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Koch ET, Cheng J, Ramandi D, Sepers MD, Hsu A, Fong T, Murphy TH, Yttri E, Raymond LA. Deep behavioural phenotyping of the Q175 Huntington disease mouse model: effects of age, sex, and weight. BMC Biol 2024; 22:121. [PMID: 38783261 PMCID: PMC11119712 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01919-9] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with complex motor and behavioural manifestations. The Q175 knock-in mouse model of HD has gained recent popularity as a genetically accurate model of the human disease. However, behavioural phenotypes are often subtle and progress slowly in this model. Here, we have implemented machine-learning algorithms to investigate behaviour in the Q175 model and compare differences between sexes and disease stages. We explore distinct behavioural patterns and motor functions in open field, rotarod, water T-maze, and home cage lever-pulling tasks. RESULTS In the open field, we observed habituation deficits in two versions of the Q175 model (zQ175dn and Q175FDN, on two different background strains), and using B-SOiD, an advanced machine learning approach, we found altered performance of rearing in male manifest zQ175dn mice. Notably, we found that weight had a considerable effect on performance of accelerating rotarod and water T-maze tasks and controlled for this by normalizing for weight. Manifest zQ175dn mice displayed a deficit in accelerating rotarod (after weight normalization), as well as changes to paw kinematics specific to males. Our water T-maze experiments revealed response learning deficits in manifest zQ175dn mice and reversal learning deficits in premanifest male zQ175dn mice; further analysis using PyMouseTracks software allowed us to characterize new behavioural features in this task, including time at decision point and number of accelerations. In a home cage-based lever-pulling assessment, we found significant learning deficits in male manifest zQ175dn mice. A subset of mice also underwent electrophysiology slice experiments, revealing a reduced spontaneous excitatory event frequency in male manifest zQ175dn mice. CONCLUSIONS Our study uncovered several behavioural changes in Q175 mice that differed by sex, age, and strain. Our results highlight the impact of weight and experimental protocol on behavioural results, and the utility of machine learning tools to examine behaviour in more detailed ways than was previously possible. Specifically, this work provides the field with an updated overview of behavioural impairments in this model of HD, as well as novel techniques for dissecting behaviour in the open field, accelerating rotarod, and T-maze tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen T Koch
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Present Address: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 2T9, Canada.
| | - Judy Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Ramandi
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marja D Sepers
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alex Hsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tony Fong
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Timothy H Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Eric Yttri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Wang Y, Ramandi D, Sepers MD, Mackay JP, Raymond LA. Age- and region-dependent cortical excitability in the zQ175 Huntington disease mouse model. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:387-399. [PMID: 37947186 PMCID: PMC10877458 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad191] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurodegenerative disorder, Huntington disease (HD), manifests as disorders of movement, cognition and mood. Although studies report abnormal corticostriatal synaptic function early in HD mouse models, less is known about cortical-cortical activity across brain regions and disease stages. Recently, we reported enhanced mesoscale spread of cortical responses to sensory stimulation in vivo at early-manifest stages of two HD mouse models. Here, we investigated cortical excitability of zQ175 HD-model mice compared to their wild-type littermates across different cell types, ages and/or cortical regions using ex vivo electrophysiology. Cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) in somatosensory cortex of zQ175 mice showed intrinsic hyper-excitability at 3-4 months, but hypo-excitability at early-manifest stage (8-9 months); reduced frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) was seen at both ages. In contrast, motor cortex CPNs in early-manifest zQ175 mice showed increased intrinsic excitability and sEPSC frequency. Large-amplitude excitatory discharges recorded from CPNs in early-manifest zQ175 mice showed increased frequency only in somatosensory cortex, suggesting the intrinsic hypo-excitability of these CPNs may be compensatory against cortical network hyper-excitability. Similarly, in early-manifest zQ175 mice, region-dependent differences were seen in fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs): somatosensory but not motor FSIs from early-manifest zQ175 mice had reduced intrinsic excitability. Moreover, CPNs showed decreased frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents and increased excitatory-inhibitory (E-I) balance of evoked synaptic currents in somatosensory cortex. Aberrant large-amplitude discharges and reduced inhibitory drive may therefore underlie E-I imbalances that result in circuit changes and synaptic dysfunction in early-manifest HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yundi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Daniel Ramandi
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Marja D Sepers
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - James P Mackay
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
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3
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Holley SM, Reidling JC, Cepeda C, Wu J, Lim RG, Lau A, Moore C, Miramontes R, Fury B, Orellana I, Neel M, Coleal-Bergum D, Monuki ES, Bauer G, Meshul CK, Levine MS, Thompson LM. Transplanted human neural stem cells rescue phenotypes in zQ175 Huntington's disease mice and innervate the striatum. Mol Ther 2023; 31:3545-3563. [PMID: 37807512 PMCID: PMC10727970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.10.003] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD), a genetic neurodegenerative disorder, primarily affects the striatum and cortex with progressive loss of medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs) and pyramidal neurons, disrupting cortico-striatal circuitry. A promising regenerative therapeutic strategy of transplanting human neural stem cells (hNSCs) is challenged by the need for long-term functional integration. We previously described that, with short-term hNSC transplantation into the striatum of HD R6/2 mice, human cells differentiated into electrophysiologically active immature neurons, improving behavior and biochemical deficits. Here, we show that long-term (8 months) implantation of hNSCs into the striatum of HD zQ175 mice ameliorates behavioral deficits, increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and reduces mutant huntingtin (mHTT) accumulation. Patch clamp recordings, immunohistochemistry, single-nucleus RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and electron microscopy demonstrate that hNSCs differentiate into diverse neuronal populations, including MSN- and interneuron-like cells, and form connections. Single-nucleus RNA-seq analysis also shows restoration of several mHTT-mediated transcriptional changes of endogenous striatal HD mouse cells. Remarkably, engrafted cells receive synaptic inputs, innervate host neurons, and improve membrane and synaptic properties. Overall, the findings support hNSC transplantation for further evaluation and clinical development for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M Holley
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jack C Reidling
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ryan G Lim
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Alice Lau
- Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Cindy Moore
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Ricardo Miramontes
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Brian Fury
- Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Iliana Orellana
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Michael Neel
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Dane Coleal-Bergum
- Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Edwin S Monuki
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Gerhard Bauer
- Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Charles K Meshul
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Pathology, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Michael S Levine
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Neurobiology & Behavior University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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4
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Wilton DK, Mastro K, Heller MD, Gergits FW, Willing CR, Fahey JB, Frouin A, Daggett A, Gu X, Kim YA, Faull RLM, Jayadev S, Yednock T, Yang XW, Stevens B. Microglia and complement mediate early corticostriatal synapse loss and cognitive dysfunction in Huntington's disease. Nat Med 2023; 29:2866-2884. [PMID: 37814059 PMCID: PMC10667107 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02566-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating monogenic neurodegenerative disease characterized by early, selective pathology in the basal ganglia despite the ubiquitous expression of mutant huntingtin. The molecular mechanisms underlying this region-specific neuronal degeneration and how these relate to the development of early cognitive phenotypes are poorly understood. Here we show that there is selective loss of synaptic connections between the cortex and striatum in postmortem tissue from patients with HD that is associated with the increased activation and localization of complement proteins, innate immune molecules, to these synaptic elements. We also found that levels of these secreted innate immune molecules are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of premanifest HD patients and correlate with established measures of disease burden.In preclinical genetic models of HD, we show that complement proteins mediate the selective elimination of corticostriatal synapses at an early stage in disease pathogenesis, marking them for removal by microglia, the brain's resident macrophage population. This process requires mutant huntingtin to be expressed in both cortical and striatal neurons. Inhibition of this complement-dependent elimination mechanism through administration of a therapeutically relevant C1q function-blocking antibody or genetic ablation of a complement receptor on microglia prevented synapse loss, increased excitatory input to the striatum and rescued the early development of visual discrimination learning and cognitive flexibility deficits in these models. Together, our findings implicate microglia and the complement cascade in the selective, early degeneration of corticostriatal synapses and the development of cognitive deficits in presymptomatic HD; they also provide new preclinical data to support complement as a therapeutic target for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel K Wilton
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US.
| | - Kevin Mastro
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Molly D Heller
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Frederick W Gergits
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Carly Rose Willing
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Jaclyn B Fahey
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Arnaud Frouin
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Anthony Daggett
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Gu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yejin A Kim
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Richard L M Faull
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ted Yednock
- Annexon Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Beth Stevens
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US.
- Stanley Center, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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5
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Xu C, Chen S, Chen X, Ho KH, Park C, Yoo H, Lee SH, Park H. Altered exocytosis of inhibitory synaptic vesicles at single presynaptic terminals of cultured striatal neurons in a knock-in mouse model of Huntington's disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1175522. [PMID: 37664244 PMCID: PMC10470468 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1175522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion of a cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeat in the huntingtin gene, which encodes the mutant huntingtin protein containing an expanded polyglutamine tract. One of neuropathologic hallmarks of HD is selective degeneration in the striatum. Mechanisms underlying selective neurodegeneration in the striatum of HD remain elusive. Neurodegeneration is suggested to be preceded by abnormal synaptic transmission at the early stage of HD. However, how mutant huntingtin protein affects synaptic vesicle exocytosis at single presynaptic terminals of HD striatal neurons is poorly understood. Here, we measured synaptic vesicle exocytosis at single presynaptic terminals of cultured striatal neurons (mainly inhibitory neurons) in a knock-in mouse model of HD (zQ175) during electrical field stimulation using real-time imaging of FM 1-43 (a lipophilic dye). We found a significant decrease in bouton density and exocytosis of synaptic vesicles at single presynaptic terminals in cultured striatal neurons. Real-time imaging of VGAT-CypHer5E (a pH sensitive dye conjugated to an antibody against vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT)) for inhibitory synaptic vesicles revealed a reduction in bouton density and exocytosis of inhibitory synaptic vesicles at single presynaptic terminals of HD striatal neurons. Thus, our results suggest that the mutant huntingtin protein decreases bouton density and exocytosis of inhibitory synaptic vesicles at single presynaptic terminals of striatal neurons, causing impaired inhibitory synaptic transmission, eventually leading to the neurodegeneration in the striatum of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Xu
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sidong Chen
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xingxiang Chen
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ka Hei Ho
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chungwon Park
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Hong Kong Center for Construction Robotics (InnoHK-HKCRC), Hong Kong Science Park, Sha Tin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hanna Yoo
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Suk-Ho Lee
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyokeun Park
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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6
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Birolini G, Valenza M, Ottonelli I, Talpo F, Minoli L, Cappelleri A, Bombaci M, Caccia C, Canevari C, Trucco A, Leoni V, Passoni A, Favagrossa M, Nucera MR, Colombo L, Paltrinieri S, Bagnati R, Duskey JT, Caraffi R, Vandelli MA, Taroni F, Salmona M, Scanziani E, Biella G, Ruozi B, Tosi G, Cattaneo E. Chronic cholesterol administration to the brain supports complete and long-lasting cognitive and motor amelioration in Huntington's disease. Pharmacol Res 2023; 194:106823. [PMID: 37336430 PMCID: PMC10463277 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Evidence that Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by impaired cholesterol biosynthesis in the brain has led to strategies to increase its level in the brain of the rapidly progressing R6/2 mouse model, with a positive therapeutic outcome. Here we tested the long-term efficacy of chronic administration of cholesterol to the brain of the slowly progressing zQ175DN knock-in HD mice in preventing ("early treatment") or reversing ("late treatment") HD symptoms. To do this we used the most advanced formulation of cholesterol loaded brain-permeable nanoparticles (NPs), termed hybrid-g7-NPs-chol, which were injected intraperitoneally. We show that one cycle of treatment with hybrid-g7-NPs-chol, administered in the presymptomatic ("early treatment") or symptomatic ("late treatment") stages is sufficient to normalize cognitive defects up to 5 months, as well as to improve other behavioral and neuropathological parameters. A multiple cycle treatment combining both early and late treatments ("2 cycle treatment") lasting 6 months generates therapeutic effects for more than 11 months, without severe adverse reactions. Sustained cholesterol delivery to the brain of zQ175DN mice also reduces mutant Huntingtin aggregates in both the striatum and cortex and completely normalizes synaptic communication in the striatal medium spiny neurons compared to saline-treated HD mice. Furthermore, through a meta-analysis of published and current data, we demonstrated the power of hybrid-g7-NPs-chol and other strategies able to increase brain cholesterol biosynthesis, to reverse cognitive decline and counteract the formation of mutant Huntingtin aggregates. These results demonstrate that cholesterol delivery via brain-permeable NPs is a therapeutic option to sustainably reverse HD-related behavioral decline and neuropathological signs over time, highlighting the therapeutic potential of cholesterol-based strategies in HD patients. DATA AVAILABILITY: This study does not include data deposited in public repositories. Data are available on request to the corresponding authors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Birolini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Valenza
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy.
| | - Ilaria Ottonelli
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Francesca Talpo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Lucia Minoli
- Pathology Department, Evotec, 37135 Verona, Italy; Mouse & Animal Pathology Lab (MAPLab), Fondazione UniMi, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Cappelleri
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; Mouse & Animal Pathology Lab (MAPLab), Fondazione UniMi, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Bombaci
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Caccia
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics. Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Caterina Canevari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Arianna Trucco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Valerio Leoni
- Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, Hospital Pio XI of Desio, ASST-Brianza and Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Alice Passoni
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Favagrossa
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Nucera
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Colombo
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Saverio Paltrinieri
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Renzo Bagnati
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Jason Thomas Duskey
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Riccardo Caraffi
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Angela Vandelli
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Franco Taroni
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics. Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Salmona
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Eugenio Scanziani
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; Mouse & Animal Pathology Lab (MAPLab), Fondazione UniMi, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Gerardo Biella
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Barbara Ruozi
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanni Tosi
- Nanotech Lab, Te.Far.T.I. Center, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milan, Italy.
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7
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Khakh BS, Goldman SA. Astrocytic contributions to Huntington's disease pathophysiology. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1522:42-59. [PMID: 36864567 PMCID: PMC10145027 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal, monogenic, autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine-encoding CAG expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that results in mutant huntingtin proteins (mHTT) in cells throughout the body. Although large parts of the central nervous system (CNS) are affected, the striatum is especially vulnerable and undergoes marked atrophy. Astrocytes are abundant within the striatum and contain mHTT in HD, as well as in mouse models of the disease. We focus on striatal astrocytes and summarize how they participate in, and contribute to, molecular pathophysiology and disease-related phenotypes in HD model mice. Where possible, reference is made to pertinent astrocyte alterations in human HD. Astrocytic dysfunctions related to cellular morphology, extracellular ion and neurotransmitter homeostasis, and metabolic support all accompany the development and progression of HD, in both transgenic mouse and human cellular and chimeric models of HD. These findings reveal the potential for the therapeutic targeting of astrocytes so as to restore synaptic as well as tissue homeostasis in HD. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which astrocytes contribute to HD pathogenesis may inform a broader understanding of the role of glial pathology in neurodegenerative disorders and, by so doing, enable new strategies of glial-directed therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baljit S. Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Steven A. Goldman
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
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8
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Vasilkovska T, Adhikari M, Van Audekerke J, Salajeghe S, Pustina D, Cachope R, Tang H, Liu L, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Van der Linden A, Verhoye M. Resting-state fMRI reveals longitudinal alterations in brain network connectivity in the zQ175DN mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 181:106095. [PMID: 36963694 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an autosomal, dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of the CAG repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene. Neuronal degeneration and dysfunction that precedes regional atrophy result in the impairment of striatal and cortical circuits that affect the brain's large-scale network functionality. However, the evolution of these disease-driven, large-scale connectivity alterations is still poorly understood. Here we used resting-state fMRI to investigate functional connectivity changes in a mouse model of Huntington's disease in several relevant brain networks and how they are affected at different ages that follow a disease-like phenotypic progression. Towards this, we used the heterozygous (HET) form of the zQ175DN Huntington's disease mouse model that recapitulates aspects of human disease pathology. Seed- and Region-based analyses were performed at different ages, on 3-, 6-, 10-, and 12-month-old HET and age-matched wild-type mice. Our results demonstrate decreased connectivity starting at 6 months of age, most prominently in regions such as the retrosplenial and cingulate cortices, pertaining to the default mode-like network and auditory and visual cortices, part of the associative cortical network. At 12 months, we observe a shift towards decreased connectivity in regions such as the somatosensory cortices, pertaining to the lateral cortical network, and the caudate putamen, a constituent of the subcortical network. Moreover, we assessed the impact of distinct Huntington's Disease-like pathology of the zQ175DN HET mice on age-dependent connectivity between different brain regions and networks where we demonstrate that connectivity strength follows a nonlinear, inverted U-shape pattern, a well-known phenomenon of development and normal aging. Conversely, the neuropathologically driven alteration of connectivity, especially in the default mode and associative cortical networks, showed diminished age-dependent evolution of functional connectivity. These findings reveal that in this Huntington's disease model, altered connectivity starts with cortical network aberrations which precede striatal connectivity changes, that appear only at a later age. Taken together, these results suggest that the age-dependent cortical network dysfunction seen in rodents could represent a relevant pathological process in Huntington's disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Vasilkovska
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Mohit Adhikari
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Somaie Salajeghe
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | - Haiying Tang
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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9
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Pancani T, Day M, Tkatch T, Wokosin DL, González-Rodríguez P, Kondapalli J, Xie Z, Chen Y, Beaumont V, Surmeier DJ. Cholinergic deficits selectively boost cortical intratelencephalic control of striatum in male Huntington's disease model mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1398. [PMID: 36914640 PMCID: PMC10011605 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36556-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG triplet expansion in huntingtin. Although corticostriatal dysfunction has long been implicated in HD, the determinants and pathway specificity of this pathophysiology are not fully understood. Here, using a male zQ175+/- knock-in mouse model of HD we carry out optogenetic interrogation of intratelencephalic and pyramidal tract synapses with principal striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs). These studies reveal that the connectivity of intratelencephalic, but not pyramidal tract, neurons with direct and indirect pathway SPNs increased in early symptomatic zQ175+/- HD mice. This enhancement was attributable to reduced pre-synaptic inhibitory control of intratelencephalic terminals by striatal cholinergic interneurons. Lowering mutant huntingtin selectively in striatal cholinergic interneurons with a virally-delivered zinc finger repressor protein normalized striatal acetylcholine release and intratelencephalic functional connectivity, revealing a node in the network underlying corticostriatal pathophysiology in a HD mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristano Pancani
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Michelle Day
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Tatiana Tkatch
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - David L Wokosin
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Patricia González-Rodríguez
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA.,Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jyothisri Kondapalli
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Zhong Xie
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Vahri Beaumont
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Suite 700, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - D James Surmeier
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA.
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10
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Braz BY, Wennagel D, Ratié L, de Souza DAR, Deloulme JC, Barbier EL, Buisson A, Lanté F, Humbert S. Treating early postnatal circuit defect delays Huntington's disease onset and pathology in mice. Science 2022; 377:eabq5011. [PMID: 36137051 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq5011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence has shown that even mild mutations in the Huntingtin gene that are associated with late-onset Huntington's disease (HD) disrupt various aspects of human neurodevelopment. To determine whether these seemingly subtle early defects affect adult neural function, we investigated neural circuit physiology in newborn HD mice. During the first postnatal week, HD mice have less cortical layer 2/3 excitatory synaptic activity than wild-type mice, express fewer glutamatergic receptors, and show sensorimotor deficits. The circuit self-normalizes in the second postnatal week but the mice nonetheless develop HD. Pharmacologically enhancing glutamatergic transmission during the neonatal period, however, rescues these deficits and preserves sensorimotor function, cognition, and spine and synapse density as well as brain region volume in HD adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Yael Braz
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Doris Wennagel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Leslie Ratié
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | | | - Emmanuel L Barbier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Alain Buisson
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Fabien Lanté
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sandrine Humbert
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France.,Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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11
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Yu D, Zarate N, White A, Coates D, Tsai W, Nanclares C, Cuccu F, Yue JS, Brown TG, Mansky RH, Jiang K, Kim H, Nichols-Meade T, Larson SN, Gundry K, Zhang Y, Tomas-Zapico C, Lucas JJ, Benneyworth M, Öz G, Cvetanovic M, Araque A, Gomez-Pastor R. CK2 alpha prime and alpha-synuclein pathogenic functional interaction mediates synaptic dysregulation in huntington's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:83. [PMID: 35659303 PMCID: PMC9164558 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01379-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the HTT gene for which no therapies are available. HTT mutation causes protein misfolding and aggregation, preferentially affecting medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the basal ganglia. Transcriptional perturbations in synaptic genes and neuroinflammation are key processes that precede MSN dysfunction and motor symptom onset. Understanding the interplay between these processes is crucial to develop effective therapeutic strategies to treat HD. We investigated the role of protein kinase CK2α', a kinase upregulated in MSNs in HD and previously associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), in the regulation of neuroinflammation and synaptic function in HD. We used the heterozygous knock-in zQ175 HD mouse model and compared that to zQ175 mice lacking one allele of CK2α' (zQ175:CK2α'(±)). CK2α' haploinsufficiency in zQ175 mice resulted in decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, HTT aggregation, astrogliosis and transcriptional alterations of synaptic genes related to glutamatergic signaling. zQ175:CK2α'(±) mice also presented increased frequency of striatal miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), an indicator of synaptic activity, and improved motor coordination compared to zQ175 mice. Neuropathological and phenotypic changes mediated by CK2α' were connected to alpha-synuclein (α-syn) dysregulation and correlated with differences in α-syn serine 129 phosphorylation (pS129-α-syn), a post-translational modification involved in α-synucleinopathy and shown to be regulated by CK2 in PD. pS129-α-syn was increased in the nuclei of MSNs in zQ175 mice and in the striatum of patients with HD, and it decreased in zQ175:CK2α'(±) mice. Collectively, our data established a novel connection between CK2α', neuroinflammation and synaptic gene dysregulation with synucleinopathy in HD and suggested common molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration between HD and PD. Our results also support CK2α' inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy to modulate neuronal function and neuroprotection in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahyun Yu
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Nicole Zarate
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Angel White
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - De’jah Coates
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Wei Tsai
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Carmen Nanclares
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Francesco Cuccu
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Johnny S. Yue
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Mounds View High School, Arden Hills, MN USA
| | - Taylor G. Brown
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Rachel H. Mansky
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Kevin Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Hyuck Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Present Address: HK, MEPSGEN, Seoul, 05836 South Korea
- Present Address: CTZ Department of Functional Biology, Physiology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Asturias, Spain
- Present Address: Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Asturias, Spain
| | - Tessa Nichols-Meade
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Sarah N. Larson
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Katherine Gundry
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Cristina Tomas-Zapico
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’ (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Present Address: HK, MEPSGEN, Seoul, 05836 South Korea
- Present Address: CTZ Department of Functional Biology, Physiology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Asturias, Spain
- Present Address: Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Asturias, Spain
| | - Jose J. Lucas
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’ (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael Benneyworth
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Gülin Öz
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Marija Cvetanovic
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Alfonso Araque
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Rocio Gomez-Pastor
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
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12
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Sepers MD, Mackay JP, Koch E, Xiao D, Mohajerani MH, Chan AW, Smith-Dijak AI, Ramandi D, Murphy TH, Raymond LA. Altered cortical processing of sensory input in Huntington disease mouse models. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 169:105740. [PMID: 35460870 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD), a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder, manifests as progressively impaired movement and cognition. Although early abnormalities of neuronal activity in striatum are well established in HD models, there are fewer in vivo studies of the cortex. Here, we record local field potentials (LFPs) in YAC128 HD model mice versus wild-type mice. In multiple cortical areas, limb sensory stimulation evokes a greater change in LFP power in YAC128 mice. Mesoscopic imaging using voltage-sensitive dyes reveals more extensive spread of evoked sensory signals across the cortical surface in YAC128 mice. YAC128 layer 2/3 sensory cortical neurons ex vivo show increased excitatory events, which could contribute to enhanced sensory responses in vivo. Cortical LFP responses to limb stimulation, visual and auditory input are also significantly increased in zQ175 HD mice. Results presented here extend knowledge of HD beyond ex vivo studies of individual neurons to the intact cortical network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marja D Sepers
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - James P Mackay
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Ellen Koch
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Dongsheng Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Allan W Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Amy I Smith-Dijak
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Daniel Ramandi
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Timothy H Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada.
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13
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Gu X, Richman J, Langfelder P, Wang N, Zhang S, Bañez-Coronel M, Wang HB, Yang L, Ramanathan L, Deng L, Park CS, Choi CR, Cantle JP, Gao F, Gray M, Coppola G, Bates GP, Ranum LPW, Horvath S, Colwell CS, Yang XW. Uninterrupted CAG repeat drives striatum-selective transcriptionopathy and nuclear pathogenesis in human Huntingtin BAC mice. Neuron 2022; 110:1173-1192.e7. [PMID: 35114102 PMCID: PMC9462388 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In Huntington's disease (HD), the uninterrupted CAG repeat length, but not the polyglutamine length, predicts disease onset. However, the underlying pathobiology remains unclear. Here, we developed bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice expressing human mutant huntingtin (mHTT) with uninterrupted, and somatically unstable, CAG repeats that exhibit progressive disease-related phenotypes. Unlike prior mHTT transgenic models with stable, CAA-interrupted, polyglutamine-encoding repeats, BAC-CAG mice show robust striatum-selective nuclear inclusions and transcriptional dysregulation resembling those in murine huntingtin knockin models and HD patients. Importantly, the striatal transcriptionopathy in HD models is significantly correlated with their uninterrupted CAG repeat length but not polyglutamine length. Finally, among the pathogenic entities originating from mHTT genomic transgenes and only present or enriched in the uninterrupted CAG repeat model, somatic CAG repeat instability and nuclear mHTT aggregation are best correlated with early-onset striatum-selective molecular pathogenesis and locomotor and sleep deficits, while repeat RNA-associated pathologies and repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation may play less selective or late pathogenic roles, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Gu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Richman
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peter Langfelder
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nan Wang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shasha Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Monica Bañez-Coronel
- Center for Neurogenetics, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute of Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Huei-Bin Wang
- Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lucia Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lalini Ramanathan
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Linna Deng
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chang Sin Park
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher R Choi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Cantle
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fuying Gao
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Gray
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura P W Ranum
- Center for Neurogenetics, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute of Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher S Colwell
- Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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14
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Callahan JW, Wokosin DL, Bevan MD. Dysregulation of the Basal Ganglia Indirect Pathway in Early Symptomatic Q175 Huntington's Disease Mice. J Neurosci 2022; 42:2080-2102. [PMID: 35058372 PMCID: PMC8916764 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0782-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The debilitating psychomotor symptoms of Huntington's disease (HD) are linked partly to degeneration of the basal ganglia indirect pathway. At early symptomatic stages, before major cell loss, indirect pathway neurons exhibit numerous cellular and synaptic changes in HD and its models. However, the impact of these alterations on circuit activity remains poorly understood. To address this gap, optogenetic- and reporter-guided electrophysiological interrogation was used in early symptomatic male and female Q175 HD mice. D2 dopamine receptor-expressing striatal projection neurons (D2-SPNs) were hypoactive during synchronous cortical slow-wave activity, consistent with known reductions in dendritic excitability and cortical input strength. Downstream prototypic parvalbumin-expressing external globus pallidus (PV+ GPe) neurons discharged at 2-3 times their normal rate, even during periods of D2-SPN inactivity, arguing that defective striatopallidal inhibition was not the only cause of their hyperactivity. Indeed, PV+ GPe neurons also exhibited abnormally elevated autonomous firing ex vivo Optogenetic inhibition of PV+ GPe neurons in vivo partially and fully ameliorated the abnormal hypoactivity of postsynaptic subthalamic nucleus (STN) and putative PV- GPe neurons, respectively. In contrast to STN neurons whose autonomous firing is impaired in HD mice, putative PV- GPe neuron activity was unaffected ex vivo, implying that excessive inhibition was responsible for their hypoactivity in vivo Together with previous studies, these data demonstrate that (1) indirect pathway nuclei are dysregulated in Q175 mice through changes in presynaptic activity and/or intrinsic cellular and synaptic properties; and (2) prototypic PV+ GPe neuron hyperactivity and excessive target inhibition are prominent features of early HD pathophysiology.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The early symptoms of Huntington's disease (HD) are linked to degenerative changes in the action-suppressing indirect pathway of the basal ganglia. Consistent with this linkage, the intrinsic properties of cells in this pathway exhibit complex alterations in HD and its models. However, the impact of these changes on activity is poorly understood. Using electrophysiological and optogenetic approaches, we demonstrate that the indirect pathway is highly dysregulated in early symptomatic HD mice through changes in upstream activity and/or intrinsic properties. Furthermore, we reveal that hyperactivity of external globus pallidus neurons and excessive inhibition of their targets are key features of early HD pathophysiology. Together, these findings could help to inform the development and targeting of viral-based, gene therapeutic approaches for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua W Callahan
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - David L Wokosin
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Mark D Bevan
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
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15
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Rebec GV, Koceja DM, Bunner KD. Measuring Movement in Health and Disease. Brain Res Bull 2022; 181:167-174. [PMID: 35122899 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Evaluating and quantifying the many aspects of movement -- from open-field locomotion and stepping patterns in rodent models to stride trajectory and postural sway in human patients -- are key to understanding brain function. Various experimental approaches have been used in applying these lines of research to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disease. Although valuable, data on movement are often limited by the shortcomings inherent in the data collection process itself. Steve Fowler and his research group have been instrumental in pioneering a technology that both minimizes these pitfalls in studies of rodent behavior and has applications to research on human patients. At the center of this technology is the force-plate actometer, developed by the Fowler group to assess multiple aspects of movement in rodent models. Our review highlights how use of the actometer and related behavioral measurements provides valuable insight into Huntington's disease (HD), an autosomal dominant condition of progressively deteriorating behavioral control. HD typically emerges in mid-life and has been replicated in multiple genetically engineered mouse models. The actometer also can be a valuable addition to cutting-edge neuronal and synaptic technologies that are now increasingly applied to studies of behaving animals. In short, the impact of the Fowler contribution to the neuroscience of movement is both meaningful and ongoing.
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Affiliation(s)
- George V Rebec
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States.
| | - David M Koceja
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Kendra D Bunner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
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16
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Kraskovskaya NA, Erofeev AI, Grishina ED, Pushkareva SA, Gerasimov EI, Vlasova OL, Bezprozvanny IB. Development of Hippocampus-Associated Cognitive Dysfunction in Huntington’s Disease Mouse Model. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093021060211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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C57BL/6 Background Attenuates mHTT Toxicity in the Striatum of YAC128 Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312664. [PMID: 34884469 PMCID: PMC8657915 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse models are frequently used to study Huntington’s disease (HD). The onset and severity of neuronal and behavioral pathologies vary greatly between HD mouse models, which results from different huntingtin expression levels and different CAG repeat length. HD pathology appears to depend also on the strain background of mouse models. Thus, behavioral deficits of HD mice are more severe in the FVB than in the C57BL/6 background. Alterations in medium spiny neuron (MSN) morphology and function have been well documented in young YAC128 mice in the FVB background. Here, we tested the relevance of strain background for mutant huntingtin (mHTT) toxicity on the cellular level by investigating HD pathologies in YAC128 mice in the C57BL/6 background (YAC128/BL6). Morphology, spine density, synapse function and membrane properties were not or only subtly altered in MSNs of 12-month-old YAC128/BL6 mice. Despite the mild cellular phenotype, YAC128/BL6 mice showed deficits in motor performance. More pronounced alterations in MSN function were found in the HdhQ150 mouse model in the C57BL/6 background (HdhQ150/BL6). Consistent with the differences in HD pathology, the number of inclusion bodies was considerably lower in YAC128/BL6 mice than HdhQ150/BL6 mice. This study highlights the relevance of strain background for mHTT toxicity in HD mouse models.
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18
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Kaye J, Reisine T, Finkbeiner S. Huntington's disease mouse models: unraveling the pathology caused by CAG repeat expansion. Fac Rev 2021; 10:77. [PMID: 34746930 PMCID: PMC8546598 DOI: 10.12703/r/10-77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease that results in motor and cognitive dysfunction, leading to early death. HD is caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Here, we review the mouse models of HD. They have been used extensively to better understand the molecular and cellular basis of disease pathogenesis as well as to provide non-human subjects to test the efficacy of potential therapeutics. The first and best-studied in vivo rodent model of HD is the R6/2 mouse, in which a transgene containing the promoter and exon 1 fragment of human HTT with 150 CAG repeats was inserted into the mouse genome. R6/2 mice express rapid, robust behavioral pathologies and display a number of degenerative abnormalities in neuronal populations most vulnerable in HD. The first conditional full-length mutant huntingtin (mHTT) mouse model of HD was the bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse model of HD (BACHD), which expresses human full-length mHTT with a mixture of 97 CAG-CAA repeats under the control of endogenous HTT regulatory machinery. It has been useful in identifying the role of mHTT in specific neuronal populations in degenerative processes. In the knock-in (KI) model of HD, the expanded human CAG repeats and human exon 1 are inserted into the mouse Htt locus, so a chimera of the full-length mouse protein with the N-terminal human portion is expressed. Many of aspects of the pathology and behavioral deficits in the KI model better mimic disease characteristics found in HD patients than other models. Accordingly, some have proposed that these mice may be preferable models of the disease over others. Indeed, as our understanding of HD advances, so will the design of animal models to test and develop HD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kaye
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Terry Reisine
- Independent Scientific Consultant, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Steve Finkbeiner
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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19
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Yamin HG, Menkes-Caspi N, Stern EA, Cohen D. Age-Dependent Degradation of Locomotion Encoding in Huntington's Disease R6/2 Model Mice. J Huntingtons Dis 2021; 10:391-404. [PMID: 34420979 PMCID: PMC8609681 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-210492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited fatal neurodegenerative disease, leading to neocortical and striatal atrophy. The commonly studied R6/2 HD transgenic mouse model displays progressive motor and cognitive deficits in parallel to major pathological changes in corticostriatal circuitry. OBJECTIVE To study how disease progression influences striatal encoding of movement. METHODS We chronically recorded neuronal activity in the dorsal striatum of R6/2 transgenic (Tg) mice and their age-matched nontransgenic littermate controls (WTs) during novel environment exposure, a paradigm which engages locomotion to explore the novel environment. RESULTS Exploratory locomotion degraded with age in Tg mice as compared to WTs. We encountered fewer putative medium spiny neurons (MSNs)-striatal projection neurons, and more inhibitory interneurons-putative fast spiking interneurons (FSIs) in Tg mice as compared to WTs. MSNs from Tg mice fired less spikes in bursts without changing their firing rate, while FSIs from these mice had a lower firing rate and more of them were task-responsive as compared to WTs. Additionally, MSNs from Tg mice displayed a reduced ability to encode locomotion across age groups, likely associated with their low prevalence in Tg mice, whereas the encoding of locomotion by FSIs from Tg mice was substantially reduced solely in old Tg mice as compared to WTs. CONCLUSION Our findings reveal an age-dependent decay in striatal information processing in transgenic mice. We propose that the ability of FSIs to compensate for the loss of MSNs by processes of recruitment and enhanced task-responsiveness diminishes with disease progression, possibly manifested in the displayed age-dependent degradation of exploratory locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagar G Yamin
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Noa Menkes-Caspi
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Edward A Stern
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.,MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Dana Cohen
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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20
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Huang L, Fang L, Liu Q, Torshizi AD, Wang K. Integrated analysis on transcriptome and behaviors defines HTT repeat-dependent network modules in Huntington's disease. Genes Dis 2021; 9:479-493. [PMID: 35224162 PMCID: PMC8843892 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Knock-in mice carrying a CAG repeat-expanded Htt will develop HD phenotypes. Previous studies suggested dysregulated molecular networks in a CAG length genotype- and the age-dependent manner in brain tissues from knock-in mice carrying expanded Htt CAG repeats. Furthermore, a large-scale phenome analysis defined a behavioral signature for HD genotype in knock-in mice carrying expanded Htt CAG repeats. However, an integrated analysis correlating phenotype features with genotypes (CAG repeat expansions) was not conducted previously. In this study, we revealed the landscape of the behavioral features and gene expression correlations based on 445 mRNA samples and 445 microRNA samples, together with behavioral features (396 PhenoCube behaviors and 111 NeuroCube behaviors) in Htt CAG-knock-in mice. We identified 37 behavioral features that were significantly associated with CAG repeat length including the number of steps and hind limb stand duration. The behavioral features were associated with several gene coexpression groups involved in neuronal dysfunctions, which were also supported by the single-cell RNA sequencing data in the striatum and the spatial gene expression in the brain. We also identified 15 chemicals with significant responses for genes with enriched behavioral features, most of them are agonist or antagonist for dopamine receptors and serotonin receptors used for neurology/psychiatry. Our study provides further evidence that abnormal neuronal signal transduction in the striatum plays an important role in causing HD-related phenotypic behaviors and provided rich information for the further pharmacotherapeutic intervention possibility for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulin Huang
- The Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, PR China
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Corresponding author. The Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, PR China.
| | - Li Fang
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Qian Liu
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Abolfazl Doostparast Torshizi
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kai Wang
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Corresponding author.
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21
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Deng Y, Wang H, Joni M, Sekhri R, Reiner A. Progression of basal ganglia pathology in heterozygous Q175 knock-in Huntington's disease mice. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:1327-1371. [PMID: 32869871 PMCID: PMC8049038 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We used behavioral testing and morphological methods to detail the progression of basal ganglia neuron type-specific pathology and the deficits stemming from them in male heterozygous Q175 mice, compared to age-matched WT males. A rotarod deficit was not present in Q175 mice until 18 months, but increased open field turn rate (reflecting hyperkinesia) and open field anxiety were evident at 6 months. No loss of striatal neurons was seen out to 18 months, but ENK+ and DARPP32+ striatal perikarya were fewer by 6 months, due to diminished expression, with further decline by 18 months. No reduction in SP+ striatal perikarya or striatal interneurons was seen in Q175 mice at 18 months, but cholinergic interneurons showed dendrite attenuation by 6 months. Despite reduced ENK expression in indirect pathway striatal perikarya, ENK-immunostained terminals in globus pallidus externus (GPe) were more abundant at 6 months and remained so out to 18 months. Similarly, SP-immunostained terminals from striatal direct pathway neurons were more abundant in globus pallidus internus and substantia nigra at 6 months and remained so at 18 months. FoxP2+ arkypallidal GPe neurons and subthalamic nucleus neurons were lost by 18 months but not prototypical PARV+ GPe neurons or dopaminergic nigral neurons. Our results show that striatal projection neuron abnormalities and behavioral abnormalities reflecting them develop between 2 and 6 months of age in Q175 male heterozygotes, indicating early effects of the HD mutation. The striatal pathologies resemble those in human HD, but are less severe at 18 months than even in premanifest HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunping Deng
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Hongbing Wang
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Marion Joni
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Radhika Sekhri
- Department of PathologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Anton Reiner
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
- Department of OphthalmologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
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22
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Cepeda C, Levine MS. Synaptic Dysfunction in Huntington's Disease: Lessons from Genetic Animal Models. Neuroscientist 2020; 28:20-40. [PMID: 33198566 DOI: 10.1177/1073858420972662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of the functional and structural changes occurring in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia in Huntington's disease (HD) has benefited considerably from the generation of genetic animal models. Most studies of synaptic alterations in HD models have focused on the striatum, but a more complete picture of synaptic dysfunction in the cortico-basal ganglia-cortical loop is emerging. Here, we provide a review and analysis of current developments in the study of synaptic alterations in these areas using HD rodent models. Recent evidence indicates that cortical maldevelopment plays a role in synaptic dysfunction along the corticostriatal pathway that may have its roots in the way mutant huntingtin interacts with synaptic proteins. Furthermore, a progressive disconnection in the corticostriatal pathway leads to abnormal function engaging extrasynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptors that contribute to eventual cell degeneration. In addition, biphasic increases followed by decreases in glutamate and dopamine release in the striatum could explain contrasting symptomatology in early and late stages of the disease. Changes in striatal output regions also are beginning to be examined. Finally, we highlight some therapeutic avenues aimed at rescuing synaptic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cepeda
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Levine
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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23
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Bertoglio D, Verhaeghe J, Miranda A, Wyffels L, Stroobants S, Dominguez C, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Skinbjerg M, Liu L, Staelens S. Kinetic Modelling and Test-Retest Reproducibility for the Dopamine D 1R Radioligand [ 11C]SCH23390 in Healthy and Diseased Mice. Mol Imaging Biol 2020; 23:208-219. [PMID: 33179158 PMCID: PMC7910372 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-020-01561-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Our aim in this study was to compare different non-invasive pharmacokinetic models and assess test–retest reproducibility of the radioligand [11C]SCH23390 for the quantification of dopamine D1-like receptor (D1R) in both wild-type (WT) mice and heterozygous (HET) Q175DN mice as Huntington’s disease (HD) model. Procedures Adult WT (n = 9) and HET (n = 14) mice underwent a 90-min [11C]SCH23390 positron emission tomography (PET) scan followed by computed tomography (CT) to evaluate the pharmacokinetic modelling in healthy and diseased conditions. Additionally, 5 WT mice and 7 HET animals received a second [11C]SCH23390 PET scan for test–retest reproducibility. Parallel assessment of the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM), the multilinear reference tissue model (MRTM) and the Logan reference tissue model (Logan Ref) using the striatum as a receptor-rich region and the cerebellum as a receptor-free (reference) region was performed to define the most suitable method for regional- and voxel-based quantification of the binding potential (BPND). Finally, standardised uptake value ratio (SUVR-1) was assessed as a potential simplified measurement. Results For all models, we measured a significant decline in dopamine D1R density (e.g. SRTM = − 38.5 ± 5.0 %, p < 0.0001) in HET mice compared to WT littermates. Shortening the 90-min scan duration resulted in large underestimation of striatal BPND in both WT mice (SRTM 60 min: − 17.7 ± 2.8 %, p = 0.0078) and diseased HET (SRTM 60 min: − 13.1 ± 4.1 %, p = 0.0001). Striatal BPND measurements were very reproducible with an average test–retest variability below 5 % when using both MRTM and SRTM. Parametric BPND maps generated with SRTM were highly reliable, showing nearly perfect agreement to the regional analysis (r2 = 0.99, p < 0.0001). Finally, SRTM provided the most accurate estimate for relative tracer delivery R1 with both regional- and voxel-based analyses. SUVR-1 at different time intervals were not sufficiently reliable when compared to BPND (r2 < 0.66). Conclusions Ninety-minute acquisition and the use of SRTM for pharmacokinetic modelling is recommended. [11C]SCH23390 PET imaging demonstrates optimal characteristics for the study of dopamine D1R density in models of psychiatric and neurological disorders as exemplified in the Q175DN mouse model of HD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11307-020-01561-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Bertoglio
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Verhaeghe
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Alan Miranda
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Leonie Wyffels
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Sigrid Stroobants
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven Staelens
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
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24
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Friedman A, Hueske E, Drammis SM, Toro Arana SE, Nelson ED, Carter CW, Delcasso S, Rodriguez RX, Lutwak H, DiMarco KS, Zhang Q, Rakocevic LI, Hu D, Xiong JK, Zhao J, Gibb LG, Yoshida T, Siciliano CA, Diefenbach TJ, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Graybiel AM. Striosomes Mediate Value-Based Learning Vulnerable in Age and a Huntington's Disease Model. Cell 2020; 183:918-934.e49. [PMID: 33113354 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.09.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Learning valence-based responses to favorable and unfavorable options requires judgments of the relative value of the options, a process necessary for species survival. We found, using engineered mice, that circuit connectivity and function of the striosome compartment of the striatum are critical for this type of learning. Calcium imaging during valence-based learning exhibited a selective correlation between learning and striosomal but not matrix signals. This striosomal activity encoded discrimination learning and was correlated with task engagement, which, in turn, could be regulated by chemogenetic excitation and inhibition. Striosomal function during discrimination learning was disturbed with aging and severely so in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Anatomical and functional connectivity of parvalbumin-positive, putative fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) to striatal projection neurons was enhanced in striosomes compared with matrix in mice that learned. Computational modeling of these findings suggests that FSIs can modulate the striosomal signal-to-noise ratio, crucial for discrimination and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Friedman
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Emily Hueske
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sabrina M Drammis
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sebastian E Toro Arana
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Erik D Nelson
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Cody W Carter
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sebastien Delcasso
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Raimundo X Rodriguez
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Hope Lutwak
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kaden S DiMarco
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Qingyang Zhang
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Lara I Rakocevic
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Dan Hu
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Joshua K Xiong
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jiajia Zhao
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Leif G Gibb
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tomoko Yoshida
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Cody A Siciliano
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ann M Graybiel
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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25
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Goodliffe J, Rubakovic A, Chang W, Pathak D, Luebke J. Structural and functional features of medium spiny neurons in the BACHDΔN17 mouse model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234394. [PMID: 32574176 PMCID: PMC7310706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the BACHD mouse model of Huntington’s disease (HD), deletion of the N17 domain of the Huntingtin gene (BACHDΔN17, Q97) has been reported to lead to nuclear accumulation of mHTT and exacerbation of motor deficits, neuroinflammation and striatal atrophy (Gu et al., 2015). Here we characterized the effect of N17 deletion on dorsolateral striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in BACHDΔN17 (Q97) and BACWTΔN17 (Q31) mice by comparing them to MSNs in wildtype (WT) mice. Mice were characterized on a series of motor tasks and subsequently whole cell patch clamp recordings with simultaneous biocytin filling of MSNs in in vitro striatal slices from these mice were used to comprehensively assess their physiological and morphological features. Key findings include that: Q97 mice exhibit impaired gait and righting reflexes but normal tail suspension reflexes and normal coats while Q31 mice do not differ from WT; intrinsic membrane and action potential properties are altered -but differentially so- in MSNs from Q97 and from Q31 mice; excitatory and inhibitory synaptic currents exhibit higher amplitudes in Q31 but not Q97 MSNs, while excitatory synaptic currents occur at lower frequency in Q97 than in WT and Q31 MSNs; there is a reduced total dendritic length in Q31 -but not Q97- MSNs compared to WT, while spine density and number did not differ in MSNs in the three groups. The findings that Q31 MSNs differed from Q97 and WT neurons with regard to some physiological features and structurally suggest a novel role of the N17 domain in the function of WT Htt. The motor phenotype seen in Q97 mice was less robust than that reported in an earlier study (Gu et al., 2015), and the alterations to MSN physiological properties were largely consistent with changes reported previously in a number of other mouse models of HD. Together this study indicates that N17 plays a role in the modulation of the properties of MSNs in both mHtt and WT-Htt mice, but does not markedly exacerbate HD-like pathogenesis in the BACHD model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Goodliffe
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Anastasia Rubakovic
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Wayne Chang
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Dhruba Pathak
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Luebke
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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26
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Chakroborty S, Manfredsson FP, Dec AM, Campbell PW, Stutzmann GE, Beaumont V, West AR. Phosphodiesterase 9A Inhibition Facilitates Corticostriatal Transmission in Wild-Type and Transgenic Rats That Model Huntington's Disease. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:466. [PMID: 32581668 PMCID: PMC7283904 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) results from abnormal expansion in CAG trinucleotide repeats within the HD gene, a mutation which leads to degeneration of striatal medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs), deficits in corticostriatal transmission, and loss of motor control. Recent studies also indicate that metabolism of cyclic nucleotides by phosphodiesterases (PDEs) is dysregulated in striatal networks in a manner linked to deficits in corticostriatal transmission. The current study assessed cortically-evoked firing in electrophysiologically-identified MSNs and fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) in aged (9-11 months old) wild-type (WT) and BACHD transgenic rats (TG5) treated with vehicle or the selective PDE9A inhibitor PF-04447943. WT and TG5 rats were anesthetized with urethane and single-unit activity was isolated during low frequency electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral motor cortex. Compared to WT controls, MSNs recorded in TG5 animals exhibited decreased spike probability during cortical stimulation delivered at low to moderate stimulation intensities. Moreover, large increases in onset latency of cortically-evoked spikes and decreases in spike probability were observed in FSIs recorded in TG5 animals. Acute systemic administration of the PDE9A inhibitor PF-04447943 significantly decreased the onset latency of cortically-evoked spikes in MSNs recorded in WT and TG5 rats. PDE9A inhibition also increased the proportion of MSNs responding to cortical stimulation and reversed deficits in spike probability observed in TG5 rats. As PDE9A is a cGMP specific enzyme, drugs such as PF-04447943 which act to facilitate striatal cGMP signaling and glutamatergic corticostriatal transmission could be useful therapeutic agents for restoring striatal function and alleviating motor and cognitive symptoms associated with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreaya Chakroborty
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Fredric P Manfredsson
- Parkinson's Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Alexander M Dec
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Peter W Campbell
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Grace E Stutzmann
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Vahri Beaumont
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Anthony R West
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
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27
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Kacher R, Lamazière A, Heck N, Kappes V, Mounier C, Despres G, Dembitskaya Y, Perrin E, Christaller W, Sasidharan Nair S, Messent V, Cartier N, Vanhoutte P, Venance L, Saudou F, Néri C, Caboche J, Betuing S. CYP46A1 gene therapy deciphers the role of brain cholesterol metabolism in Huntington's disease. Brain 2020; 142:2432-2450. [PMID: 31286142 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunctions in brain cholesterol homeostasis have been extensively related to brain disorders. The main pathway for brain cholesterol elimination is its hydroxylation into 24S-hydroxycholesterol by the cholesterol 24-hydrolase, CYP46A1. Increasing evidence suggests that CYP46A1 has a role in the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative disorders, and that increasing its levels in the brain is neuroprotective. However, the mechanisms underlying this neuroprotection remain to be fully understood. Huntington's disease is a fatal autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by an abnormal CAG expansion in huntingtin's gene. Among the multiple cellular and molecular dysfunctions caused by this mutation, altered brain cholesterol homeostasis has been described in patients and animal models as a critical event in Huntington's disease. Here, we demonstrate that a gene therapy approach based on the delivery of CYP46A1, the rate-limiting enzyme for cholesterol degradation in the brain, has a long-lasting neuroprotective effect in Huntington's disease and counteracts multiple detrimental effects of the mutated huntingtin. In zQ175 Huntington's disease knock-in mice, CYP46A1 prevented neuronal dysfunctions and restored cholesterol homeostasis. These events were associated to a specific striatal transcriptomic signature that compensates for multiple mHTT-induced dysfunctions. We thus explored the mechanisms for these compensations and showed an improvement of synaptic activity and connectivity along with the stimulation of the proteasome and autophagy machineries, which participate to the clearance of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) aggregates. Furthermore, BDNF vesicle axonal transport and TrkB endosome trafficking were restored in a cellular model of Huntington's disease. These results highlight the large-scale beneficial effect of restoring cholesterol homeostasis in neurodegenerative diseases and give new opportunities for developing innovative disease-modifying strategies in Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhia Kacher
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130., Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Antonin Lamazière
- LBM, CNRS UMR7203/INSERM U1157, Sorbonne Université, Faculté de Médecine, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Département PM2, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Heck
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130., Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Kappes
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130., Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Coline Mounier
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130., Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Gaëtan Despres
- LBM, CNRS UMR7203/INSERM U1157, Sorbonne Université, Faculté de Médecine, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Département PM2, Paris, France
| | - Yulia Dembitskaya
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, College de France, CNRS UMR7241/INSERM U1050, MemoLife Labex Paris, France
| | - Elodie Perrin
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, College de France, CNRS UMR7241/INSERM U1050, MemoLife Labex Paris, France
| | - Wilhelm Christaller
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, INSERM U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Satish Sasidharan Nair
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Research Unit Biology of Adaptation and Aging (B2A), Team Compensation in Neurodegenerative and Aging (Brain-C), F-75252, Paris, France
| | - Valérie Messent
- Neuroplasticity of Reproductive Behaviors, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Faculté des Sciences et Ingénierie, INSERM/UMR-S 1130, CNRS/UMR 8246, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Cartier
- Biotherapies for neurodegenerative diseases, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle (ICM) INSERM Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Peter Vanhoutte
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130., Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Venance
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, College de France, CNRS UMR7241/INSERM U1050, MemoLife Labex Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, INSERM U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Christian Néri
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Research Unit Biology of Adaptation and Aging (B2A), Team Compensation in Neurodegenerative and Aging (Brain-C), F-75252, Paris, France
| | - Jocelyne Caboche
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130., Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Betuing
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130., Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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28
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Protein changes in synaptosomes of Huntington's disease knock-in mice are dependent on age and brain region. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 141:104950. [PMID: 32439598 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular changes at synapses are thought to underly the deficits in motor and cognitive dysfunction seen in Huntington's disease (HD). Previously we showed in synaptosome preparations age dependent changes in levels of selected proteins examined by western blot assay in the striatum of Q140/Q140 HD mice. To assess if CAG repeat length influenced protein changes at the synapse, we examined synaptosomes from 6-month old heterozygote HD mice with CAG repeat lengths ranging from 50 to 175. Analysis of 19 selected proteins showed that increasing CAG repeat length in huntingtin (HTT) increased the number of affected proteins in HD striatal synaptosomes. Moreover, SDS-soluble total HTT (WT plus mutant HTT) and pThr3 HTT were reduced with increasing CAG repeat length, and there was no pSer421 mutant HTT detected in any HD mice. A LC-MS/MS and bioinfomatics study of synaptosomes from 2 and 6-month old striatum and cortex of Q140/Q7 HD mice showed enrichment of synaptic proteins and an influence of age, gender and brain region on the number of protein changes. HD striatum at 6 months had the most protein changes that included many HTT protein interactors, followed by 2-month old HD striatum, 2-month old HD cortex and 6-month HD cortex. SDS-insoluble mutant HTT was detected in HD striatal synaptosomes consistent with the presence of aggregates. Proteins changed in cortex differed from those in striatum. Pathways affected in HD striatal synaptosomes that were not identified in whole striatal lysates of the same HD mouse model included axon guidance, focal adhesion, neurotrophin signaling, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, endocytosis, and synaptic vesicle cycle. Results suggest that synaptosomes prepared from HD mice are highly informative for monitoring protein changes at the synapse and may be preferred for assessing the effects of experimental therapies on synaptic function in HD.
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29
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Ponzi A, Barton SJ, Bunner KD, Rangel-Barajas C, Zhang ES, Miller BR, Rebec GV, Kozloski J. Striatal network modeling in Huntington's Disease. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007648. [PMID: 32302302 PMCID: PMC7197869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) comprise over 90% of cells in the striatum. In vivo MSNs display coherent burst firing cell assembly activity patterns, even though isolated MSNs do not burst fire intrinsically. This activity is important for the learning and execution of action sequences and is characteristically dysregulated in Huntington's Disease (HD). However, how dysregulation is caused by the various neural pathologies affecting MSNs in HD is unknown. Previous modeling work using simple cell models has shown that cell assembly activity patterns can emerge as a result of MSN inhibitory network interactions. Here, by directly estimating MSN network model parameters from single unit spiking data, we show that a network composed of much more physiologically detailed MSNs provides an excellent quantitative fit to wild type (WT) mouse spiking data, but only when network parameters are appropriate for the striatum. We find the WT MSN network is situated in a regime close to a transition from stable to strongly fluctuating network dynamics. This regime facilitates the generation of low-dimensional slowly varying coherent activity patterns and confers high sensitivity to variations in cortical driving. By re-estimating the model on HD spiking data we discover network parameter modifications are consistent across three very different types of HD mutant mouse models (YAC128, Q175, R6/2). In striking agreement with the known pathophysiology we find feedforward excitatory drive is reduced in HD compared to WT mice, while recurrent inhibition also shows phenotype dependency. We show that these modifications shift the HD MSN network to a sub-optimal regime where higher dimensional incoherent rapidly fluctuating activity predominates. Our results provide insight into a diverse range of experimental findings in HD, including cognitive and motor symptoms, and may suggest new avenues for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Ponzi
- IBM Research, Computational Biology Center, Thomas J. Watson Research Laboratories, Yorktown Heights, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Scott J. Barton
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Kendra D. Bunner
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Claudia Rangel-Barajas
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Emily S. Zhang
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Benjamin R. Miller
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - George V. Rebec
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - James Kozloski
- IBM Research, Computational Biology Center, Thomas J. Watson Research Laboratories, Yorktown Heights, New York, United States of America
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30
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Blumenstock S, Dudanova I. Cortical and Striatal Circuits in Huntington's Disease. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:82. [PMID: 32116525 PMCID: PMC7025546 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder that typically manifests in midlife with motor, cognitive, and/or psychiatric symptoms. The disease is caused by a CAG triplet expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene and leads to a severe neurodegeneration in the striatum and cortex. Classical electrophysiological studies in genetic HD mouse models provided important insights into the disbalance of excitatory, inhibitory and neuromodulatory inputs, as well as progressive disconnection between the cortex and striatum. However, the involvement of local cortical and striatal microcircuits still remains largely unexplored. Here we review the progress in understanding HD-related impairments in the cortical and basal ganglia circuits, and outline new opportunities that have opened with the development of modern circuit analysis methods. In particular, in vivo imaging studies in mouse HD models have demonstrated early structural and functional disturbances within the cortical network, and optogenetic manipulations of striatal cell types have started uncovering the causal roles of certain neuronal populations in disease pathogenesis. In addition, the important contribution of astrocytes to HD-related circuit defects has recently been recognized. In parallel, unbiased systems biology studies are providing insights into the possible molecular underpinnings of these functional defects at the level of synaptic signaling and neurotransmitter metabolism. With these approaches, we can now reach a deeper understanding of circuit-based HD mechanisms, which will be crucial for the development of effective and targeted therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Blumenstock
- Department of Molecules – Signaling – Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Irina Dudanova
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
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31
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Kovalenko M, Milnerwood A, Giordano J, St Claire J, Guide JR, Stromberg M, Gillis T, Sapp E, DiFiglia M, MacDonald ME, Carroll JB, Lee JM, Tappan S, Raymond L, Wheeler VC. HttQ111/+ Huntington's Disease Knock-in Mice Exhibit Brain Region-Specific Morphological Changes and Synaptic Dysfunction. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:17-33. [PMID: 29480209 PMCID: PMC5869998 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Background: Successful disease-modifying therapy for Huntington’s disease (HD) will require therapeutic intervention early in the pathogenic process. Achieving this goal requires identifying phenotypes that are proximal to the HTT CAG repeat expansion. Objective: To use Htt CAG knock-in mice, precise genetic replicas of the HTT mutation in patients, as models to study proximal disease events. Methods: Using cohorts of B6J.HttQ111/+ mice from 2 to 18 months of age, we analyzed pathological markers, including immunohistochemistry, brain regional volumes and cortical thickness, CAG instability, electron microscopy of striatal synapses, and acute slice electrophysiology to record glutamatergic transmission at striatal synapses. We also incorporated a diet perturbation paradigm for some of these analyses. Results: B6J.HttQ111/+ mice did not exhibit significant neurodegeneration or gliosis but revealed decreased striatal DARPP-32 as well as subtle but regional-specific changes in brain volumes and cortical thickness that parallel those in HD patients. Ultrastructural analyses of the striatum showed reduced synapse density, increased postsynaptic density thickness and increased synaptic cleft width. Acute slice electrophysiology showed alterations in spontaneous AMPA receptor-mediated postsynaptic currents, evoked NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents, and elevated extrasynaptic NMDA currents. Diet influenced cortical thickness, but did not impact somatic CAG expansion, nor did it show any significant interaction with genotype on immunohistochemical, brain volume or cortical thickness measures. Conclusions: These data show that a single HttQ111 allele is sufficient to elicit brain region-specific morphological changes and early neuronal dysfunction, highlighting an insidious disease process already apparent in the first few months of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Kovalenko
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Austen Milnerwood
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - James Giordano
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jason St Claire
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jolene R Guide
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mary Stromberg
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tammy Gillis
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcy E MacDonald
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey B Carroll
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Lynn Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Vanessa C Wheeler
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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32
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Sex-dependent impaired locomotion and motor coordination in the HdhQ200/200 mouse model of Huntington's Disease. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 132:104607. [PMID: 31499139 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by severe loss of medium spiny neuron (MSN) function and striatal-dependent behaviors. We report that female HdhQ200/200 mice display an earlier onset and more robust deterioration in spontaneous locomotion and motor coordination measured at 8 months of age compared to male HdhQ200/200 mice. Remarkably, HdhQ200/200 mice of both sexes exhibit comparable impaired spontaneous locomotion and motor coordination at 10 months of age and reach moribund stage by 12 months of age, demonstrating reduced life span in this model system. Histopathological analysis revealed enhanced mutant huntingtin protein aggregation in male HdhQ200/200 striatal tissue at 8 months of age compared to female HdhQ200/200. Functional analysis of calcium dynamics in MSNs of female HdhQ200/200 mice using GCaMP6m imaging revealed elevated responses to excitatory cortical-striatal stimulation suggesting increased MSN excitability. Although there was no down-regulation of the expression of common HD biomarkers (DARPP-32, enkephalin and CB1R), we measured a sex-dependent reduction of the astrocytic glutamate transporter, GLT-1, in female HdhQ200/200 mice that was not detected in male HdhQ200/200 mice when compared to respective wild-type littermates. Our study outlines a sex-dependent rapid deterioration of striatal-dependent behaviors occurring in the HdhQ200/200 mouse line that does not involve alterations in the expression of common HD biomarkers and yet includes impaired MSN function.
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33
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Koch ET, Raymond LA. Dysfunctional striatal dopamine signaling in Huntington's disease. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1636-1654. [PMID: 31304622 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine signaling in the striatum is critical for a variety of behaviors including movement, behavioral flexibility, response to reward and many forms of learning. Alterations to dopamine transmission contribute to pathological features of many neurological diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD). HD is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene. The striatum is preferentially degenerated in HD, and this region receives dopaminergic input from the substantia nigra. Studies of HD patients and genetic rodent models have shown changes to levels of dopamine and its receptors in the striatum, and alterations in dopamine receptor signaling and modulation of other neurotransmitters, notably glutamate. Throughout his career, Dr. Michael Levine's research has furthered our understanding of dopamine signaling in the striatum of healthy rodents and HD mouse models. This review will focus on the work of his group and others in elucidating alterations to striatal dopamine signaling that contribute to pathophysiology in HD mouse models, and how these findings relate to human HD studies. We will also discuss current and potential therapeutic interventions for HD that target the dopamine system, and future research directions for this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen T Koch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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34
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Zeitler B, Froelich S, Marlen K, Shivak DA, Yu Q, Li D, Pearl JR, Miller JC, Zhang L, Paschon DE, Hinkley SJ, Ankoudinova I, Lam S, Guschin D, Kopan L, Cherone JM, Nguyen HOB, Qiao G, Ataei Y, Mendel MC, Amora R, Surosky R, Laganiere J, Vu BJ, Narayanan A, Sedaghat Y, Tillack K, Thiede C, Gärtner A, Kwak S, Bard J, Mrzljak L, Park L, Heikkinen T, Lehtimäki KK, Svedberg MM, Häggkvist J, Tari L, Tóth M, Varrone A, Halldin C, Kudwa AE, Ramboz S, Day M, Kondapalli J, Surmeier DJ, Urnov FD, Gregory PD, Rebar EJ, Muñoz-Sanjuán I, Zhang HS. Allele-selective transcriptional repression of mutant HTT for the treatment of Huntington's disease. Nat Med 2019; 25:1131-1142. [PMID: 31263285 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0478-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion in the huntingtin gene (HTT), which codes for the pathologic mutant HTT (mHTT) protein. Since normal HTT is thought to be important for brain function, we engineered zinc finger protein transcription factors (ZFP-TFs) to target the pathogenic CAG repeat and selectively lower mHTT as a therapeutic strategy. Using patient-derived fibroblasts and neurons, we demonstrate that ZFP-TFs selectively repress >99% of HD-causing alleles over a wide dose range while preserving expression of >86% of normal alleles. Other CAG-containing genes are minimally affected, and virally delivered ZFP-TFs are active and well tolerated in HD neurons beyond 100 days in culture and for at least nine months in the mouse brain. Using three HD mouse models, we demonstrate improvements in a range of molecular, histopathological, electrophysiological and functional endpoints. Our findings support the continued development of an allele-selective ZFP-TF for the treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Qi Yu
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA
| | - Davis Li
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Lei Zhang
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Stephen Lam
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA
| | - Dmitry Guschin
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA.,Laboratory of Intracellular Signalling, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, Russian Federation
| | - Lexi Kopan
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Josee Laganiere
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA.,Medical Affairs and Innovation, Hema-Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - B Joseph Vu
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Seung Kwak
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Bard
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Larry Park
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Marie M Svedberg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jenny Häggkvist
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lenke Tari
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Miklós Tóth
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrea Varrone
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christer Halldin
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Michelle Day
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jyothisri Kondapalli
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - D James Surmeier
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Fyodor D Urnov
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA.,Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - H Steve Zhang
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Richmond, CA, USA.,Applied StemCell, Inc., Milpitas, CA, USA
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Smith‐Dijak AI, Sepers MD, Raymond LA. Alterations in synaptic function and plasticity in Huntington disease. J Neurochem 2019; 150:346-365. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy I. Smith‐Dijak
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience the University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health the University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Marja D. Sepers
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health the University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Lynn A. Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health the University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
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Holley SM, Galvan L, Kamdjou T, Dong A, Levine MS, Cepeda C. Major Contribution of Somatostatin-Expressing Interneurons and Cannabinoid Receptors to Increased GABA Synaptic Activity in the Striatum of Huntington's Disease Mice. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2019; 11:14. [PMID: 31139071 PMCID: PMC6527892 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2019.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a heritable neurological disorder that affects cognitive and motor performance in patients carrying the mutated huntingtin (HTT) gene. In mouse models of HD, previous reports showed a significant increase in spontaneous GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic activity in striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs). In this study, using optogenetics and slice electrophysiology, we examined the contribution of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic parvalbumin (PV)- and somatostatin (SOM)-expressing interneurons to the increase in GABA neurotransmission using the Q175 (heterozygote) mouse model of HD. Patch clamp recordings in voltage-clamp mode were performed on SPNs from brain slices of presymptomatic (2 months) and symptomatic (8 and 12 months) Q175 mice and wildtype (WT) littermates. While inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) evoked in SPNs following optical activation of PV- and SOM-expressing interneurons differed in amplitude, no genotype-dependent differences were observed at all ages from both interneuron types; however, responses evoked by either type were found to have faster kinetics in symptomatic mice. Since SOM-expressing interneurons are constitutively active in striatal brain slices, we then examined the effects of acutely silencing these neurons in symptomatic mice with enhanced Natronomonas pharaonis halorhodopsin (eNpHR). Optically silencing SOM-expressing interneurons resulted in a greater decrease in the frequency of spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs) in a subset of SPNs from Q175 mice compared to WTs, suggesting that SOM-expressing interneurons are the main contributors to the overall increased GABA synaptic activity in HD SPNs. Additionally, the effects of activating GABAB and cannabinoid (CB1) receptors were investigated to determine whether these receptors were involved in modulating interneuron-specific GABA synaptic transmission and if this modulation differed in HD mice. When selectively activating PV- and SOM-expressing interneurons in the presence of the CB1 receptor agonist WIN-55,212, the magnitudes of the evoked IPSCs in SPNs decreased for both interneuron types although this change was less prominent in symptomatic Q175 SPNs during SOM-expressing interneuron activation. Overall, these findings show that dysfunction of SOM-expressing interneurons contributes to the increased GABA synaptic activity found in HD mouse models and that dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system may contribute to this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M Holley
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Laurie Galvan
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Talia Kamdjou
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Ashley Dong
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michael S Levine
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Carrillo-Reid L, Day M, Xie Z, Melendez AE, Kondapalli J, Plotkin JL, Wokosin DL, Chen Y, Kress GJ, Kaplitt M, Ilijic E, Guzman JN, Chan CS, Surmeier DJ. Mutant huntingtin enhances activation of dendritic Kv4 K + channels in striatal spiny projection neurons. eLife 2019; 8:e40818. [PMID: 31017573 PMCID: PMC6481990 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is initially characterized by an inability to suppress unwanted movements, a deficit attributable to impaired synaptic activation of striatal indirect pathway spiny projection neurons (iSPNs). To better understand the mechanisms underlying this deficit, striatal neurons in ex vivo brain slices from mouse genetic models of HD were studied using electrophysiological, optical and biochemical approaches. Distal dendrites of iSPNs from symptomatic HD mice were hypoexcitable, a change that was attributable to increased association of dendritic Kv4 potassium channels with auxiliary KChIP subunits. This association was negatively modulated by TrkB receptor signaling. Dendritic excitability of HD iSPNs was rescued by knocking-down expression of Kv4 channels, by disrupting KChIP binding, by restoring TrkB receptor signaling or by lowering mutant-Htt (mHtt) levels with a zinc finger protein. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that mHtt induces reversible alterations in the dendritic excitability of iSPNs that could contribute to the motor symptoms of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Carrillo-Reid
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Neurobiology InstituteNational Autonomous University of MexicoQueretaroMexico
| | - Michelle Day
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Zhong Xie
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Alexandria E Melendez
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Jyothisri Kondapalli
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Joshua L Plotkin
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
- Department of Neurobiology & BehaviorStony Brook University School of MedicineStony BrookUnited States
| | - David L Wokosin
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Geraldine J Kress
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
- Department of NeurologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Michael Kaplitt
- Department of Neurological SurgeryWeill Cornell Medical CollegeNew YorkUnited States
| | - Ema Ilijic
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Jaime N Guzman
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - C Savio Chan
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - D James Surmeier
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
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Holley SM, Galvan L, Kamdjou T, Cepeda C, Levine MS. Striatal GABAergic interneuron dysfunction in the Q175 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 49:79-93. [PMID: 30472747 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The pathological hallmark of Huntington's disease (HD) is the massive loss of striatal and cortical neurons. Until recently, it was believed that striatal interneurons were spared from degeneration. This view has changed after the demonstration that parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons also are vulnerable in humans. Here we compared morphological and functional changes of striatal fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) and low-threshold spiking (LTS) interneurons in the Q175 mouse model of HD at presymptomatic (2 months) and symptomatic (12 months) stages of the disease. Electrophysiological intrinsic and synaptic properties of FSIs were significantly altered in symptomatic mice compared to wild-type (WT) littermates. Overall, FSIs became more excitable with disease progression. Sholl analysis also revealed a significant loss of dendritic complexity and excitatory synaptic inputs. The basic membrane and synaptic properties of LTS interneurons were similar in Q175 and WT mice regardless of disease stage. The resilience of LTS interneurons could be related to their sparsity of excitatory synaptic inputs compared with FSIs. However, in symptomatic mice, a subpopulation of LTS interneurons displayed an increase in action potential firing within oscillating bursts. Thus, we conclude that while both FSI and LTS interneurons demonstrate increases in excitability, the HD mutation differentially affects their membrane and synaptic properties as well as their ability to respond to compensatory challenges presented during the late stage of the disease. Alterations in GABAergic interneuron intrinsic activity and responsiveness to incoming signals may significantly affect SPN output thus contributing to abnormal motor movements in patients afflicted with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M Holley
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Laurie Galvan
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Talia Kamdjou
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael S Levine
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
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Padovan-Neto FE, Jurkowski L, Murray C, Stutzmann GE, Kwan M, Ghavami A, Beaumont V, Park LC, West AR. Age- and sex-related changes in cortical and striatal nitric oxide synthase in the Q175 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Nitric Oxide 2018; 83:40-50. [PMID: 30528913 DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In Huntington's disease (HD), corticostriatal and striatopallidal projection neurons preferentially degenerate as a result of mutant huntingtin expression. Pathological deficits in nitric oxide (NO) signaling have also been reported in corticostriatal circuits in HD, however, the impact of age and sex on nitrergic transmission is not well characterized. Thus, we utilized NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry and qPCR assays to assess neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) activity/expression in aged male and female Q175 heterozygous mice. Compared to age-matched controls, male Q175 mice exhibited reductions in NADPH-d staining in the motor cortex at 21, but not, 16 months of age. Comparisons across genotypes showed that striatal NADPH-d staining was significantly decreased at both 16 and 21 months of age. Comparisons within sexes in 21 month old mice revealed a decrease in striatal NADPH-d staining in males, but no changes were detected in females. Significant correlations between cortical and striatal NADPH-d staining deficits were also observed in males and females at both ages. To directly assess the role of constitutively active NOS isoforms in these changes, nNOS and endothelial NOS (eNOS) mRNA expression levels were examined in R6/2 (3 month old) and Q175 (11.5 month old) mice using qPCR assays. nNOS transcript expression was decreased in the cortex (40%) and striatum (54%) in R6/2 mice. nNOS mRNA down-regulation in striatum of Q175 animals was more modest (19%), and no changes were detected in cortex. eNOS expression was not changed in the cortex or striatum of Q175 mice. The current findings point to age-dependent deficits in nNOS activity in the HD cortex and striatum which appear first in the striatum and are more pronounced in males. Together, these observations and previous studies indicate that decreases in nitrergic transmission progress with age and are likely to contribute to corticostriatal circuit pathophysiology particularly in male patients with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando E Padovan-Neto
- Department of Neuroscience, The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Lauren Jurkowski
- Department of Neuroscience, The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Conor Murray
- Department of Neuroscience, The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Grace E Stutzmann
- Department of Neuroscience, The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mei Kwan
- PsychoGenics Inc., Paramus, NJ, USA
| | | | | | - Larry C Park
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anthony R West
- Department of Neuroscience, The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
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Yu C, Li CH, Chen S, Yoo H, Qin X, Park H. Decreased BDNF Release in Cortical Neurons of a Knock-in Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16976. [PMID: 30451892 PMCID: PMC6242964 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34883-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an increase in CAG repeats in the Huntingtin gene (HTT). The striatum is one of the most vulnerable brain regions in HD, and altered delivery of BDNF to the striatum is believed to underlie this high vulnerability. However, the delivery of BDNF to the striatum in HD remains poorly understood. Here, we used real-time imaging to visualize release of BDNF from cortical neurons cultured alone or co-cultured with striatal neurons. BDNF release was significantly decreased in the cortical neurons of zQ175 mice (a knock-in model of HD), and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy revealed several release patterns of single BDNF-containing vesicles, with distinct kinetics and prevalence, in co-cultured cortical HD neurons. Notably, a smaller proportion of single BDNF-containing vesicles underwent full release in HD neurons than in wild-type neurons. This decreased release of BDNF in cortical neurons might lead to decreased BDNF levels in the striatum because the striatum receives BDNF mainly from the cortex. In addition, we observed a decrease in the total travel length and speed of BDNF-containing vesicles in HD neurons, indicating altered transport of these vesicles in HD. Our findings suggest a potential mechanism for the vulnerability of striatal neurons in HD and offer new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the degeneration of neurons in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Yu
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chun Hei Li
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sidong Chen
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hanna Yoo
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xianan Qin
- Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hyokeun Park
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. .,Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
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Estrada-Sánchez AM, Castro D, Portillo-Ortiz K, Jang K, Nedjat-Haiem M, Levine MS, Cepeda C. Complete but not partial inhibition of glutamate transporters exacerbates cortical excitability in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018; 25:509-518. [PMID: 30311425 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Deficient glutamate reuptake occurs in the cerebral cortex of Huntington's disease (HD) patients and murine models. Here, we examine the effects of partial or complete blockade of glutamate transporters on excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) of cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs). METHODS Whole-cell patch clamp recordings of CPNs in slices from symptomatic R6/2 mice and wild-type (WT) littermates were used to examine the effects of selective or concurrent inhibition of glutamate reuptake transporters. RESULTS Selective inhibition of the glial glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) or the glutamate aspartate transporter (GLAST) produced slight decreases in decay time of evoked EPSCs in CPNs from WT and R6/2 mice with no significant differences between genotypes. In contrast, concurrent inhibition of both transporters with DL-TBOA induced a significant increase in area and decay time and this effect was significantly greater in R6/2 CPNs. Furthermore, full blockade also reduced spontaneous EPSC frequency and exacerbated epileptiform activity in CPNs from symptomatic R6/2 mice. CONCLUSIONS R6/2 CPNs are more sensitive to glutamate accumulation during full inhibition of both glutamate transporters, and these neurons have homeostatic mechanisms to cope with inhibition of GLT-1 or GLAST by a mechanism that involves upregulation of either transporter when the other is deficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana María Estrada-Sánchez
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Daniel Castro
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Kenia Portillo-Ortiz
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Katrina Jang
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael Nedjat-Haiem
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael S Levine
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Goodliffe JW, Song H, Rubakovic A, Chang W, Medalla M, Weaver CM, Luebke JI. Differential changes to D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons in the 12-month-old Q175+/- mouse model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200626. [PMID: 30118496 PMCID: PMC6097649 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by deleterious expansion of CAG repeats in the Huntingtin gene and production of neurotoxic mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT). The key pathological feature of HD is a profound degeneration of the striatum and a loss of cortical volume. The initial loss of indirect pathway (D2) medium spiny neuron (MSN) projections in early stages of HD, followed by a loss of direct pathway (D1) projections in advanced stages has important implications for the trajectory of motor and cognitive dysfunction in HD, but is not yet understood. Mouse models of HD have yielded important information on the effects and mechanisms of mHTT toxicity; however, whether these models recapitulate differential vulnerability of D1 vs. D2 MSNs is unknown. Here, we employed 12-month-old Q175+/- x D2-eGFP mice to examine the detailed structural and functional properties of D1 vs. D2 MSNs. While both D1 and D2 MSNs exhibited increased input resistance, depolarized resting membrane potentials and action potential threshold, only D1 MSNs showed reduced rheobase, action potential amplitude and frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents. Furthermore, D1 but not D2 MSNs showed marked proliferative changes to their dendritic arbors and reductions in spine density. Immunohistochemical assessment showed no loss of glutamatergic afferent inputs from cortical and subcortical sources onto identified D1 and D2 MSNs. Computational models constrained by empirical data predict that the increased dendritic complexity in Q175+/- D1 MSNs likely leads to greater dendritic filtering and attenuation of signals propagating to the soma from the dendrites. Together these findings reveal that, by twelve months, D1 and D2 MSNs exhibit distinctive responses to the presence of mHTT in this important mouse model of HD. This further highlights the need to incorporate findings from D1 and D2 MSNs independently in the context of HD models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Goodliffe
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hanbing Song
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
| | - Anastasia Rubakovic
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Wayne Chang
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Maria Medalla
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Christina M. Weaver
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
| | - Jennifer I. Luebke
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
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Repeated Neck Restraint Stress Bidirectionally Modulates Excitatory Transmission in the Dentate Gyrus and Performance in a Hippocampus-dependent Memory Task. Neuroscience 2018; 379:32-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Reiner A, Deng Y. Disrupted striatal neuron inputs and outputs in Huntington's disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018; 24:250-280. [PMID: 29582587 PMCID: PMC5875736 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the gene coding for the protein huntingtin, resulting in a pathogenic expansion of the polyglutamine tract in the N-terminus of this protein. The HD pathology resulting from the mutation is most prominent in the striatal part of the basal ganglia, and progressive differential dysfunction and loss of striatal projection neurons and interneurons account for the progression of motor deficits seen in this disease. The present review summarizes current understanding regarding the progression in striatal neuron dysfunction and loss, based on studies both in human HD victims and in genetic mouse models of HD. We review evidence on early loss of inputs to striatum from cortex and thalamus, which may be the basis of the mild premanifest bradykinesia in HD, as well as on the subsequent loss of indirect pathway striatal projection neurons and their outputs to the external pallidal segment, which appears to be the basis of the chorea seen in early symptomatic HD. Later loss of direct pathway striatal projection neurons and their output to the internal pallidal segment account for the severe akinesia seen late in HD. Loss of parvalbuminergic striatal interneurons may contribute to the late dystonia and rigidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Reiner
- Department of Anatomy & NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
- Department of OphthalmologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
| | - Yun‐Ping Deng
- Department of Anatomy & NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
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André EM, Daviaud N, Sindji L, Cayon J, Perrot R, Montero-Menei CN. A novel ex vivo Huntington's disease model for studying GABAergic neurons and cell grafts by laser microdissection. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193409. [PMID: 29505597 PMCID: PMC5837106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Organotypic brain slice cultures have been recently used to study neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease (HD). They preserve brain three-dimensional architecture, synaptic connectivity and brain cells microenvironment. Here, we developed an innovative model of Huntington’s disease from coronal rat brain slices, that include all the areas involved in the pathology. HD-like neurodegeneration was obtained in only one week, in a single step, during organotypic slice preparation, without the use of neurotoxins. HD-like histopathology was analysed and after one week, a reduction of 40% of medium spiny neurons was observed. To analyse new therapeutic approaches in this innovative HD model, we developed a novel protocol of laser microdissection to isolate and analyse by RT-qPCR, grafted cells as well as surrounding tissue of fresh organotypic slices. We determined that laser microdissection could be performed on a 400μm organotypic slice after alcohol dehydration protocol, allowing the analysis of mRNA expression in the rat tissue as well as in grafted cells. In conclusion, we developed a new approach for modeling Huntington's disease ex vivo, and provided a useful innovative method for screening new potential therapies for neurodegenerative diseases especially when associated with laser microdissection.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. M. André
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Université d’Angers, Angers, France
| | - N. Daviaud
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Université d’Angers, Angers, France
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - L. Sindji
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Université d’Angers, Angers, France
| | - J. Cayon
- PACEM, Angers University, Angers, France
| | - R. Perrot
- SCIAM, Angers University, Angers, France
| | - C. N. Montero-Menei
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Université d’Angers, Angers, France
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Electrophysiological and cell imaging techniques are powerful tools for understanding alterations in neuronal activity in Huntington's disease (HD), a fatal neurological disorder caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in the HTT gene. Changes in neuronal activity often precede the behavioral manifestations of HD, therefore, understanding the electrophysiology of HD is critical for identifying potential prodromal markers and therapeutic targets. This chapter outlines the basic methodology behind four major electrophysiological and imaging techniques used in HD mouse models: patch clamp recordings, optogenetics, in vivo electrophysiology, and Ca2+ imaging, as well as some of the advancements in HD research using each of these techniques.
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Rangel-Barajas C, Rebec GV. Dysregulation of Corticostriatal Connectivity in Huntington's Disease: A Role for Dopamine Modulation. J Huntingtons Dis 2017; 5:303-331. [PMID: 27983564 PMCID: PMC5181679 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-160221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant communication between striatum, the main information processing unit of the basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex plays a critical role in the emergence of Huntington’s disease (HD), a fatal monogenetic condition that typically strikes in the prime of life. Although both striatum and cortex undergo substantial cell loss over the course of HD, corticostriatal circuits become dysfunctional long before neurons die. Understanding the dysfunction is key to developing effective strategies for treating a progressively worsening triad of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Cortical output neurons drive striatal activity through the release of glutamate, an excitatory amino acid. Striatal outputs, in turn, release γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) and exert inhibitory control over downstream basal ganglia targets. Ample evidence from transgenic rodent models points to dysregulation of corticostriatal glutamate transmission along with corresponding changes in striatal GABA release as underlying factors in the HD behavioral phenotype. Another contributor is dysregulation of dopamine (DA), a modulator of both glutamate and GABA transmission. In fact, pharmacological manipulation of DA is the only currently available treatment for HD symptoms. Here, we review data from animal models and human patients to evaluate the role of DA in HD, including DA interactions with glutamate and GABA within the context of dysfunctional corticostriatal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - George V. Rebec
- Correspondence to: George V. Rebec, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Program in
Neuroscience, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-7007, USA. Tel.: +1 812 855 4832;
Fax: +1 812 855 4520; E-mail:
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Parievsky A, Moore C, Kamdjou T, Cepeda C, Meshul CK, Levine MS. Differential electrophysiological and morphological alterations of thalamostriatal and corticostriatal projections in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 108:29-44. [PMID: 28757327 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal genetic disorder characterized by cell death of medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum, traditionally attributed to excessive glutamate inputs and/or receptor sensitivity. While changes in corticostriatal projections have typically been studied in mouse models of HD, morphological and functional alterations in thalamostriatal projections have received less attention. In this study, an adeno-associated virus expressing channelrhodopsin-2 under the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα promoter was injected into the sensorimotor cortex or the thalamic centromedian-parafascicular nuclear complex in the R6/2 mouse model of HD, to permit selective activation of corticostriatal or thalamostriatal projections, respectively. In symptomatic R6/2 mice, peak amplitudes and areas of corticostriatal glutamate AMPA and NMDA receptor-mediated responses were reduced. In contrast, although peak amplitudes of AMPA and NMDA receptor-mediated thalamostriatal responses also were reduced, the areas remained unchanged due to an increase in response decay times. Blockade of glutamate reuptake further increased response areas and slowed rise and decay times of NMDA responses. These effects appeared more pronounced at thalamostriatal synapses of R6/2 mice, suggesting increased activation of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors. In addition, the probability of glutamate release was higher at thalamostriatal than corticostriatal synapses, particularly in R6/2 mice. Morphological studies indicated that the density of all excitatory synaptic contacts onto MSNs was reduced, which matches the basic electrophysiological findings of reduced amplitudes. There was a consistent reduction in the area of spines but little change in presynaptic terminal size, indicating that the postsynaptic spine may be more significantly affected than presynaptic terminals. These results highlight the significant and differential contribution of the thalamostriatal projection to glutamate excitotoxicity in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Parievsky
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Cindy Moore
- Research Services, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Talia Kamdjou
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Charles K Meshul
- Research Services, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Michael S Levine
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Khakh BS, Beaumont V, Cachope R, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Goldman SA, Grantyn R. Unravelling and Exploiting Astrocyte Dysfunction in Huntington's Disease. Trends Neurosci 2017; 40:422-437. [PMID: 28578789 PMCID: PMC5706770 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are abundant within mature neural circuits and are involved in brain disorders. Here, we summarize our current understanding of astrocytes and Huntington's disease (HD), with a focus on correlative and causative dysfunctions of ion homeostasis, calcium signaling, and neurotransmitter clearance, as well as on the use of transplanted astrocytes to produce therapeutic benefit in mouse models of HD. Overall, the data suggest that astrocyte dysfunction is an important contributor to the onset and progression of some HD symptoms in mice. Additional exploration of astrocytes in HD mouse models and humans is needed and may provide new therapeutic opportunities to explore in conjunction with neuronal rescue and repair strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA.
| | - Vahri Beaumont
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | | | - Steven A Goldman
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Rosemarie Grantyn
- Exzellenzcluster NeuroCure & Abt. Experimentelle Neurologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Robert-Koch-Platz 4, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
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Ma Q, Yang J, Milner TA, Vonsattel JPG, Palko ME, Tessarollo L, Hempstead BL. SorCS2-mediated NR2A trafficking regulates motor deficits in Huntington's disease. JCI Insight 2017; 2:88995. [PMID: 28469074 PMCID: PMC5414556 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.88995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor dysfunction is a prominent and disabling feature of Huntington's disease (HD), but the molecular mechanisms that dictate its onset and progression are unknown. The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2A (NR2A) subunit regulates motor skill development and synaptic plasticity in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the striatum, cells that are most severely impacted by HD. Here, we document reduced NR2A receptor subunits on the dendritic membranes and at the synapses of MSNs in zQ175 mice that model HD. We identify that SorCS2, a vacuolar protein sorting 10 protein-domain (VPS10P-domain) receptor, interacts with VPS35, a core component of retromer, thereby regulating surface trafficking of NR2A in MSNs. In the zQ175 striatum, SorCS2 is markedly decreased in an age- and allele-dependent manner. Notably, SorCS2 selectively interacts with mutant huntingtin (mtHTT), but not WT huntingtin (wtHTT), and is mislocalized to perinuclear clusters in striatal neurons of human HD patients and zQ175 mice. Genetic deficiency of SorCS2 accelerates the onset and exacerbates the motor coordination deficit of zQ175 mice. Together, our results identify SorCS2 as an interacting protein of mtHTT and demonstrate that impaired SorCS2-mediated NR2A subunit trafficking to dendritic surface of MSNs is, to our knowledge, a novel mechanism contributing to motor coordination deficits of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Ma
- Graduate Program of Neuroscience
| | - Jianmin Yang
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Teresa A. Milner
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jean-Paul G. Vonsattel
- The New York Brain Bank/Taub Institute Columbia University, Children’s Hospital, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mary Ellen Palko
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Lino Tessarollo
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Barbara L. Hempstead
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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