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Sullivan JM, Bagnell AM, Alevy J, Avila EM, Mihaljević L, Saavedra-Rivera PC, Kong L, Huh JS, McCray BA, Aisenberg WH, Zuberi AR, Bogdanik L, Lutz CM, Qiu Z, Quinlan KA, Searson PC, Sumner CJ. Gain-of-function mutations of TRPV4 acting in endothelial cells drive blood-CNS barrier breakdown and motor neuron degeneration in mice. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadk1358. [PMID: 38776392 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk1358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Blood-CNS barrier disruption is a hallmark of numerous neurological disorders, yet whether barrier breakdown is sufficient to trigger neurodegenerative disease remains unresolved. Therapeutic strategies to mitigate barrier hyperpermeability are also limited. Dominant missense mutations of the cation channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) cause forms of hereditary motor neuron disease. To gain insights into the cellular basis of these disorders, we generated knock-in mouse models of TRPV4 channelopathy by introducing two disease-causing mutations (R269C and R232C) into the endogenous mouse Trpv4 gene. TRPV4 mutant mice exhibited weakness, early lethality, and regional motor neuron loss. Genetic deletion of the mutant Trpv4 allele from endothelial cells (but not neurons, glia, or muscle) rescued these phenotypes. Symptomatic mutant mice exhibited focal disruptions of blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) integrity, associated with a gain of function of mutant TRPV4 channel activity in neural vascular endothelial cells (NVECs) and alterations of NVEC tight junction structure. Systemic administration of a TRPV4-specific antagonist abrogated channel-mediated BSCB impairments and provided a marked phenotypic rescue of symptomatic mutant mice. Together, our findings show that mutant TRPV4 channels can drive motor neuron degeneration in a non-cell autonomous manner by precipitating focal breakdown of the BSCB. Further, these data highlight the reversibility of TRPV4-mediated BSCB impairments and identify a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with TRPV4 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Sullivan
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Anna M Bagnell
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jonathan Alevy
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Elvia Mena Avila
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Ljubica Mihaljević
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | - Lingling Kong
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jennifer S Huh
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Brett A McCray
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - William H Aisenberg
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | | | | | - Zhaozhu Qiu
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Katharina A Quinlan
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Peter C Searson
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Charlotte J Sumner
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Cahalan SD, Perkins JD, Boehm I, Jones RA, Gillingwater TH, Piercy RJ. A method to identify, dissect and stain equine neuromuscular junctions for morphological analysis. J Anat 2022; 241:1133-1147. [PMID: 36087283 PMCID: PMC9558161 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphological study of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), a specialised peripheral synapse formed between a lower motor neuron and skeletal muscle fibre, has significantly contributed to the understanding of synaptic biology and neuromuscular disease pathogenesis. Rodent NMJs are readily accessible, and research into conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT), and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has relied heavily on experimental work in these small mammals. However, given that nerve length dependency is an important feature of many peripheral neuropathies, these rodent models have clear shortcomings; large animal models might be preferable, but their size presents novel anatomical challenges. Overcoming these constraints to study the NMJ morphology of large mammalian distal limb muscles is of prime importance to increase cross‐species translational neuromuscular research potential, particularly in the study of long motor units. In the past, NMJ phenotype analysis of large muscle bodies within the equine distal pelvic limb, such as the tibialis cranialis, or within muscles of high fibrous content, such as the soleus, has posed a distinct experimental hurdle. We optimised a technique for NMJ location and dissection from equine pelvic limb muscles. Using a quantification method validated in smaller species, we demonstrate their morphology and show that equine NMJs can be reliably dissected, stained and analysed. We reveal that the NMJs within the equine soleus have distinctly different morphologies when compared to the extensor digitorum longus and tibialis cranialis muscles. Overall, we demonstrate that equine distal pelvic limb muscles can be regionally dissected, with samples whole‐mounted and their innervation patterns visualised. These methods will allow the localisation and analysis of neuromuscular junctions within the muscle bodies of large mammals to identify neuroanatomical and neuropathological features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen D Cahalan
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | - Justin D Perkins
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | - Ines Boehm
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ross A Jones
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Thomas H Gillingwater
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Richard J Piercy
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
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Coppens S, Barnard AM, Puusepp S, Pajusalu S, Õunap K, Vargas-Franco D, Bruels CC, Donkervoort S, Pais L, Chao KR, Goodrich JK, England EM, Weisburd B, Ganesh VS, Gudmundsson S, O'Donnell-Luria A, Nigul M, Ilves P, Mohassel P, Siddique T, Milone M, Nicolau S, Maroofian R, Houlden H, Hanna MG, Quinlivan R, Beiraghi Toosi M, Ghayoor Karimiani E, Costagliola S, Deconinck N, Kadhim H, Macke E, Lanpher BC, Klee EW, Łusakowska A, Kostera-Pruszczyk A, Hahn A, Schrank B, Nishino I, Ogasawara M, El Sherif R, Stojkovic T, Nelson I, Bonne G, Cohen E, Boland-Augé A, Deleuze JF, Meng Y, Töpf A, Vilain C, Pacak CA, Rivera-Zengotita ML, Bönnemann CG, Straub V, Handford PA, Draper I, Walter GA, Kang PB. A form of muscular dystrophy associated with pathogenic variants in JAG2. Am J Hum Genet 2021; 108:840-856. [PMID: 33861953 PMCID: PMC8206160 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
JAG2 encodes the Notch ligand Jagged2. The conserved Notch signaling pathway contributes to the development and homeostasis of multiple tissues, including skeletal muscle. We studied an international cohort of 23 individuals with genetically unsolved muscular dystrophy from 13 unrelated families. Whole-exome sequencing identified rare homozygous or compound heterozygous JAG2 variants in all 13 families. The identified bi-allelic variants include 10 missense variants that disrupt highly conserved amino acids, a nonsense variant, two frameshift variants, an in-frame deletion, and a microdeletion encompassing JAG2. Onset of muscle weakness occurred from infancy to young adulthood. Serum creatine kinase (CK) levels were normal or mildly elevated. Muscle histology was primarily dystrophic. MRI of the lower extremities revealed a distinct, slightly asymmetric pattern of muscle involvement with cores of preserved and affected muscles in quadriceps and tibialis anterior, in some cases resembling patterns seen in POGLUT1-associated muscular dystrophy. Transcriptome analysis of muscle tissue from two participants suggested misregulation of genes involved in myogenesis, including PAX7. In complementary studies, Jag2 downregulation in murine myoblasts led to downregulation of multiple components of the Notch pathway, including Megf10. Investigations in Drosophila suggested an interaction between Serrate and Drpr, the fly orthologs of JAG1/JAG2 and MEGF10, respectively. In silico analysis predicted that many Jagged2 missense variants are associated with structural changes and protein misfolding. In summary, we describe a muscular dystrophy associated with pathogenic variants in JAG2 and evidence suggests a disease mechanism related to Notch pathway dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Coppens
- Center of Human Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alison M Barnard
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Sanna Puusepp
- Department of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu 50406, Estonia; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50406, Estonia
| | - Sander Pajusalu
- Department of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu 50406, Estonia; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50406, Estonia
| | - Katrin Õunap
- Department of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu 50406, Estonia; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50406, Estonia
| | - Dorianmarie Vargas-Franco
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Christine C Bruels
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Sandra Donkervoort
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lynn Pais
- Broad Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Katherine R Chao
- Broad Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Julia K Goodrich
- Broad Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Eleina M England
- Broad Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ben Weisburd
- Broad Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Vijay S Ganesh
- Broad Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sanna Gudmundsson
- Broad Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anne O'Donnell-Luria
- Broad Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mait Nigul
- Department of Radiology, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu 50406, Estonia
| | - Pilvi Ilves
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50406, Estonia; Department of Radiology, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu 50406, Estonia
| | - Payam Mohassel
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Teepu Siddique
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | | | - Stefan Nicolau
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Michael G Hanna
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ros Quinlivan
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Mehran Beiraghi Toosi
- Pediatric Neurology Department, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9176999311, Iran
| | - Ehsan Ghayoor Karimiani
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St. George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK; Innovative Medical Research Center, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad 9187147578, Iran
| | - Sabine Costagliola
- Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Moleculaire, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Deconinck
- Centre de Référence Neuromusculaire and Paediatric Neurology Department, Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1020 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hazim Kadhim
- Neuropathology Unit, Department of Anatomic Pathology and Reference Center for Neuromuscular Pathology, Brugmann University Hospital-Children's Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1020 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Erica Macke
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Brendan C Lanpher
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Eric W Klee
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Anna Łusakowska
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Andreas Hahn
- Department of Child Neurology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - Bertold Schrank
- Department of Neurology, DKD HELIOS Klinik Wiesbaden, 65191 Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Ichizo Nishino
- Department of Neuromuscular Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan
| | - Masashi Ogasawara
- Department of Neuromuscular Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan
| | - Rasha El Sherif
- Myo-Care Neuromuscular Center, Myo-Care National Foundation, Cairo 11865, Egypt
| | - Tanya Stojkovic
- APHP, Nord-Est/Ile-de-France Neuromuscular Reference Center, Myology Institute, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013 Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Isabelle Nelson
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Gisèle Bonne
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Enzo Cohen
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Center of Research in Myology, UMRS974, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Anne Boland-Augé
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, 91057 Evry, France
| | - Jean-François Deleuze
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, 91057 Evry, France
| | - Yao Meng
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Ana Töpf
- John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Catheline Vilain
- Center of Human Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christina A Pacak
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Paul and Sheila Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Carsten G Bönnemann
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Volker Straub
- John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Penny A Handford
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Isabelle Draper
- Molecular Cardiology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Glenn A Walter
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Peter B Kang
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Paul and Sheila Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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