), and other nuclear RBPs in detergent-insoluble aggregates in the cytoplasm of degenerating neurons in ALS/FTD is connected to nuclear pore dysfunction and other defects in the nucleocytoplasmic transport machinery. Recent advances suggest that beyond their canonical role in the nuclear import of protein cargoes, nuclear-import receptors (NIRs) can prevent and reverse aberrant phase transitions of TDP-43, FUS, and related prion-like RBPs and restore their nuclear localization and function. Here, we showcase the NIR family and how they recognize cargo, drive nuclear import, and chaperone prion-like RBPs linked to ALS/FTD. We also discuss the promise of enhancing NIR levels and developing potentiated NIR variants as therapeutic strategies for ALS/FTD and related neurodegenerative proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Khalil
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, U.S.A
| | - Miriam Linsenmeier
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, U.S.A
| | - Courtney L Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, U.S.A
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Track, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, U.S.A
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, U.S.A..
| | - Wilfried Rossoll
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, U.S.A..
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20
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Smeele PH, Cesare G, Vaccari T. ALS' Perfect Storm: C9orf72-Associated Toxic Dipeptide Repeats as Potential Multipotent Disruptors of Protein Homeostasis. Cells 2024; 13:178. [PMID: 38247869 PMCID: PMC10813877 DOI: 10.3390/cells13020178] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein homeostasis is essential for neuron longevity, requiring a balanced regulation between protein synthesis and degradation. The clearance of misfolded and aggregated proteins, mediated by autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome systems, maintains protein homeostasis in neurons, which are post-mitotic and thus cannot use cell division to diminish the burden of misfolded proteins. When protein clearance pathways are overwhelmed or otherwise disrupted, the accumulation of misfolded or aggregated proteins can lead to the activation of ER stress and the formation of stress granules, which predominantly attempt to restore the homeostasis by suppressing global protein translation. Alterations in these processes have been widely reported among studies investigating the toxic function of dipeptide repeats (DPRs) produced by G4C2 expansion in the C9orf72 gene of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In this review, we outline the modalities of DPR-induced disruptions in protein homeostasis observed in a wide range of models of C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD. We also discuss the relative importance of each DPR for toxicity, possible synergies between DPRs, and discuss the possible functional relevance of DPR aggregation to disease pathogenesis. Finally, we highlight the interdependencies of the observed effects and reflect on the importance of feedback and feedforward mechanisms in their contribution to disease progression. A better understanding of DPR-associated disease pathogenesis discussed in this review might shed light on disease vulnerabilities that may be amenable with therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Vaccari
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
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21
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Guo Y, Chen J, Ji W, Xu L, Xie Y, He S, Lai C, Hou K, Li Z, Chen G, Wu Z. High-titer AAV disrupts cerebrovascular integrity and induces lymphocyte infiltration in adult mouse brain. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 31:101102. [PMID: 37753218 PMCID: PMC10518493 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
The brain is often described as an "immune-privileged" organ due to the presence of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB), which limits the entry of immune cells. In general, intracranial injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV) is considered a relatively safe procedure. In this study, we discovered that AAV, a popular engineered viral vector for gene therapy, can disrupt the BBB and induce immune cell infiltration in a titer-dependent manner. First, our bulk RNA sequencing data revealed that injection of high-titer AAV significantly upregulated many genes involved in disrupting BBB integrity and antiviral adaptive immune responses. By using histologic analysis, we further demonstrated that the biological structure of the BBB was severely disrupted in the adult mouse brain. Meanwhile, we noticed abnormal leakage of blood components, including immune cells, within the brain parenchyma of high-titer AAV injected areas. Moreover, we identified that the majority of infiltrated immune cells were cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which resulted in a massive loss of neurons at the site of AAV injection. In addition, antagonizing CTL function by administering antibodies significantly reduced neuronal toxicity induced by high-titer AAV. Collectively, our findings underscore potential severe side effects of intracranial injection of high-titer AAV, which might compromise proper data interpretation if unaware of.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaowei Guo
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Junliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Wenyu Ji
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Liang Xu
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yu Xie
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Shu He
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Chuying Lai
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Kaiyu Hou
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zeru Li
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Gong Chen
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zheng Wu
- Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
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22
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Kahriman A, Bouley J, Tuncali I, Dogan EO, Pereira M, Luu T, Bosco DA, Jaber S, Peters OM, Brown RH, Henninger N. Repeated mild traumatic brain injury triggers pathology in asymptomatic C9ORF72 transgenic mice. Brain 2023; 146:5139-5152. [PMID: 37527465 PMCID: PMC11046056 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that represent ends of the spectrum of a single disease. The most common genetic cause of FTD and ALS is a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene. Although epidemiological data suggest that traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a risk factor for FTD and ALS, its role in exacerbating disease onset and course remains unclear. To explore the interplay between traumatic brain injury and genetic risk in the induction of FTD/ALS pathology we combined a mild repetitive traumatic brain injury paradigm with an established bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic C9orf72 (C9BAC) mouse model without an overt motor phenotype or neurodegeneration. We assessed 8-10 week-old littermate C9BACtg/tg (n = 21), C9BACtg/- (n = 20) and non-transgenic (n = 21) mice of both sexes for the presence of behavioural deficits and cerebral histopathology at 12 months after repetitive TBI. Repetitive TBI did not affect body weight gain, general neurological deficit severity, nor survival over the 12-month observation period and there was no difference in rotarod performance, object recognition, social interaction and acoustic characteristics of ultrasonic vocalizations of C9BAC mice subjected to repetitive TBI versus sham injury. However, we found that repetitive TBI increased the time to the return of the righting reflex, reduced grip force, altered sociability behaviours and attenuated ultrasonic call emissions during social interactions in C9BAC mice. Strikingly, we found that repetitive TBI caused widespread microglial activation and reduced neuronal density that was associated with loss of histological markers of axonal and synaptic integrity as well as profound neuronal transactive response DNA binding protein 43 kDa mislocalization in the cerebral cortex of C9BAC mice at 12 months; this was not observed in non-transgenic repetitive TBI and C9BAC sham mice. Our data indicate that repetitive TBI can be an environmental risk factor that is sufficient to trigger FTD/ALS-associated neuropathology and behavioural deficits, but not paralysis, in mice carrying a C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydan Kahriman
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - James Bouley
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Idil Tuncali
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Elif O Dogan
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Mariana Pereira
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Thuyvan Luu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Daryl A Bosco
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Samer Jaber
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Owen M Peters
- School of Biosciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Robert H Brown
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Nils Henninger
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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23
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Genin EC, Abou-Ali M, Paquis-Flucklinger V. Mitochondria, a Key Target in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pathogenesis. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1981. [PMID: 38002924 PMCID: PMC10671245 DOI: 10.3390/genes14111981] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs in numerous neurodegenerative diseases, particularly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where it contributes to motor neuron (MN) death. Of all the factors involved in ALS, mitochondria have been considered as a major player, as secondary mitochondrial dysfunction has been found in various models and patients. Abnormal mitochondrial morphology, defects in mitochondrial dynamics, altered activities of respiratory chain enzymes and increased production of reactive oxygen species have been described. Moreover, the identification of CHCHD10 variants in ALS patients was the first genetic evidence that a mitochondrial defect may be a primary cause of MN damage and directly links mitochondrial dysfunction to the pathogenesis of ALS. In this review, we focus on the role of mitochondria in ALS and highlight the pathogenic variants of ALS genes associated with impaired mitochondrial functions. The multiple pathways demonstrated in ALS pathogenesis suggest that all converge to a common endpoint leading to MN loss. This may explain the disappointing results obtained with treatments targeting a single pathological process. Fighting against mitochondrial dysfunction appears to be a promising avenue for developing combined therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle C. Genin
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN), Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm U1081, CNRS UMR7284, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Nice, 06200 Nice, France; (M.A.-A.); (V.P.-F.)
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24
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McGoldrick P, Robertson J. Unraveling the impact of disrupted nucleocytoplasmic transport systems in C9orf72-associated ALS. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1247297. [PMID: 37720544 PMCID: PMC10501458 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1247297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases that are part of a common disease spectrum due to clinical, genetic, and pathological overlap. A prominent genetic factor contributing to both diseases is a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in a non-coding region of the C9orf72 gene. This mutation in C9orf72 leads to nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic aggregation of Tar DNA-RNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43). TDP-43 pathology is characteristic of the majority of ALS cases, irrespective of disease causation, and is present in ~50% of FTD cases. Defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport involving the nuclear pore complex, the Ran-GTPase cycle, and nuclear transport factors have been linked with the mislocalization of TDP-43. Here, we will explore and discuss the implications of these system abnormalities of nucleocytoplasmic transport in C9orf72-ALS/FTD, as well as in other forms of familial and sporadic ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip McGoldrick
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Janice Robertson
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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25
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Park J, Wu Y, Shao W, Gendron TF, van der Spek SJF, Sultanakhmetov G, Basu A, Castellanos Otero P, Jones CJ, Jansen-West K, Daughrity LM, Phanse S, Del Rosso G, Tong J, Castanedes-Casey M, Jiang L, Libera J, Oskarsson B, Dickson DW, Sanders DW, Brangwynne CP, Emili A, Wolozin B, Petrucelli L, Zhang YJ. Poly(GR) interacts with key stress granule factors promoting its assembly into cytoplasmic inclusions. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112822. [PMID: 37471224 PMCID: PMC10528326 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
C9orf72 repeat expansions are the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Poly(GR) proteins are toxic to neurons by forming cytoplasmic inclusions that sequester RNA-binding proteins including stress granule (SG) proteins. However, little is known of the factors governing poly(GR) inclusion formation. Here, we show that poly(GR) infiltrates a finely tuned network of protein-RNA interactions underpinning SG formation. It interacts with G3BP1, the key driver of SG assembly and a protein we found is critical for poly(GR) inclusion formation. Moreover, we discovered that N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-modified mRNAs and m6A-binding YTHDF proteins not only co-localize with poly(GR) inclusions in brains of c9FTD/ALS mouse models and patients with c9FTD, they promote poly(GR) inclusion formation via the incorporation of RNA into the inclusions. Our findings thus suggest that interrupting interactions between poly(GR) and G3BP1 or YTHDF1 proteins or decreasing poly(GR) altogether represent promising therapeutic strategies to combat c9FTD/ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyoung Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Yanwei Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Wei Shao
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
| | - Sophie J F van der Spek
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Grigorii Sultanakhmetov
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, 1920397, Japan
| | - Avik Basu
- Center for Network Systems Biology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | | | - Caroline J Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Karen Jansen-West
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | | | - Sadhna Phanse
- Center for Network Systems Biology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Giulia Del Rosso
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Jimei Tong
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | | | - Lulu Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Jenna Libera
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Björn Oskarsson
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
| | - David W Sanders
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Clifford P Brangwynne
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Andrew Emili
- Center for Network Systems Biology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Benjamin Wolozin
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA.
| | - Yong-Jie Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA.
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26
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Xu L, Wang D, Zhao L, Yang Z, Liu X, Li X, Yuan T, Wang Y, Huang T, Bian N, He Y, Chen X, Tian B, Liu Z, Luo F, Si W, Gao G, Ji W, Niu Y, Wei J. C9orf72 poly(PR) aggregation in nucleus induces ALS/FTD-related neurodegeneration in cynomolgus monkeys. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 184:106197. [PMID: 37328037 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Poly(PR) is a dipeptide repeat protein comprising proline and arginine residues. It is one of the translational product of expanded G4C2 repeats in the C9orf72 gene, and its accumulation is contributing to the neuropathogenesis of C9orf72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and/or frontotemporal dementia (C9-ALS/FTD). In this study, we demonstrate that poly(PR) protein alone is sufficient to induce neurodegeneration related to ALS/FTD in cynomolgus monkeys. By delivering poly(PR) via AAV, we observed that the PR proteins were located within the nucleus of infected cells. The expression of (PR)50 protein, consisting of 50 PR repeats, led to increased loss of cortical neurons, cytoplasmic lipofuscin, and gliosis in the brain, as well as demyelination and loss of ChAT positive neurons in the spinal cord of monkeys. While, these pathologies were not observed in monkeys expressing (PR)5, a protein comprising only 5 PR repeats. Furthermore, the (PR)50-expressing monkeys exhibited progressive motor deficits, cognitive impairment, muscle atrophy, and abnormal electromyography (EMG) potentials, which closely resemble clinical symptoms seen in C9-ALS/FTD patients. By longitudinally tracking these monkeys, we found that changes in cystatin C and chitinase-1 (CHIT1) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) corresponded to the phenotypic progression of (PR)50-induced disease. Proteomic analysis revealed that the major clusters of dysregulated proteins were nuclear-localized, and downregulation of the MECP2 protein was implicated in the toxic process of poly(PR). This research indicates that poly(PR) expression alone induces neurodegeneration and core phenotypes associated with C9-ALS/FTD in monkeys, which may provide insights into the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizhu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Lu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Zhengsheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Xu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Xinyue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Tingli Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Tianzhuang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Ning Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Yuqun He
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Xinglong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Baohong Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Zexian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Fucheng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Wei Si
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| | - Weizhi Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China.
| | - Yuyu Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China.
| | - Jingkuan Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China.
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27
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Abstract
Biomolecular condensates are reversible compartments that form through a process called phase separation. Post-translational modifications like ADP-ribosylation can nucleate the formation of these condensates by accelerating the self-association of proteins. Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) chains are remarkably transient modifications with turnover rates on the order of minutes, yet they can be required for the formation of granules in response to oxidative stress, DNA damage, and other stimuli. Moreover, accumulation of PAR is linked with adverse phase transitions in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this review, we provide a primer on how PAR is synthesized and regulated, the diverse structures and chemistries of ADP-ribosylation modifications, and protein-PAR interactions. We review substantial progress in recent efforts to determine the molecular mechanism of PAR-mediated phase separation, and we further delineate how inhibitors of PAR polymerases may be effective treatments for neurodegenerative pathologies. Finally, we highlight the need for rigorous biochemical interrogation of ADP-ribosylation in vivo and in vitro to clarify the exact pathway from PARylation to condensate formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Rhine
- Program in Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Hana M Odeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Sua Myong
- Program in Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Physics Frontier Center (Center for the Physics of Living Cells), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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28
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Antoniani F, Cimino M, Mediani L, Vinet J, Verde EM, Secco V, Yamoah A, Tripathi P, Aronica E, Cicardi ME, Trotti D, Sterneckert J, Goswami A, Carra S. Loss of PML nuclear bodies in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:248. [PMID: 37454169 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01547-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are two neurodegenerative disorders that share genetic causes and pathogenic mechanisms. The critical genetic players of ALS and FTD are the TARDBP, FUS and C9orf72 genes, whose protein products, TDP-43, FUS and the C9orf72-dipeptide repeat proteins, accumulate in form of cytoplasmic inclusions. The majority of the studies focus on the understanding of how cells control TDP-43 and FUS aggregation in the cytoplasm, overlooking how dysfunctions occurring at the nuclear level may influence the maintenance of protein solubility outside of the nucleus. However, protein quality control (PQC) systems that maintain protein homeostasis comprise a cytoplasmic and a nuclear arm that are interconnected and share key players. It is thus conceivable that impairment of the nuclear arm of the PQC may have a negative impact on the cytoplasmic arm of the PQC, contributing to the formation of the cytoplasmic pathological inclusions. Here we focused on two stress-inducible condensates that act as transient deposition sites for misfolding-prone proteins: Promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) and cytoplasmic stress granules (SGs). Upon stress, PML-NBs compartmentalize misfolded proteins, including defective ribosomal products (DRiPs), and recruit chaperones and proteasomes to promote their nuclear clearance. SGs transiently sequester aggregation-prone RNA-binding proteins linked to ALS-FTD and mRNAs to attenuate their translation. We report that PML assembly is impaired in the human brain and spinal cord of familial C9orf72 and FUS ALS-FTD cases. We also show that defective PML-NB assembly impairs the compartmentalization of DRiPs in the nucleus, leading to their accumulation inside cytoplasmic SGs, negatively influencing SG dynamics. Although it is currently unclear what causes the decrease of PML-NBs in ALS-FTD, our data highlight the existence of a cross-talk between the cytoplasmic and nuclear PQC systems, whose alteration can contribute to SG accumulation and cytoplasmic protein aggregation in ALS-FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Antoniani
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Marco Cimino
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Laura Mediani
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Jonathan Vinet
- Centro Interdipartimentale Grandi Strumenti (CIGS), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Enza M Verde
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Valentina Secco
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Alfred Yamoah
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Priyanka Tripathi
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maria E Cicardi
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Davide Trotti
- Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jared Sterneckert
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anand Goswami
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, 10032, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center, Columbia University, 10032, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Serena Carra
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
- Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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29
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Acosta-Galeana I, Hernández-Martínez R, Reyes-Cruz T, Chiquete E, Aceves-Buendia JDJ. RNA-binding proteins as a common ground for neurodegeneration and inflammation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1193636. [PMID: 37475885 PMCID: PMC10355071 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1193636] [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: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurodegenerative and inflammatory illnesses of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis were once thought to be completely distinct entities that did not share any remarkable features, but new research is beginning to reveal more information about their similarities and differences. Here, we review some of the pathophysiological features of both diseases and their experimental models: RNA-binding proteins, energy balance, protein transportation, and protein degradation at the molecular level. We make a thorough analysis on TDP-43 and hnRNP A1 dysfunction, as a possible common ground in both pathologies, establishing a potential link between neurodegeneration and pathological immunity. Furthermore, we highlight the putative variations that diverge from a common ground in an atemporal course that proposes three phases for all relevant molecular events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tania Reyes-Cruz
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Erwin Chiquete
- Departamento de Neurología y Psiquiatría, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jose de Jesus Aceves-Buendia
- Departamento de Neurología y Psiquiatría, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
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30
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Arnold FJ, Nguyen AD, Bedlack RS, Bennett CL, La Spada AR. Intercellular transmission of pathogenic proteins in ALS: Exploring the pathogenic wave. Neurobiol Dis 2023:106218. [PMID: 37394036 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106218] [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: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), disease symptoms and pathology typically spread in a predictable spatiotemporal pattern beginning at a focal site of onset and progressing along defined neuroanatomical tracts. Like other neurodegenerative diseases, ALS is characterized by the presence of protein aggregates in postmortem patient tissue. Cytoplasmic, ubiquitin-positive aggregates of TDP-43 are observed in approximately 97% of sporadic and familial ALS patients, while SOD1 inclusions are likely specific to cases of SOD1-ALS. Additionally, the most common subtype of familial ALS, caused by a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of the C9orf72 gene (C9-ALS), is further characterized by the presence of aggregated dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs). As we will describe, cell-to-cell propagation of these pathological proteins tightly correlates with the contiguous spread of disease. While TDP-43 and SOD1 are capable of seeding protein misfolding and aggregation in a prion-like manner, C9orf72 DPRs appear to induce (and transmit) a 'disease state' more generally. Multiple mechanisms of intercellular transport have been described for all of these proteins, including anterograde and retrograde axonal transport, extracellular vesicle secretion, and macropinocytosis. In addition to neuron-to-neuron transmission, transmission of pathological proteins occurs between neurons and glia. Given that the spread of ALS disease pathology corresponds with the spread of symptoms in patients, the various mechanisms by which ALS-associated protein aggregates propagate through the central nervous system should be closely examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- F J Arnold
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - A D Nguyen
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - R S Bedlack
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - C L Bennett
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - A R La Spada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Departments of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; UCI Center for Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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31
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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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Sahana TG, Chase KJ, Liu F, Lloyd TE, Rossoll W, Zhang K. c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Promotes Stress Granule Assembly and Neurodegeneration in C9orf72-Mediated ALS and FTD. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3186-3197. [PMID: 37015810 PMCID: PMC10146492 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1799-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress granules are the RNA/protein condensates assembled in the cells under stress. They play a critical role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, how stress granule assembly is regulated and related to ALS/FTD pathomechanism is incompletely understood. Mutation in the C9orf72 gene is the most common cause of familial ALS and FTD. C9orf72 mutation causes the formation of toxic dipeptide repeats. Here we show that the two most toxic dipeptide repeats [i.e., poly(GR) and poly(PR)] activate c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) via the ER-stress response protein IRE1 using fly and cellular models. Further, we show that activated JNK promotes stress granule assembly in cells by promoting the transcription of one of the key stress granule proteins (i.e., G3BP1) by inducing histone 3 phosphorylation. Consistent with these findings, JNK or IRE1 inhibition reduced stress granule formation, histone 3 phosphorylation, G3BP1 mRNA and protein levels, and neurotoxicity in cells overexpressing poly(GR) and poly(PR) or neurons derived from male and female C9ALS/FTD patient-induced pluripotent stem cells. Our findings connect ER stress, JNK activation, and stress granule assembly in a unified pathway contributing to C9ALS/FTD neurodegeneration.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a part of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, which is the central node for the integration of multiple stress signals. Cells are under constant stress in neurodegenerative diseases, and how these cells respond to stress signals is a critical factor in determining their survival or death. Previous studies have shown JNK as a major contributor to cellular apoptosis. Here, we show the role of JNK in stress granule assembly. We identify that toxic dipeptide repeats produced in ALS/FTD conditions activate JNK. The activated JNK in the nucleus can induce histone modifications which increase G3BP1 expression, thus promoting stress granule assembly and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feilin Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Thomas E Lloyd
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Wilfried Rossoll
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Gaoke Innovation Centre A16, Guangqiao Rd, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China, P.R
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Nam J, Gwon Y. Neuronal biomolecular condensates and their implications in neurodegenerative diseases. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1145420. [PMID: 37065458 PMCID: PMC10102667 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1145420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates are subcellular organizations where functionally related proteins and nucleic acids are assembled through liquid-liquid phase separation, allowing them to develop on a larger scale without a membrane. However, biomolecular condensates are highly vulnerable to disruptions from genetic risks and various factors inside and outside the cell and are strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to the classical view of the nucleation-polymerization process that triggers the protein aggregation from the misfolded seed, the pathologic transition of biomolecular condensates can also promote the aggregation of proteins found in the deposits of neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, it has been suggested that several protein or protein-RNA complexes located in the synapse and along the neuronal process are neuron-specific condensates displaying liquid-like properties. As their compositional and functional modifications play a crucial role in the context of neurodegeneration, further research is needed to fully understand the role of neuronal biomolecular condensates. In this article, we will discuss recent findings that explore the pivotal role of biomolecular condensates in the development of neuronal defects and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Youngdae Gwon
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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Bak AN, Djukic S, Kadlecova M, Braunstein TH, Jensen DB, Meehan CF. Cytoplasmic TDP-43 accumulation drives changes in C-bouton number and size in a mouse model of sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103840. [PMID: 36921783 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103840] [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: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
An altered neuronal excitability of spinal motoneurones has consistently been implicated in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) leading to several investigations of synaptic input to these motoneurones. One such input that has repeatedly been shown to be affected is a population of large cholinergic synapses terminating mainly on the soma of the motoneurones referred to as C-boutons. Most research on these synapses during disease progression has used transgenic Superoxide Dismutase 1 (SOD1) mouse models of the disease which have not only produced conflicting findings, but also fail to recapitulate the key pathological feature seen in ALS; cytoplasmic accumulations of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). Additionally, they fail to distinguish between slow and fast motoneurones, the latter of which have more C-boutons, but are lost earlier in the disease. To circumvent these issues, we quantified the frequency and volume of C-boutons on traced soleus and gastrocnemius motoneurones, representing predominantly slow and fast motor pools respectively. Experiments were performed using the TDP-43ΔNLS mouse model that carries a transgenic construct of TDP-43 devoid of its nuclear localization signal, preventing its nuclear import. This results in the emergence of pathological TDP-43 inclusions in the cytoplasm, modelling the main pathology seen in this disorder, accompanied by a severe and lethal ALS phenotype. Our results confirmed changes in both the number and volume of C-boutons with a decrease in number on the more vulnerable, predominantly fast gastrocnemius motoneurones and an increase in number on the less vulnerable, predominantly slow soleus motoneurones. Importantly, these changes were only found in male mice. However, both sexes and motor pools showed a decrease in C-bouton volume. Our experiments confirm that cytoplasmic TDP-43 accumulation is sufficient to drive C-bouton changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Svetlana Djukic
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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35
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McGoldrick P, Lau A, You Z, Durcan TM, Robertson J. Loss of C9orf72 perturbs the Ran-GTPase gradient and nucleocytoplasmic transport, generating compositionally diverse Importin β-1 granules. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112134. [PMID: 36821445 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A hexanucleotide (GGGGCC)n repeat expansion in C9orf72 causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), eliciting toxic effects through generation of RNA foci, dipeptide repeat proteins, and/or loss of C9orf72 protein. Defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT) have been implicated as a pathogenic mechanism underlying repeat expansion toxicity. Here, we show that loss of C9orf72 disrupts the Ran-GTPase gradient and NCT in vitro and in vivo. NCT disruption in vivo is enhanced by the presence of compositionally different types of cytoplasmic Importin β-1 granule that exhibit neuronal subtype-specific properties. We show that the abundance of Importin β-1 granules is increased in the context of C9orf72 deficiency, disrupting interactions with nuclear pore complex proteins. These granules appear to associate with the nuclear envelope and are co-immunoreactive for G3BP1 and K63-ubiquitin. These findings link loss of C9orf72 protein to gain-of-function mechanisms and defects in NCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip McGoldrick
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada.
| | - Agnes Lau
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Zhipeng You
- The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Thomas M Durcan
- The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Janice Robertson
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, 27 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada.
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36
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Spinal cord extracts of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis spread TDP-43 pathology in cerebral organoids. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010606. [PMID: 36745687 PMCID: PMC9934440 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by progressive loss of motor neurons and there is currently no effective therapy. Cytoplasmic mislocalization and aggregation of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43) within the CNS is a pathological hallmark in sporadic ALS and prion-like propagation of pathogenic TDP-43 is thought to be implicated in disease progression. However, cell-to-cell transmission of pathogenic TDP-43 in the human CNS has not been confirmed experimentally. Here we used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived cerebral organoids as recipient CNS tissue model that are anatomically relevant human brain. We injected postmortem spinal cord protein extracts individually from three non-ALS or five sporadic ALS patients containing pathogenic TDP-43 into the cerebral organoids to validate the templated propagation and spreading of TDP-43 pathology in human CNS tissue. We first demonstrated that the administration of spinal cord extracts from an ALS patient induced the formation of TDP-43 pathology that progressively spread in a time-dependent manner in cerebral organoids, suggesting that pathogenic TDP-43 from ALS functioned as seeds and propagated cell-to-cell to form de novo TDP-43 pathology. We also reported that the administration of ALS patient-derived protein extracts caused astrocyte proliferation to form astrogliosis in cerebral organoids, reproducing the pathological feature seen in ALS. Moreover, we showed pathogenic TDP-43 induced cellular apoptosis and that TDP-43 pathology correlated with genomic damage due to DNA double-strand breaks. Thus, our results provide evidence that patient-derived pathogenic TDP-43 can mimic the prion-like propagation of TDP-43 pathology in human CNS tissue. Our findings indicate that our assays with human cerebral organoids that replicate ALS pathophysiology have a promising strategy for creating readouts that could be used in future drug discovery efforts against ALS.
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37
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Megat S, Mora N, Sanogo J, Roman O, Catanese A, Alami NO, Freischmidt A, Mingaj X, De Calbiac H, Muratet F, Dirrig-Grosch S, Dieterle S, Van Bakel N, Müller K, Sieverding K, Weishaupt J, Andersen PM, Weber M, Neuwirth C, Margelisch M, Sommacal A, Van Eijk KR, Veldink JH, Lautrette G, Couratier P, Camuzat A, Le Ber I, Grassano M, Chio A, Boeckers T, Ludolph AC, Roselli F, Yilmazer-Hanke D, Millecamps S, Kabashi E, Storkebaum E, Sellier C, Dupuis L. Integrative genetic analysis illuminates ALS heritability and identifies risk genes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:342. [PMID: 36670122 PMCID: PMC9860017 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35724-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has substantial heritability, in part shared with fronto-temporal dementia (FTD). We show that ALS heritability is enriched in splicing variants and in binding sites of 6 RNA-binding proteins including TDP-43 and FUS. A transcriptome wide association study (TWAS) identified 6 loci associated with ALS, including in NUP50 encoding for the nucleopore basket protein NUP50. Independently, rare variants in NUP50 were associated with ALS risk (P = 3.71.10-03; odds ratio = 3.29; 95%CI, 1.37 to 7.87) in a cohort of 9,390 ALS/FTD patients and 4,594 controls. Cells from one patient carrying a NUP50 frameshift mutation displayed a decreased level of NUP50. Loss of NUP50 leads to death of cultured neurons, and motor defects in Drosophila and zebrafish. Thus, our study identifies alterations in splicing in neurons as critical in ALS and provides genetic evidence linking nuclear pore defects to ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salim Megat
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Natalia Mora
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jason Sanogo
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Olga Roman
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Najwa Ouali Alami
- Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Xhuljana Mingaj
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Hortense De Calbiac
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - François Muratet
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Dirrig-Grosch
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Dieterle
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nick Van Bakel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Kathrin Müller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Jochen Weishaupt
- Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurology Department, University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Markus Weber
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit/ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Neuwirth
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit/ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Markus Margelisch
- Institute for Pathology, Kanstonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Sommacal
- Institute for Pathology, Kanstonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Kristel R Van Eijk
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Géraldine Lautrette
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du neurone moteur, CHU Dupuytren 1, Limoges, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du neurone moteur, CHU Dupuytren 1, Limoges, France
| | - Agnès Camuzat
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Le Ber
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Maurizio Grassano
- ALS Center "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Adriano Chio
- ALS Center "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Tobias Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Francesco Roselli
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Stéphanie Millecamps
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Edor Kabashi
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Erik Storkebaum
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Chantal Sellier
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France.
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38
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Millar SR, Huang JQ, Schreiber KJ, Tsai YC, Won J, Zhang J, Moses AM, Youn JY. A New Phase of Networking: The Molecular Composition and Regulatory Dynamics of Mammalian Stress Granules. Chem Rev 2023. [PMID: 36662637 PMCID: PMC10375481 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Stress granules (SGs) are cytosolic biomolecular condensates that form in response to cellular stress. Weak, multivalent interactions between their protein and RNA constituents drive their rapid, dynamic assembly through phase separation coupled to percolation. Though a consensus model of SG function has yet to be determined, their perceived implication in cytoprotective processes (e.g., antiviral responses and inhibition of apoptosis) and possible role in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia) have drawn great interest. Consequently, new studies using numerous cell biological, genetic, and proteomic methods have been performed to unravel the mechanisms underlying SG formation, organization, and function and, with them, a more clearly defined SG proteome. Here, we provide a consensus SG proteome through literature curation and an update of the user-friendly database RNAgranuleDB to version 2.0 (http://rnagranuledb.lunenfeld.ca/). With this updated SG proteome, we use next-generation phase separation prediction tools to assess the predisposition of SG proteins for phase separation and aggregation. Next, we analyze the primary sequence features of intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) within SG-resident proteins. Finally, we review the protein- and RNA-level determinants, including post-translational modifications (PTMs), that regulate SG composition and assembly/disassembly dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R Millar
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jie Qi Huang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Karl J Schreiber
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Yi-Cheng Tsai
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jiyun Won
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Jianping Zhang
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Alan M Moses
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada.,Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3A1, Canada.,The Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Ji-Young Youn
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.,Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
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Mori K, Gotoh S, Uozumi R, Miyamoto T, Akamine S, Kawabe Y, Tagami S, Ikeda M. RNA Dysmetabolism and Repeat-Associated Non-AUG Translation in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis due to C9orf72 Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansion. JMA J 2023; 6:9-15. [PMID: 36793534 PMCID: PMC9908409 DOI: 10.31662/jmaj.2022-0160] [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: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathological features of frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) due to C9orf72 GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion include early dipeptide repeats, repeat RNA foci, and subsequent TDP-43 pathologies. Since the discovery of the repeat expansion, extensive studies have elucidated the disease mechanism of how the repeat causes neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of abnormal repeat RNA metabolism and repeat-associated non-AUG translation in C9orf72 frontotemporal lobar degeneration/ALS. For repeat RNA metabolism, we specifically focus on the role of hnRNPA3, the repeat RNA-binding protein, and the EXOSC10/RNA exosome complex, an intracellular RNA-degrading enzyme. In addition, the mechanism of repeat-associated non-AUG translation inhibition via TMPyP4, a repeat RNA-binding compound, is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohji Mori
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Shiho Gotoh
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Ryota Uozumi
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Tesshin Miyamoto
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan,Seifukai Ibaraki Hospital, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shoshin Akamine
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Yuya Kawabe
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan,Minoh Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Minoh, Japan
| | - Shinji Tagami
- Minoh Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Minoh, Japan,Health and Counseling Center, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Manabu Ikeda
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
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40
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Muzio L, Ghirelli A, Agosta F, Martino G. Novel therapeutic approaches for motor neuron disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 196:523-537. [PMID: 37620088 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-98817-9.00027-2] [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: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that leads to the neurodegeneration and death of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs). Although MNs are the main cells involved in the process of neurodegeneration, a growing body of evidence points toward other cell types as concurrent to disease initiation and propagation. Given the current absence of effective therapies, the quest for other therapeutic targets remains open and still challenges the scientific community. Both neuronal and extra-neuronal mechanisms of cellular stress and damage have been studied and have posed the basis for the development of novel therapies that have been investigated on both animal models and humans. In this chapter, a thorough review of the main mechanisms of cellular damage and the respective therapeutic attempts targeting them is reported. The main areas covered include neuroinflammation, protein aggregation, RNA metabolism, and oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Muzio
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Division of Neuroscience, InsPE, Milan, Italy
| | - Alma Ghirelli
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Division of Neuroscience, InsPE, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Division of Neuroscience, InsPE, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianvito Martino
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Division of Neuroscience, InsPE, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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41
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Włodarczyk P, Witczak M, Gajewska A, Chady T, Piotrowski I. The role of TDP-43 protein in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.20883/medical.e710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease where both upper and lower motoneurons are damaged. Even though the pathogenesis of ALS is unclear, the TDP-43 aggregations and non-nuclear localization may be crucial to understanding this process. Despite intensive research on ALS therapies, only two lifespan-prolonging medications have been approved: Riluzole and Edaravone. Unravelling the TDP-43 pathology could help develop new ALS therapies using mechanisms such as inhibition of nuclear export, autophagy, chaperones, or antisense oligonucleotides. Selective inhibitors of nuclear export (SINEs) are drugs that block Exportin 1 (XPO1) and cause the accumulation of not exported molecules inside the nucleus. SINEs that target XPO1 are shown to slightly extend the survival of neurons and soften motor symptoms. Dysfunctional proteins, including TDP-43, can be eliminated through autophagocytosis, which is regulated by the mTOR kinase. Stimulating the elimination of protein deposits may be an effective ALS therapy. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) are single-stranded, synthetic oligonucleotides that can bind and modulate specific RNA: via ribonuclease H, inducing their degradation or inducing alternative splicing via blocking primary RNA transcripts. Current ASOs therapies used in ALS focus on SOD1, C9ORF72, FUS, and ATXN2, and they may be used to slow the ALS progression. Reversing the aggregation is a promising therapeutic strategy. Chaperones control other proteins' quality and protect them against stress factors. Due to the irreversible character of ALS, it is essential to understand its complicated pathology better and to seek new therapies.
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Khalil B, Chhangani D, Wren MC, Smith CL, Lee JH, Li X, Puttinger C, Tsai CW, Fortin G, Morderer D, Gao J, Liu F, Lim CK, Chen J, Chou CC, Croft CL, Gleixner AM, Donnelly CJ, Golde TE, Petrucelli L, Oskarsson B, Dickson DW, Zhang K, Shorter J, Yoshimura SH, Barmada SJ, Rincon-Limas DE, Rossoll W. Nuclear import receptors are recruited by FG-nucleoporins to rescue hallmarks of TDP-43 proteinopathy. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:80. [PMID: 36482422 PMCID: PMC9733332 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00585-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cytoplasmic mislocalization and aggregation of TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is a hallmark of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) disease spectrum, causing both nuclear loss-of-function and cytoplasmic toxic gain-of-function phenotypes. While TDP-43 proteinopathy has been associated with defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport, this process is still poorly understood. Here we study the role of karyopherin-β1 (KPNB1) and other nuclear import receptors in regulating TDP-43 pathology. METHODS We used immunostaining, immunoprecipitation, biochemical and toxicity assays in cell lines, primary neuron and organotypic mouse brain slice cultures, to determine the impact of KPNB1 on the solubility, localization, and toxicity of pathological TDP-43 constructs. Postmortem patient brain and spinal cord tissue was stained to assess KPNB1 colocalization with TDP-43 inclusions. Turbidity assays were employed to study the dissolution and prevention of aggregation of recombinant TDP-43 fibrils in vitro. Fly models of TDP-43 proteinopathy were used to determine the effect of KPNB1 on their neurodegenerative phenotype in vivo. RESULTS We discovered that several members of the nuclear import receptor protein family can reduce the formation of pathological TDP-43 aggregates. Using KPNB1 as a model, we found that its activity depends on the prion-like C-terminal region of TDP-43, which mediates the co-aggregation with phenylalanine and glycine-rich nucleoporins (FG-Nups) such as Nup62. KPNB1 is recruited into these co-aggregates where it acts as a molecular chaperone that reverses aberrant phase transition of Nup62 and TDP-43. These findings are supported by the discovery that Nup62 and KPNB1 are also sequestered into pathological TDP-43 aggregates in ALS/FTD postmortem CNS tissue, and by the identification of the fly ortholog of KPNB1 as a strong protective modifier in Drosophila models of TDP-43 proteinopathy. Our results show that KPNB1 can rescue all hallmarks of TDP-43 pathology, by restoring its solubility and nuclear localization, and reducing neurodegeneration in cellular and animal models of ALS/FTD. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest a novel NLS-independent mechanism where, analogous to its canonical role in dissolving the diffusion barrier formed by FG-Nups in the nuclear pore, KPNB1 is recruited into TDP-43/FG-Nup co-aggregates present in TDP-43 proteinopathies and therapeutically reverses their deleterious phase transition and mislocalization, mitigating neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Khalil
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Deepak Chhangani
- Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Melissa C Wren
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Courtney L Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Track, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Jannifer H Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Track, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Xingli Li
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Chih-Wei Tsai
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Gael Fortin
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Dmytro Morderer
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Junli Gao
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Feilin Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Chun Kim Lim
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-konoe, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jingjiao Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Geriatric Department, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Ching-Chieh Chou
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Cara L Croft
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Amanda M Gleixner
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Christopher J Donnelly
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Todd E Golde
- Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | | | | | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Shige H Yoshimura
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-konoe, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sami J Barmada
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Diego E Rincon-Limas
- Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Wilfried Rossoll
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
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Hu HY, Liu YJ. Sequestration of cellular native factors by biomolecular assemblies: Physiological or pathological? BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2022; 1869:119360. [PMID: 36087810 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In addition to native-state structures, biomolecules often form condensed supramolecular assemblies or cellular membraneless organelles that are critical for cell life. These biomolecular assemblies, generally including liquid-like droplets (condensates) and amyloid-like aggregates, can sequester or recruit their interacting partners, so as to either modulate various cellular behaviors or even cause disorders. This review article summarizes recent advances in the sequestration of native factors by biomolecular assemblies and discusses their potential consequences on cellular function, homeostasis, and disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, PR China.
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
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Rifai OM, Longden J, O'Shaughnessy J, Sewell MDE, Pate J, McDade K, Daniels MJ, Abrahams S, Chandran S, McColl BW, Sibley CR, Gregory JM. Random forest modelling demonstrates microglial and protein misfolding features to be key phenotypic markers in C9orf72-ALS. J Pathol 2022; 258:366-381. [PMID: 36070099 PMCID: PMC9827842 DOI: 10.1002/path.6008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Clinical heterogeneity observed across patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a known complicating factor in identifying potential therapeutics, even within cohorts with the same mutation, such as C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions (HREs). Thus, further understanding of pathways underlying this heterogeneity is essential for appropriate ALS trial stratification and the meaningful assessment of clinical outcomes. It has been shown that both inflammation and protein misfolding can influence ALS pathogenesis, such as the manifestation or severity of motor or cognitive symptoms. However, there has yet to be a systematic and quantitative assessment of immunohistochemical markers to interrogate the potential relevance of these pathways in an unbiased manner. To investigate this, we extensively characterised features of commonly used glial activation and protein misfolding stains in thousands of images of post-mortem tissue from a heterogeneous cohort of deeply clinically profiled patients with a C9orf72 HRE. Using a random forest model, we show that microglial staining features are the most accurate classifiers of disease status in our panel and that clinicopathological relationships exist between microglial activation status, TDP-43 pathology, and language dysfunction. Furthermore, we detected spatially resolved changes in fused in sarcoma (FUS) staining, suggesting that liquid-liquid phase shift of this aggregation-prone RNA-binding protein may be important in ALS caused by a C9orf72 HRE. Interestingly, no one feature alone significantly impacted the predictiveness of the model, indicating that the collective examination of all features, or a combination of several features, is what allows the model to be predictive. Our findings provide further support to the hypothesis of dysfunctional immune regulation and proteostasis in the pathogenesis of C9-ALS and provide a framework for digital analysis of commonly used neuropathological stains as a tool to enrich our understanding of clinicopathological relationships within and between cohorts. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia M Rifai
- Translational Neuroscience PhD Programme, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James Longden
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Judi O'Shaughnessy
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael DE Sewell
- Translational Neuroscience PhD Programme, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Judith Pate
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karina McDade
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Sharon Abrahams
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Human Cognitive Neuroscience-Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Barry W McColl
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christopher R Sibley
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jenna M Gregory
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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45
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Patel A, Mitrea D, Namasivayam V, Murcko MA, Wagner M, Klein IA. Principles and functions of condensate modifying drugs. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1007744. [PMID: 36483537 PMCID: PMC9725174 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1007744] [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: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates are compartmentalized communities of biomolecules, which unlike traditional organelles, are not enclosed by membranes. Condensates play roles in diverse cellular processes, are dysfunctional in many disease states, and are often enriched in classically "undruggable" targets. In this review, we provide an overview for how drugs can modulate condensate structure and function by phenotypically classifying them as dissolvers (dissolve condensates), inducers (induce condensates), localizers (alter localization of the specific condensate community members) or morphers (alter the physiochemical properties). We discuss the growing list of bioactive molecules that function as condensate modifiers (c-mods), including small molecules, oligonucleotides, and peptides. We propose that understanding mechanisms of condensate perturbation of known c-mods will accelerate the discovery of a new class of therapies for difficult-to-treat diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana Mitrea
- Dewpoint Therapeutics, Boston, MA, United States
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46
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Reyes CJ, Asano K, Todd PK, Klein C, Rakovic A. Repeat-Associated Non-AUG Translation of AGAGGG Repeats that Cause X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism. Mov Disord 2022; 37:2284-2289. [PMID: 35971992 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29183] [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: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the intronic insertion of a SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposon carrying an (AGAGGG)n repeat expansion in the TAF1 gene. The molecular mechanisms by which this mutation causes neurodegeneration remain elusive. OBJECTIVES We investigated whether (AGAGGG)n repeats undergo repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation, a pathogenic mechanism common among repeat expansion diseases. METHODS XDP-specific RAN translation reporter plasmids were generated, transfected in HEK293 cells, and putative dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) were detected by Western blotting. Immunocytochemistry was performed in COS-7 cells to determine the subcellular localization of one DPR. RESULTS We detected putative DPRs from two reading frames, supporting the translation of poly-(Glu-Gly) and poly-(Arg-Glu) species. XDP RAN translation initiates within the (AGAGGG)n sequence and poly-(Glu-Gly) DPRs formed nuclear inclusions in transfected cells. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our work provides the first in-vitro proof of principle that the XDP-linked (AGAGGG)n repeat expansions can undergo RAN translation. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katsura Asano
- Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology Program, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
- Laboratory of Translational Control Study, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Hiroshima Research Center for Healthy Aging, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Peter K Todd
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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47
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del Campo M, Zetterberg H, Gandy S, Onyike CU, Oliveira F, Udeh‐Momoh C, Lleó A, Teunissen CE, Pijnenburg Y. New developments of biofluid-based biomarkers for routine diagnosis and disease trajectories in frontotemporal dementia. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 18:2292-2307. [PMID: 35235699 PMCID: PMC9790674 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) covers a spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders with different phenotypes, genetic backgrounds, and pathological states. Its clinicopathological diversity challenges the diagnostic process and the execution of clinical trials, calling for specific diagnostic biomarkers of pathologic FTD types. There is also a need for biomarkers that facilitate disease staging, quantification of severity, monitoring in clinics and observational studies, and for evaluation of target engagement and treatment response in clinical trials. This review discusses current FTD biofluid-based biomarker knowledge taking into account the differing applications. The limitations, knowledge gaps, and challenges for the development and implementation of such markers are also examined. Strategies to overcome these hurdles are proposed, including the technologies available, patient cohorts, and collaborative research initiatives. Access to robust and reliable biomarkers that define the exact underlying pathophysiological FTD process will meet the needs for specific diagnosis, disease quantitation, clinical monitoring, and treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta del Campo
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y de la SaludFacultad de FarmaciaUniversidad San Pablo‐CEUCEU UniversitiesMadridSpain
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and PhysiologyThe Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of GothenburgGothenburgSweden,Clinical Neurochemistry LaboratorySahlgrenska University HospitalMölndalSweden,UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLLondonUK,Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUK,Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesHong KongChina
| | - Sam Gandy
- Department of NeurologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Chiadi U Onyike
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and NeuropsychiatryThe Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Fabricio Oliveira
- Department of Neurology and NeurosurgeryEscola Paulista de MedicinaFederal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP)São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Chi Udeh‐Momoh
- Ageing Epidemiology Research UnitSchool of Public HealthFaculty of MedicineImperial College LondonLondonUK,Translational Health SciencesFaculty of MedicineUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Alberto Lleó
- Neurology DepartmentHospital de la Santa Creu I Sant PauBarcelonaSpain
| | - Charlotte E. Teunissen
- Neurochemistry LaboratoryDepartment of Clinical ChemistryAmsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdam University Medical CentersVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Yolande Pijnenburg
- Alzheimer Center AmsterdamDepartment of NeurologyAmsterdam NeuroscienceVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdam UMCAmsterdamthe Netherlands
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48
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Feldman EL, Goutman SA, Petri S, Mazzini L, Savelieff MG, Shaw PJ, Sobue G. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lancet 2022; 400:1363-1380. [PMID: 36116464 PMCID: PMC10089700 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(22)01272-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 126.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal CNS neurodegenerative disease. Despite intensive research, current management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis remains suboptimal from diagnosis to prognosis. Recognition of the phenotypic heterogeneity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, global CNS dysfunction, genetic architecture, and development of novel diagnostic criteria is clarifying the spectrum of clinical presentation and facilitating diagnosis. Insights into the pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, identification of disease biomarkers and modifiable risks, along with new predictive models, scales, and scoring systems, and a clinical trial pipeline of mechanism-based therapies, are changing the prognostic landscape. Although most recent advances have yet to translate into patient benefit, the idea of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as a complex syndrome is already having tangible effects in the clinic. This Seminar will outline these insights and discuss the status of the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for the general neurologist, along with future prospects that could improve care and outcomes for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva L Feldman
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Stephen A Goutman
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Letizia Mazzini
- ALS Centre, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Department of Neurology, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Masha G Savelieff
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Gen Sobue
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
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Shao W, Todd TW, Wu Y, Jones CY, Tong J, Jansen-West K, Daughrity LM, Park J, Koike Y, Kurti A, Yue M, Castanedes-Casey M, del Rosso G, Dunmore JA, Alepuz DZ, Oskarsson B, Dickson DW, Cook CN, Prudencio M, Gendron TF, Fryer JD, Zhang YJ, Petrucelli L. Two FTD-ALS genes converge on the endosomal pathway to induce TDP-43 pathology and degeneration. Science 2022; 378:94-99. [PMID: 36201573 PMCID: PMC9942492 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq7860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD-ALS) are associated with both a repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene and mutations in the TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) gene. We found that TBK1 is phosphorylated in response to C9orf72 poly(Gly-Ala) [poly(GA)] aggregation and sequestered into inclusions, which leads to a loss of TBK1 activity and contributes to neurodegeneration. When we reduced TBK1 activity using a TBK1-R228H (Arg228→His) mutation in mice, poly(GA)-induced phenotypes were exacerbated. These phenotypes included an increase in TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) pathology and the accumulation of defective endosomes in poly(GA)-positive neurons. Inhibiting the endosomal pathway induced TDP-43 aggregation, which highlights the importance of this pathway and TBK1 activity in pathogenesis. This interplay between C9orf72, TBK1, and TDP-43 connects three different facets of FTD-ALS into one coherent pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Shao
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Tiffany W. Todd
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Yanwei Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Caroline Y. Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Jimei Tong
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Karen Jansen-West
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | | | - Jinyoung Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Yuka Koike
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Aishe Kurti
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Mei Yue
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | | | - Giulia del Rosso
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Judith A. Dunmore
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | | | - Björn Oskarsson
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Dennis W. Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Casey N. Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Mercedes Prudencio
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Tania F. Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - John D. Fryer
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Scottsdale, AZ, 85259, USA
| | - Yong-Jie Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW ALS genetics are highly dynamic and of great interest for the ALS research community. Each year, by using ever-growing datasets and cutting-edge methodology, an array of novel ALS-associated genes and downstream pathomechanisms are discovered. The increasing plenty and complexity of insights warrants regular summary by-reviews. RECENT FINDINGS Most recent disease gene discoveries constitute the candidate and risk genes SPTLC1 , KANK1 , CAV1 , HTT , and WDR7 , as well as seven novel risk loci. Cell type and functional enrichment analyses enlighten the genetic basis of selective motor neuron vulnerability in ALS demonstrating high expression of ALS-associated genes in cortical motor neurons and highlight the pathogenic significance of cell-autonomous processes. Major pathomechanistic insights have been gained regarding known ALS genes/proteins, specifically C9orf72 , TDP43, ANXA11 , and KIF5A . The first ASO-based gene-specific therapy trials in familial forms of ALS have yielded equivocal results stressing the re-evaluation of pathomechanisms linked to SOD1 and C9orf72 mutations. SUMMARY The genetic and molecular basis of ALS is increasingly examined on single-cell resolution. In the past 2 years, the understanding of the downstream mechanisms of several ALS genes and TDP-43 proteinopathy has been considerably extended. These insights will result in novel gene specific therapy approaches for sporadic ALS and genetic subtypes.
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