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Halim DO, Krishnan G, Hass EP, Lee S, Verma M, Almeida S, Gu Y, Kwon DY, Fazzio TG, Gao FB. The exocyst subunit EXOC2 regulates the toxicity of expanded GGGGCC repeats in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114375. [PMID: 38935506 PMCID: PMC11299523 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
GGGGCC (G4C2) repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). How this genetic mutation leads to neurodegeneration remains largely unknown. Using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, we deleted EXOC2, which encodes an essential exocyst subunit, in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from C9ORF72-ALS/FTD patients. These cells are viable owing to the presence of truncated EXOC2, suggesting that exocyst function is partially maintained. Several disease-relevant cellular phenotypes in C9ORF72 iPSC-derived motor neurons are rescued due to, surprisingly, the decreased levels of dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins and expanded G4C2 repeats-containing RNA. The treatment of fully differentiated C9ORF72 neurons with EXOC2 antisense oligonucleotides also decreases expanded G4C2 repeats-containing RNA and partially rescued disease phenotypes. These results indicate that EXOC2 directly or indirectly regulates the level of G4C2 repeats-containing RNA, making it a potential therapeutic target in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilara O Halim
- Frontotemporal Dementia Research Center, RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gopinath Krishnan
- Frontotemporal Dementia Research Center, RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Evan P Hass
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Soojin Lee
- Frontotemporal Dementia Research Center, RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Mamta Verma
- Frontotemporal Dementia Research Center, RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sandra Almeida
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Yuanzheng Gu
- Neuromuscular & Muscle Disorders, Biogen, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Deborah Y Kwon
- Neuromuscular & Muscle Disorders, Biogen, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Thomas G Fazzio
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Frontotemporal Dementia Research Center, RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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2
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Yang C, Liu G, Chen X, Le W. Cerebellum in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases: an emerging research frontier. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e638. [PMID: 39006764 PMCID: PMC11245631 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is crucial for both motor and nonmotor functions. Alzheimer's disease (AD), alongside other dementias such as vascular dementia (VaD), Lewy body dementia (DLB), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), as well as other neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) like Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's disease (HD), and spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA), are characterized by specific and non-specific neurodegenerations in central nervous system. Previously, the cerebellum's significance in these conditions was underestimated. However, advancing research has elevated its profile as a critical node in disease pathology. We comprehensively review the existing evidence to elucidate the relationship between cerebellum and the aforementioned diseases. Our findings reveal a growing body of research unequivocally establishing a link between the cerebellum and AD, other forms of dementia, and other NDs, supported by clinical evidence, pathological and biochemical profiles, structural and functional neuroimaging data, and electrophysiological findings. By contrasting cerebellar observations with those from the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, we highlight the cerebellum's distinct role in the disease processes. Furthermore, we also explore the emerging therapeutic potential of targeting cerebellum for the treatment of these diseases. This review underscores the importance of the cerebellum in these diseases, offering new insights into the disease mechanisms and novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Yang
- Institute of Neurology Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital School of Medicine University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
| | - Guangdong Liu
- Institute of Neurology Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital School of Medicine University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
| | - Xi Chen
- Institute of Neurology Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital School of Medicine University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
| | - Weidong Le
- Institute of Neurology Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital School of Medicine University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
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3
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Amin A, Perera ND, Tomas D, Cuic B, Radwan M, Hatters DM, Turner BJ, Shabanpoor F. Systemic administration of a novel Beclin 1-derived peptide significantly upregulates autophagy in the spinal motor neurons of autophagy reporter mice. Int J Pharm 2024; 659:124198. [PMID: 38816263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Autophagy, an intracellular degradation system, plays a vital role in protecting cells by clearing damaged organelles, pathogens, and protein aggregates. Autophagy upregulation through pharmacological interventions has gained significant attention as a potential therapeutic avenue for proteinopathies. Here, we report the development of an autophagy-inducing peptide (BCN4) derived from the Beclin 1 protein, the master regulator of autophagy. To deliver the BCN4 into cells and the central nervous system (CNS), it was conjugated to our previously developed cell and blood-brain barrier-penetrating peptide (CPP). CPP-BCN4 significantly upregulated autophagy and reduced protein aggregates in motor neuron (MN)-like cells. Moreover, its systemic administration in a reporter mouse model of autophagy resulted in a significant increase in autophagy activity in the spinal MNs. Therefore, this novel autophagy-inducing peptide with a demonstrated ability to upregulate autophagy in the CNS has significant potential for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases with protein aggregates as a characteristic feature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azin Amin
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia
| | - Nirma D Perera
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia
| | - Doris Tomas
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia
| | - Brittany Cuic
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia
| | - Mona Radwan
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia
| | - Danny M Hatters
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia
| | - Bradley J Turner
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia
| | - Fazel Shabanpoor
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia; School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
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4
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Mubeen H, Masood A, Zafar A, Khan ZQ, Khan MQ, Nisa AU. Insights into AlphaFold's breakthrough in neurodegenerative diseases. Ir J Med Sci 2024:10.1007/s11845-024-03721-6. [PMID: 38833116 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-024-03721-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) are disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by impairment in neurons' functions, and complete loss, leading to memory loss, and difficulty in learning, language, and movement processes. The most common among these NDs are Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), although several other disorders also exist. These are frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral syndrome (ALS), Huntington's disease (HD), and others; the major pathological hallmark of NDs is the proteinopathies, either of amyloid-β (Aβ), tauopathies, or synucleinopathies. Aggregation of proteins that do not undergo normal configuration, either due to mutations or through some disturbance in cellular pathway contributes to the diseases. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep learning (DL) have proven to be successful in the diagnosis and treatment of various congenital diseases. DL approaches like AlphaFold (AF) are a major leap towards success in CNS disorders. This 3D protein geometry modeling algorithm developed by DeepMind has the potential to revolutionize biology. AF has the potential to predict 3D-protein confirmation at an accuracy level comparable to experimentally predicted one, with the additional advantage of precisely estimating protein interactions. This breakthrough will be beneficial to identify diseases' advancement and the disturbance of signaling pathways stimulating impaired functions of proteins. Though AlphaFold has solved a major problem in structural biology, it cannot predict membrane proteins-a beneficial approach for drug designing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hira Mubeen
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Ammara Masood
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Asma Zafar
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Zohaira Qayyum Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muneeza Qayyum Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Alim Un Nisa
- Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lahore, Pakistan
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5
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Milioto C, Carcolé M, Giblin A, Coneys R, Attrebi O, Ahmed M, Harris SS, Lee BI, Yang M, Ellingford RA, Nirujogi RS, Biggs D, Salomonsson S, Zanovello M, de Oliveira P, Katona E, Glaria I, Mikheenko A, Geary B, Udine E, Vaizoglu D, Anoar S, Jotangiya K, Crowley G, Smeeth DM, Adams ML, Niccoli T, Rademakers R, van Blitterswijk M, Devoy A, Hong S, Partridge L, Coyne AN, Fratta P, Alessi DR, Davies B, Busche MA, Greensmith L, Fisher EMC, Isaacs AM. PolyGR and polyPR knock-in mice reveal a conserved neuroprotective extracellular matrix signature in C9orf72 ALS/FTD neurons. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:643-655. [PMID: 38424324 PMCID: PMC11001582 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01589-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Dipeptide repeat proteins are a major pathogenic feature of C9orf72 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (C9ALS)/frontotemporal dementia (FTD) pathology, but their physiological impact has yet to be fully determined. Here we generated C9orf72 dipeptide repeat knock-in mouse models characterized by expression of 400 codon-optimized polyGR or polyPR repeats, and heterozygous C9orf72 reduction. (GR)400 and (PR)400 knock-in mice recapitulate key features of C9ALS/FTD, including cortical neuronal hyperexcitability, age-dependent spinal motor neuron loss and progressive motor dysfunction. Quantitative proteomics revealed an increase in extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in (GR)400 and (PR)400 spinal cord, with the collagen COL6A1 the most increased protein. TGF-β1 was one of the top predicted regulators of this ECM signature and polyGR expression in human induced pluripotent stem cell neurons was sufficient to induce TGF-β1 followed by COL6A1. Knockdown of TGF-β1 or COL6A1 orthologues in polyGR model Drosophila exacerbated neurodegeneration, while expression of TGF-β1 or COL6A1 in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons of patients with C9ALS/FTD protected against glutamate-induced cell death. Altogether, our findings reveal a neuroprotective and conserved ECM signature in C9ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Milioto
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mireia Carcolé
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Ashling Giblin
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rachel Coneys
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Olivia Attrebi
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mhoriam Ahmed
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Samuel S Harris
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Byung Il Lee
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mengke Yang
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Raja S Nirujogi
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Daniel Biggs
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sally Salomonsson
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Matteo Zanovello
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Paula de Oliveira
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Eszter Katona
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Idoia Glaria
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Research Support Service, Institute of Agrobiotechnology, CSIC-Government of Navarra, Mutilva, Spain
| | - Alla Mikheenko
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Bethany Geary
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Evan Udine
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Deniz Vaizoglu
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Sharifah Anoar
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Khrisha Jotangiya
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Gerard Crowley
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Demelza M Smeeth
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mirjam L Adams
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Teresa Niccoli
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rosa Rademakers
- VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Anny Devoy
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Soyon Hong
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Linda Partridge
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alyssa N Coyne
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Dario R Alessi
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Ben Davies
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Marc Aurel Busche
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Linda Greensmith
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
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6
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Ku J, Lee K, Ku D, Kim S, Lee J, Bang H, Kim N, Do H, Lee H, Lim C, Han J, Lee YS, Kim Y. Alternative polyadenylation determines the functional landscape of inverted Alu repeats. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1062-1077.e9. [PMID: 38309276 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Inverted Alu repeats (IRAlus) are abundantly found in the transcriptome, especially in introns and 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). Yet, the biological significance of IRAlus embedded in 3' UTRs remains largely unknown. Here, we find that 3' UTR IRAlus silences genes involved in essential signaling pathways. We utilize J2 antibody to directly capture and map the double-stranded RNA structure of 3' UTR IRAlus in the transcriptome. Bioinformatic analysis reveals alternative polyadenylation as a major axis of IRAlus-mediated gene regulation. Notably, the expression of mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), an inhibitor of p53, is upregulated by the exclusion of IRAlus during UTR shortening, which is exploited to silence p53 during tumorigenesis. Moreover, the transcriptome-wide UTR lengthening in neural progenitor cells results in the global downregulation of genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, via IRAlus inclusion. Our study establishes the functional landscape of 3' UTR IRAlus and its role in human pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayoung Ku
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Keonyong Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Doyeong Ku
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Sujin Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Jongbin Lee
- Research Center for Cellular Identity, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hyunwoo Bang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Korea
| | - Namwook Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hyunsu Do
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hyeonjung Lee
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Chunghun Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Jinju Han
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea; BioMedical Research Center, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Young-Suk Lee
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea; Graduate School of Engineering Biology, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
| | - Yoosik Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea; Graduate School of Engineering Biology, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea; KAIST Institute for BioCentury, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea; KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology (KIHST), KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea; BioProcess Engineering Research Center and BioInformatics Research Center, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
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7
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Uozumi R, Mori K, Gotoh S, Miyamoto T, Kondo S, Yamashita T, Kawabe Y, Tagami S, Akamine S, Ikeda M. PABPC1 mediates degradation of C9orf72-FTLD/ALS GGGGCC repeat RNA. iScience 2024; 27:109303. [PMID: 38444607 PMCID: PMC10914486 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109303] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion in C9orf72 causes frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Expanded GGGGCC repeat RNA accumulates within RNA foci and is translated into toxic dipeptide repeat proteins; thus, efficient repeat RNA degradation may alleviate diseases. hnRNPA3, one of the repeat RNA-binding proteins, has been implicated in the destabilization of repeat RNA. Using APEX2-mediated proximity biotinylation, here, we demonstrate PABPC1, a cytoplasmic poly (A)-binding protein, interacts with hnRNPA3. Knockdown of PABPC1 increased the accumulation of repeat RNA and RNA foci to the same extent as the knockdown of hnRNPA3. Proximity ligation assays indicated PABPC1-hnRNPA3 and PABPC1-RNA exosomes, a complex that degrades repeat RNA, preferentially co-localized when repeat RNA was present. Our results suggest that PABPC1 functions as a mediator of polyadenylated GGGGCC repeat RNA degradation through interactions with hnRNPA3 and RNA exosome complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Uozumi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kohji Mori
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shiho Gotoh
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tesshin Miyamoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shizuko Kondo
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoko Yamashita
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuya Kawabe
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Psychiatry, Minoh Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Minoh, Osaka 562-0004, Japan
| | - Shinji Tagami
- Psychiatry, Minoh Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Minoh, Osaka 562-0004, Japan
- Health and Counseling Center, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Shoshin Akamine
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Manabu Ikeda
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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8
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Morón-Oset J, Fischer LK, Carcolé M, Giblin A, Zhang P, Isaacs AM, Grönke S, Partridge L. Toxicity of C9orf72-associated dipeptide repeat peptides is modified by commonly used protein tags. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201739. [PMID: 37308278 PMCID: PMC10262077 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene are the most prevalent genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Transcripts of the expansions are translated into toxic dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins. Most preclinical studies in cell and animal models have used protein-tagged polyDPR constructs to investigate DPR toxicity but the effects of tags on DPR toxicity have not been systematically explored. Here, we used Drosophila to assess the influence of protein tags on DPR toxicity. Tagging of 36 but not 100 arginine-rich DPRs with mCherry increased toxicity, whereas adding mCherry or GFP to GA100 completely abolished toxicity. FLAG tagging also reduced GA100 toxicity but less than the longer fluorescent tags. Expression of untagged but not GFP- or mCherry-tagged GA100 caused DNA damage and increased p62 levels. Fluorescent tags also affected GA100 stability and degradation. In summary, protein tags affect DPR toxicity in a tag- and DPR-dependent manner, and GA toxicity might be underestimated in studies using tagged GA proteins. Thus, including untagged DPRs as controls is important when assessing DPR toxicity in preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mireia Carcolé
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Ashling Giblin
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Pingze Zhang
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | - Linda Partridge
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
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9
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Bagyinszky E, Hulme J, An SSA. Studies of Genetic and Proteomic Risk Factors of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Inspire Biomarker Development and Gene Therapy. Cells 2023; 12:1948. [PMID: 37566027 PMCID: PMC10417729 DOI: 10.3390/cells12151948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease affecting the upper and lower motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, motor impairments, disabilities and death. Approximately 5-10% of ALS cases are associated with positive family history (familial ALS or fALS), whilst the remainder are sporadic (sporadic ALS, sALS). At least 50 genes have been identified as causative or risk factors for ALS. Established pathogenic variants include superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1), chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (c9orf72), TAR DNA Binding Protein (TARDBP), and Fused In Sarcoma (FUS); additional ALS-related genes including Charged Multivesicular Body Protein 2B (CHMP2B), Senataxin (SETX), Sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), TANK Binding Kinase 1 (TBK1) and NIMA Related Kinase 1 (NEK1), have been identified. Mutations in these genes could impair different mechanisms, including vesicle transport, autophagy, and cytoskeletal or mitochondrial functions. So far, there is no effective therapy against ALS. Thus, early diagnosis and disease risk predictions remain one of the best options against ALS symptomologies. Proteomic biomarkers, microRNAs, and extracellular vehicles (EVs) serve as promising tools for disease diagnosis or progression assessment. These markers are relatively easy to obtain from blood or cerebrospinal fluids and can be used to identify potential genetic causative and risk factors even in the preclinical stage before symptoms appear. In addition, antisense oligonucleotides and RNA gene therapies have successfully been employed against other diseases, such as childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which could also give hope to ALS patients. Therefore, an effective gene and biomarker panel should be generated for potentially "at risk" individuals to provide timely interventions and better treatment outcomes for ALS patients as soon as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bagyinszky
- Graduate School of Environment Department of Industrial and Environmental Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea;
| | - John Hulme
- Graduate School of Environment Department of Industrial and Environmental Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea;
| | - Seong Soo A. An
- Department of Bionano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
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10
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Lee S, Jun YW, Linares GR, Butler B, Yuva-Adyemir Y, Moore J, Krishnan G, Ruiz-Juarez B, Santana M, Pons M, Silverman N, Weng Z, Ichida JK, Gao FB. Downregulation of Hsp90 and the antimicrobial peptide Mtk suppresses poly(GR)-induced neurotoxicity in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Neuron 2023; 111:1381-1390.e6. [PMID: 36931278 PMCID: PMC10264157 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
GGGGCC repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repeat RNAs can be translated into dipeptide repeat proteins, including poly(GR), whose mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. In an RNA-seq analysis of poly(GR) toxicity in Drosophila, we found that several antimicrobial peptide genes, such as metchnikowin (Mtk), and heat shock protein (Hsp) genes are activated. Mtk knockdown in the fly eye or in all neurons suppresses poly(GR) neurotoxicity. These findings suggest a cell-autonomous role of Mtk in neurodegeneration. Hsp90 knockdown partially rescues both poly(GR) toxicity in flies and neurodegeneration in C9ORF72 motor neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Topoisomerase II (TopoII) regulates poly(GR)-induced upregulation of Hsp90 and Mtk. TopoII knockdown also suppresses poly(GR) toxicity in Drosophila and improves survival of C9ORF72 iPSC-derived motor neurons. These results suggest potential novel therapeutic targets for C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soojin Lee
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Yong-Woo Jun
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gabriel R Linares
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brandon Butler
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yeliz Yuva-Adyemir
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jill Moore
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gopinath Krishnan
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Bryan Ruiz-Juarez
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Manuel Santana
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marine Pons
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Neal Silverman
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Justin K Ichida
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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11
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Van't Spijker HM, Almeida S. How villains are made: The translation of dipeptide repeat proteins in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Gene 2023; 858:147167. [PMID: 36621656 PMCID: PMC9928902 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic alteration associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These neurodegenerative diseases share genetic, clinical and pathological features. The mutation in C9ORF72 appears to drive pathogenesis through a combination of loss of C9ORF72 normal function and gain of toxic effects due to the repeat expansion, which result in aggregation prone expanded RNAs and dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins. Studies in cellular and animal models indicate that the DPR proteins are the more toxic species. Thus, a large body of research has focused on identifying the cellular pathways most directly impacted by these toxic proteins, with the goal of characterizing disease pathogenesis and nominating potential targets for therapeutic development. The preventative block of the production of the toxic proteins before they can cause harm is a second strategy of intense focus. Despite the considerable amount of effort dedicated to this prophylactic approach, it is still unclear how the DPR proteins are synthesized from RNAs harboring repeat expansions. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of the specific protein translation mechanisms shown to account for the synthesis of DPR proteins. We will then discuss how enhanced understanding of the composition of these toxic effectors could help in refining disease mechanisms, and paving the way to identify and design effective prophylactic therapies for C9ORF72 ALS-FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heleen M Van't Spijker
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sandra Almeida
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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12
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Mori K, Gotoh S, Uozumi R, Miyamoto T, Akamine S, Kawabe Y, Tagami S, Ikeda M. RNA Dysmetabolism and Repeat-Associated Non-AUG Translation in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis due to C9orf72 Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansion. JMA J 2023; 6:9-15. [PMID: 36793534 PMCID: PMC9908409 DOI: 10.31662/jmaj.2022-0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathological features of frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) due to C9orf72 GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion include early dipeptide repeats, repeat RNA foci, and subsequent TDP-43 pathologies. Since the discovery of the repeat expansion, extensive studies have elucidated the disease mechanism of how the repeat causes neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of abnormal repeat RNA metabolism and repeat-associated non-AUG translation in C9orf72 frontotemporal lobar degeneration/ALS. For repeat RNA metabolism, we specifically focus on the role of hnRNPA3, the repeat RNA-binding protein, and the EXOSC10/RNA exosome complex, an intracellular RNA-degrading enzyme. In addition, the mechanism of repeat-associated non-AUG translation inhibition via TMPyP4, a repeat RNA-binding compound, is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohji Mori
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Shiho Gotoh
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Ryota Uozumi
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Tesshin Miyamoto
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan,Seifukai Ibaraki Hospital, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shoshin Akamine
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Yuya Kawabe
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan,Minoh Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Minoh, Japan
| | - Shinji Tagami
- Minoh Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Minoh, Japan,Health and Counseling Center, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Manabu Ikeda
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
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13
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Mori K, Ikeda M. Biological basis and psychiatric symptoms in frontotemporal dementia. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 76:351-360. [PMID: 35557018 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by focal degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes, clinically presenting with disinhibited behavior, personality changes, progressive non-fluent aphasia and/or impaired semantic memory. Research progress has been made in re-organizing the clinical concept of frontotemporal dementia and neuropathological classification based on multiple accumulating proteins. Alongside this progress a list of genetic mutations or variants that are causative or increase the risk of frontotemporal dementia have been identified and some of these gene products are extensively studied. However, there are still a lot of points that need to be overcome, including lack of specific diagnostic biomarker which enable antemortem diagnosis of underlying neurodegenerative process, and lack of disease modifying therapy which could prevent disease progression. Early and precise diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia is urgently required. In this context, how to define prodromal frontotemporal dementia and early differential diagnosis from primary psychiatric disorders are also important issues. In this review we will summarize and discuss current understanding of biological basis and psychiatric symptoms in frontotemporal dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohji Mori
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Manabu Ikeda
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
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14
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Wilson KM, Katona E, Glaria I, Carcolé M, Swift IJ, Sogorb-Esteve A, Heller C, Bouzigues A, Heslegrave AJ, Keshavan A, Knowles K, Patil S, Mohapatra S, Liu Y, Goyal J, Sanchez-Valle R, Laforce RJ, Synofzik M, Rowe JB, Finger E, Vandenberghe R, Butler CR, Gerhard A, Van Swieten JC, Seelaar H, Borroni B, Galimberti D, de Mendonça A, Masellis M, Tartaglia MC, Otto M, Graff C, Ducharme S, Schott JM, Malaspina A, Zetterberg H, Boyanapalli R, Rohrer JD, Isaacs AM. Development of a sensitive trial-ready poly(GP) CSF biomarker assay for C9orf72-associated frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2022; 93:761-771. [PMID: 35379698 PMCID: PMC9279742 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2021-328710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A GGGGCC repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common cause of genetic frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As potential therapies targeting the repeat expansion are now entering clinical trials, sensitive biomarker assays of target engagement are urgently required. Our objective was to develop such an assay. METHODS We used the single molecule array (Simoa) platform to develop an immunoassay for measuring poly(GP) dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) generated by the C9orf72 repeat expansion in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of people with C9orf72-associated FTD/ALS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS We show the assay to be highly sensitive and robust, passing extensive qualification criteria including low intraplate and interplate variability, a high precision and accuracy in measuring both calibrators and samples, dilutional parallelism, tolerance to sample and standard freeze-thaw and no haemoglobin interference. We used this assay to measure poly(GP) in CSF samples collected through the Genetic FTD Initiative (N=40 C9orf72 and 15 controls). We found it had 100% specificity and 100% sensitivity and a large window for detecting target engagement, as the C9orf72 CSF sample with the lowest poly(GP) signal had eightfold higher signal than controls and on average values from C9orf72 samples were 38-fold higher than controls, which all fell below the lower limit of quantification of the assay. These data indicate that a Simoa-based poly(GP) DPR assay is suitable for use in clinical trials to determine target engagement of therapeutics aimed at reducing C9orf72 repeat-containing transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Wilson
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Eszter Katona
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Idoia Glaria
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mireia Carcolé
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Imogen J Swift
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Aitana Sogorb-Esteve
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Carolin Heller
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Arabella Bouzigues
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Amanda J Heslegrave
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Ashvini Keshavan
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Kathryn Knowles
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | | | - Yuanjing Liu
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaya Goyal
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Raquel Sanchez-Valle
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacións Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert Jr Laforce
- Clinique Interdisciplinaire de Mémoire, Département des Sciences Neurologiques, CHU de Québec, and Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Center of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Elizabeth Finger
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rik Vandenberghe
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Neurology Service, University Hospitals, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christopher R Butler
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alexander Gerhard
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Departments of Geriatric Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, University of Duisburg- Essen, University of Duisburg- Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Harro Seelaar
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Barbara Borroni
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Daniela Galimberti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Centro Dino Ferrari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Mario Masellis
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Carmela Tartaglia
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Sports Concussion Project, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Caroline Graff
- Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Bioclinicum, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Unit for Hereditary Dementias, Theme Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Simon Ducharme
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jonathan M Schott
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Andrea Malaspina
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Blizard Institute, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | | | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
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15
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Krishnan G, Raitcheva D, Bartlett D, Prudencio M, McKenna-Yasek DM, Douthwright C, Oskarsson BE, Ladha S, King OD, Barmada SJ, Miller TM, Bowser R, Watts JK, Petrucelli L, Brown RH, Kankel MW, Gao FB. Poly(GR) and poly(GA) in cerebrospinal fluid as potential biomarkers for C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2799. [PMID: 35589711 PMCID: PMC9119980 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30387-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9ORF72, which can be translated in both sense and antisense directions into five dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins, including poly(GP), poly(GR), and poly(GA), is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here we developed sensitive assays that can detect poly(GA) and poly(GR) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with C9ORF72 mutations. CSF poly(GA) and poly(GR) levels did not correlate with age at disease onset, disease duration, or rate of decline of ALS Functional Rating Scale, and the average levels of these DPR proteins were similar in symptomatic and pre-symptomatic patients with C9ORF72 mutations. However, in a patient with C9ORF72-ALS who was treated with antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting the aberrant C9ORF72 transcript, CSF poly(GA) and poly(GR) levels decreased approximately 50% within 6 weeks, indicating they may serve as sensitive fluid-based biomarkers in studies directed against the production of GGGGCC repeat RNAs or DPR proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gopinath Krishnan
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | | | - Daniel Bartlett
- Biomarkers, Clinical Sciences Biogen, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | | | - Diane M McKenna-Yasek
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Catherine Douthwright
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | | | - Shafeeq Ladha
- Departments of Neurology and Translational Neuroscience, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute, 350W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Oliver D King
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Sami J Barmada
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 4005 BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2200, USA
| | - Timothy M Miller
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MI, 63110, USA
| | - Robert Bowser
- Departments of Neurology and Translational Neuroscience, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute, 350W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Jonathan K Watts
- RNA Therapeutics Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | | | - Robert H Brown
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Mark W Kankel
- Neuromuscular & Movement Disorders, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
- Apple Tree Partners (ATP) Research Labs, Branford, CT, 06405, USA.
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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16
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Loveland AB, Svidritskiy E, Susorov D, Lee S, Park A, Zvornicanin S, Demo G, Gao FB, Korostelev AA. Ribosome inhibition by C9ORF72-ALS/FTD-associated poly-PR and poly-GR proteins revealed by cryo-EM. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2776. [PMID: 35589706 PMCID: PMC9120013 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30418-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxic dipeptide-repeat (DPR) proteins are produced from expanded G4C2 repeats in the C9ORF72 gene, the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Two DPR proteins, poly-PR and poly-GR, repress cellular translation but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that poly-PR and poly-GR of ≥20 repeats inhibit the ribosome's peptidyl-transferase activity at nanomolar concentrations, comparable to specific translation inhibitors. High-resolution cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) reveals that poly-PR and poly-GR block the polypeptide tunnel of the ribosome, extending into the peptidyl-transferase center (PTC). Consistent with these findings, the macrolide erythromycin, which binds in the tunnel, competes with poly-PR and restores peptidyl-transferase activity. Our results demonstrate that strong and specific binding of poly-PR and poly-GR in the ribosomal tunnel blocks translation, revealing the structural basis of their toxicity in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Loveland
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Egor Svidritskiy
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Denis Susorov
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Soojin Lee
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Alexander Park
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Sarah Zvornicanin
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Gabriel Demo
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
| | - Andrei A Korostelev
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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17
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Benussi A, Alberici A, Samra K, Russell LL, Greaves CV, Bocchetta M, Ducharme S, Finger E, Fumagalli G, Galimberti D, Jiskoot LC, Le Ber I, Masellis M, Nacmias B, Rowe JB, Sanchez-Valle R, Seelaar H, Synofzik M, Rohrer JD, Borroni B. Conceptual framework for the definition of preclinical and prodromal frontotemporal dementia. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 18:1408-1423. [PMID: 34874596 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The presymptomatic stages of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are still poorly defined and encompass a long accrual of progressive biological (preclinical) and then clinical (prodromal) changes, antedating the onset of dementia. The heterogeneity of clinical presentations and the different neuropathological phenotypes have prevented a prior clear description of either preclinical or prodromal FTD. Recent advances in therapeutic approaches, at least in monogenic disease, demand a proper definition of these predementia stages. It has become clear that a consensus lexicon is needed to comprehensively describe the stages that anticipate dementia. The goal of the present work is to review existing literature on the preclinical and prodromal phases of FTD, providing recommendations to address the unmet questions, therefore laying out a strategy for operationalizing and better characterizing these presymptomatic disease stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Benussi
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Neurology Unit, Department of Neurological and Vision Sciences, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonella Alberici
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neurological and Vision Sciences, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
| | - Kiran Samra
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Lucy L Russell
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Caroline V Greaves
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Martina Bocchetta
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute and Douglas Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.,McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Finger
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Giorgio Fumagalli
- Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Galimberti
- Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Lize C Jiskoot
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Isabelle Le Ber
- Paris Brain Institute - Institut du Cerveau - ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR, Paris, France.,Centre de référence des démences rares ou précoces, IM2A, Département de Neurologie, AP-HP - Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Département de Neurologie, AP-HP - Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Reference Network for Rare Neurological Diseases (ERN-RND), Paris, France
| | - Mario Masellis
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, and IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Raquel Sanchez-Valle
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacións Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Harro Seelaar
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Center of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Barbara Borroni
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Neurology Unit, Department of Neurological and Vision Sciences, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
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18
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Sharpe JL, Harper NS, Garner DR, West RJH. Modeling C9orf72-Related Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Drosophila. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:770937. [PMID: 34744635 PMCID: PMC8566814 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.770937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
An intronic hexanucleotide (GGGGCC) expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the decade following its discovery, much progress has been made in enhancing our understanding of how it precipitates disease. Both loss of function caused by reduced C9orf72 transcript levels, and gain of function mechanisms, triggered by the production of repetitive sense and antisense RNA and dipeptide repeat proteins, are thought to contribute to the toxicity. Drosophila models, with their unrivaled genetic tractability and short lifespan, have played a key role in developing our understanding of C9orf72-related FTD/ALS. There is no C9orf72 homolog in fly, and although this precludes investigations into loss of function toxicity, it is useful for elucidating mechanisms underpinning gain of function toxicity. To date there are a range of Drosophila C9orf72 models, encompassing different aspects of gain of function toxicity. In addition to pure repeat transgenes, which produce both repeat RNA and dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), RNA only models and DPR models have been generated to unpick the individual contributions of RNA and each dipeptide repeat protein to C9orf72 toxicity. In this review, we discuss how Drosophila models have shaped our understanding of C9orf72 gain of function toxicity, and address opportunities to utilize these models for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne L Sharpe
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nikki S Harper
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan R Garner
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan J H West
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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19
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Riemslagh FW, Verhagen RFM, van der Toorn EC, Smits DJ, Quint WH, van der Linde HC, van Ham TJ, Willemsen R. Reduction of oxidative stress suppresses poly-GR-mediated toxicity in zebrafish embryos. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:272601. [PMID: 34693978 PMCID: PMC8649169 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The hexanucleotide (G4C2)-repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene is the most common pathogenic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This repeat expansion can be translated into dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), and distribution of the poly-GR DPR correlates with neurodegeneration in postmortem C9FTD/ALS brains. Here, we assessed poly-GR toxicity in zebrafish embryos, using an annexin A5-based fluorescent transgenic line (secA5) that allows for detection and quantification of apoptosis in vivo. Microinjection of RNA encoding poly-GR into fertilized oocytes evoked apoptosis in the brain and abnormal motor neuron morphology in the trunk of 1-4-days postfertilization embryos. Poly-GR can be specifically detected in protein homogenates from injected zebrafish and in the frontal cortexes of C9FTD/ALS cases. Poly-GR expression further elevated MitoSOX levels in zebrafish embryos, indicating oxidative stress. Inhibition of reactive oxygen species using Trolox showed full suppression of poly-GR toxicity. Our study indicates that poly-GR can exert its toxicity via oxidative stress. This zebrafish model can be used to find suppressors of poly-GR toxicity and identify its molecular targets underlying neurodegeneration observed in C9FTD/ALS. Summary: Toxicity of C9ALS/FTD poly-GR in zebrafish embryos is suppressed by Trolox, and poly-GR can be detected and quantified in zebrafish model protein homogenates, and in the frontal cortex of C9FTD/ALS cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fréderike W Riemslagh
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob F M Verhagen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Esmay C van der Toorn
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daphne J Smits
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wim H Quint
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Herma C van der Linde
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tjakko J van Ham
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Willemsen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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20
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Elucidating the Role of Cerebellar Synaptic Dysfunction in C9orf72-ALS/FTD - a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. THE CEREBELLUM 2021; 21:681-714. [PMID: 34491551 PMCID: PMC9325807 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-021-01320-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with synaptic dysfunction identified as an early pathological hallmark. Although TDP-43 pathology and overt neurodegeneration are largely absent from the cerebellum, the pathological hallmarks of RNA foci and dipeptide repeat protein (DPR) inclusions are most abundant. Here, we present a systematic literature search in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and Science Direct up until March 5, 2021, which yielded 19,515 publications. Following the exclusion criteria, 72 articles were included having referred to C9orf72, synapses and the cerebellum. Meta-analyses were conducted on studies which reported experimental and control groups with means and standard deviations extracted from figures using the online tool PlotDigitizer. This revealed dendritic defects (P = 0.03), reduced C9orf72 in human patients (P = 0.005) and DPR-related neuronal loss (P = 0.0006) but no neuromuscular junction abnormalities (P = 0.29) or cerebellar neuronal loss (P = 0.23). Our results suggest that dendritic arborisation defects, synaptic gene dysregulation and altered synaptic neurotransmission may drive cerebellar synaptic dysfunction in C9-ALS/FTD. In this review, we discuss how the chronological appearance of the different pathological hallmarks alters synaptic integrity which may have profound implications for disease progression. We conclude that a reduction in C9orf72 protein levels combined with the accumulation of RNA foci and DPRs act synergistically to drive C9 synaptopathy in the cerebellum of C9-ALS/FTD patients.
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21
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Lampasona A, Almeida S, Gao FB. Translation of the poly(GR) frame in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD is regulated by cis-elements involved in alternative splicing. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 105:327-332. [PMID: 34157654 PMCID: PMC8338774 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
GGGGCC (G4C2) repeat expansion in the first intron of C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, two devastating age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders. Both sense and antisense repeat RNAs can be translated into 5 different dipeptide repeat proteins, such as poly(GR), which is toxic in various cellular and animal models. However, it remains unknown how poly(GR) is synthesized in patient neurons. Using a reporter construct containing 70 G4C2 repeats flanked by human intronic and exonic sequences, we show that translation of the poly(GR) frame does not depend on repeats or the CUG start codon in the poly(GA) frame, suggesting poly(GR) is not produced after ribosomal frameshifting in the poly(GA) frame. However, deletion analysis suggests that translation of the poly(GR) frame depends on the length of the intronic sequence 5' adjacent to G4C2 repeats. Moreover, several 5´ cis elements that are predicted to be involved in alternative splicing regulates poly(GR) synthesis. These results suggest that translation of repeat RNAs in the poly(GR) frame is regulated by multiple cis elements, likely through RNA secondary structures and/or associated RNA binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Lampasona
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sandra Almeida
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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22
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Malik I, Kelley CP, Wang ET, Todd PK. Molecular mechanisms underlying nucleotide repeat expansion disorders. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:589-607. [PMID: 34140671 PMCID: PMC9612635 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00382-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The human genome contains over one million short tandem repeats. Expansion of a subset of these repeat tracts underlies over fifty human disorders, including common genetic causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (C9orf72), polyglutamine-associated ataxias and Huntington disease, myotonic dystrophy, and intellectual disability disorders such as Fragile X syndrome. In this Review, we discuss the four major mechanisms by which expansion of short tandem repeats causes disease: loss of function through transcription repression, RNA-mediated gain of function through gelation and sequestration of RNA-binding proteins, gain of function of canonically translated repeat-harbouring proteins, and repeat-associated non-AUG translation of toxic repeat peptides. Somatic repeat instability amplifies these mechanisms and influences both disease age of onset and tissue specificity of pathogenic features. We focus on the crosstalk between these disease mechanisms, and argue that they often synergize to drive pathogenesis. We also discuss the emerging native functions of repeat elements and how their dynamics might contribute to disease at a larger scale than currently appreciated. Lastly, we propose that lynchpins tying these disease mechanisms and native functions together offer promising therapeutic targets with potential shared applications across this class of human disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indranil Malik
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Chase P Kelley
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Eric T Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Peter K Todd
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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23
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The porphyrin TMPyP4 inhibits elongation during the noncanonical translation of the FTLD/ALS-associated GGGGCC repeat in the C9orf72 gene. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101120. [PMID: 34450161 PMCID: PMC8446798 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
GGGGCC (G4C2) repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene has been shown to cause frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Dipeptide repeat proteins produced through repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation are recognized as potential drivers for neurodegeneration. Therefore, selective inhibition of RAN translation could be a therapeutic avenue to treat these neurodegenerative diseases. It was previously known that the porphyrin TMPyP4 binds to G4C2 repeat RNA. However, the consequences of this interaction have not been well characterized. Here, we confirmed that TMPyP4 inhibits C9orf72 G4C2 repeat translation in cellular and in in vitro translation systems. An artificial insertion of an AUG codon failed to cancel the translation inhibition, suggesting that TMPyP4 acts downstream of non-AUG translation initiation. Polysome profiling assays also revealed polysome retention on G4C2 repeat RNA, along with inhibition of translation, indicating that elongating ribosomes stall on G4C2 repeat RNA. Urea-resistant interaction between G4C2 repeat RNA and TMPyP4 likely contributes to this ribosome stalling and thus to selective inhibition of RAN translation. Taken together, our data reveal a novel mode of action of TMPyP4 as an inhibitor of G4C2 repeat translation elongation.
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24
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Solomon DA, Smikle R, Reid MJ, Mizielinska S. Altered Phase Separation and Cellular Impact in C9orf72-Linked ALS/FTD. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:664151. [PMID: 33967699 PMCID: PMC8096919 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.664151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the C9orf72 repeat expansion mutation as causative for chromosome 9-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2011, a multitude of cellular pathways have been implicated. However, evidence has also been accumulating for a key mechanism of cellular compartmentalization—phase separation. Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is fundamental for the formation of membraneless organelles including stress granules, the nucleolus, Cajal bodies, nuclear speckles and the central channel of the nuclear pore. Evidence has now accumulated showing that the formation and function of these membraneless organelles is impaired by both the toxic arginine rich dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), translated from the C9orf72 repeat RNA transcript, and the repeat RNA itself. Both the arginine rich DPRs and repeat RNA themselves undergo phase separation and disrupt the physiological phase separation of proteins involved in the formation of these liquid-like organelles. Hence abnormal phase separation may explain a number of pathological cellular phenomena associated with C9orf72-ALS/FTD. In this review article, we will discuss the principles of phase separation, phase separation of the DPRs and repeat RNA themselves and how they perturb LLPS associated with membraneless organelles and the functional consequences of this. We will then discuss how phase separation may impact the major pathological feature of C9orf72-ALS/FTD, TDP-43 proteinopathy, and how LLPS may be targeted therapeutically in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Solomon
- UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebekah Smikle
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Reid
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Mizielinska
- UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
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25
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Schmitz A, Pinheiro Marques J, Oertig I, Maharjan N, Saxena S. Emerging Perspectives on Dipeptide Repeat Proteins in C9ORF72 ALS/FTD. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:637548. [PMID: 33679328 PMCID: PMC7930069 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.637548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a hexanucleotide expansion in the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 gene (C9ORF72). This hexanucleotide expansion consists of GGGGCC (G4C2) repeats that have been implicated to lead to three main modes of disease pathology: loss of function of the C9ORF72 protein, the generation of RNA foci, and the production of dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) through repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. Five different DPRs are currently known to be formed: glycine-alanine (GA) and glycine-arginine (GR) from the sense strand, proline-alanine (PA), and proline-arginine (PR) from the antisense strand, and glycine-proline (GP) from both strands. The exact contribution of each DPR to disease pathology is currently under intense scrutiny and is still poorly understood. However, recent advances in both neuropathological and cellular studies have provided us with clues enabling us to better understand the effect of individual DPRs on disease pathogenesis. In this review, we compile the current knowledge of specific DPR involvement on disease development and highlight recent advances, such as the impact of arginine-rich DPRs on nucleolar protein quality control, the correlation of poly-GR with neurodegeneration, and the possible involvement of chimeric DPR species. Further, we discuss recent findings regarding the mechanisms of RAN translation, its modulators, and other promising therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - João Pinheiro Marques
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Irina Oertig
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Niran Maharjan
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Smita Saxena
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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26
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Li Hi Shing S, McKenna MC, Siah WF, Chipika RH, Hardiman O, Bede P. The imaging signature of C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions: implications for clinical trials and therapy development. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 15:2693-2719. [PMID: 33398779 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-020-00429-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
While C9orf72-specific imaging signatures have been proposed by both ALS and FTD research groups and considerable presymptomatic alterations have also been confirmed in young mutation carriers, considerable inconsistencies exist in the literature. Accordingly, a systematic review of C9orf72-imaging studies has been performed to identify consensus findings, stereotyped shortcomings, and unique contributions to outline future directions. A formal literature review was conducted according to the STROBE guidelines. All identified papers were individually reviewed for sample size, choice of controls, study design, imaging modalities, statistical models, clinical profiling, and identified genotype-associated pathological patterns. A total of 74 imaging papers were systematically reviewed. ALS patients with GGGGCC repeat expansions exhibit relatively limited motor cortex involvement and widespread extra-motor pathology. C9orf72 positive FTD patients often show preferential posterior involvement. Reports of thalamic involvement are relatively consistent across the various phenotypes. Asymptomatic hexanucleotide repeat carriers often exhibit structural and functional changes decades prior to symptom onset. Common shortcomings included sample size limitations, lack of disease-controls, limited clinical profiling, lack of genetic testing in healthy controls, and absence of post mortem validation. There is a striking paucity of longitudinal studies and existing presymptomatic studies have not evaluated the predictive value of radiological changes with regard to age of onset and phenoconversion. With the advent of antisense oligonucleotide therapies, the meticulous characterisation of C9orf72-associated changes has gained practical relevance. Neuroimaging offers non-invasive biomarkers for future clinical trials, presymptomatic ascertainment, diagnostic and prognostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey Li Hi Shing
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mary Clare McKenna
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - We Fong Siah
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Rangariroyashe H Chipika
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Peter Bede
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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