1
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Silvestri B, Mochi M, Mawrie D, de Turris V, Colantoni A, Borhy B, Medici M, Anderson EN, Garone MG, Zammerilla CP, Pandey UB, Rosa A. HuD (ELAVL4) gain-of-function impairs neuromuscular junctions and induces apoptosis in in vitro and in vivo models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.22.554258. [PMID: 38464028 PMCID: PMC10925158 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.22.554258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Early defects at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) are among the first hallmarks of the progressive neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). According to the "dying back" hypothesis, disruption of the NMJ not only precedes, but is also a trigger for the subsequent degeneration of the motoneuron in both sporadic and familial ALS, including ALS caused by the severe FUS pathogenic variant P525L. However, the mechanisms linking genetic and environmental factors to NMJ defects remain elusive. By taking advantage of co-cultures of motoneurons and skeletal muscle derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), we show that the neural RNA binding protein HuD (ELAVL4) may underlie NMJ defects and apoptosis in FUS-ALS. HuD overexpression in motoneurons phenocopies the severe FUSP525L mutation, while HuD knockdown in FUSP525L co-cultures produces phenotypic rescue. We validated these findings in vivo in a Drosophila FUS-ALS model. Neuronal-restricted overexpression of the HuD-related gene, elav, produces per se a motor phenotype, while neuronal-restricted elav knockdown significantly rescues motor dysfunction caused by FUS. Finally, we show that HuD levels increase upon oxidative stress in human motoneurons and in sporadic ALS patients with an oxidative stress signature. On these bases, we propose HuD as an important player downstream of FUS mutation in familial ALS, with potential implications for sporadic ALS related to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Silvestri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Mochi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Darilang Mawrie
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA, USA
| | - Valeria de Turris
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Colantoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Borhy
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Margherita Medici
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Eric Nathaniel Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA, USA
| | - Maria Giovanna Garone
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Udai Bhan Pandey
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA, USA
- Children's Neuroscience Institute, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
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2
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Chandhok S, Pereira L, Momchilova EA, Marijan D, Zapf R, Lacroix E, Kaur A, Keymanesh S, Krieger C, Audas TE. Stress-mediated aggregation of disease-associated proteins in amyloid bodies. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14471. [PMID: 37660155 PMCID: PMC10475078 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41712-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The formation of protein aggregates is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases and systemic amyloidoses. These disorders are associated with the fibrillation of a variety of proteins/peptides, which ultimately leads to cell toxicity and tissue damage. Understanding how amyloid aggregation occurs and developing compounds that impair this process is a major challenge in the health science community. Here, we demonstrate that pathogenic proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, AL/AA amyloidosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can aggregate within stress-inducible physiological amyloid-based structures, termed amyloid bodies (A-bodies). Using a limited collection of small molecule inhibitors, we found that diclofenac could repress amyloid aggregation of the β-amyloid (1-42) in a cellular setting, despite having no effect in the classic Thioflavin T (ThT) in vitro fibrillation assay. Mapping the mechanism of the diclofenac-mediated repression indicated that dysregulation of cyclooxygenases and the prostaglandin synthesis pathway was potentially responsible for this effect. Together, this work suggests that the A-body machinery may be linked to a subset of pathological amyloidosis, and highlights the utility of this model system in the identification of new small molecules that could treat these debilitating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahil Chandhok
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, €, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Lionel Pereira
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, €, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Evgenia A Momchilova
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, €, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Dane Marijan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, €, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Richard Zapf
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, €, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Emma Lacroix
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, €, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Avneet Kaur
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, €, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Shayan Keymanesh
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Charles Krieger
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Timothy E Audas
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, €, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
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3
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Lee HJ, Alirzayeva H, Koyuncu S, Rueber A, Noormohammadi A, Vilchez D. Cold temperature extends longevity and prevents disease-related protein aggregation through PA28γ-induced proteasomes. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:546-566. [PMID: 37118550 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00383-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Aging is a primary risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders that involve protein aggregation. Because lowering body temperature is one of the most effective mechanisms to extend longevity in both poikilotherms and homeotherms, a better understanding of cold-induced changes can lead to converging modifiers of pathological protein aggregation. Here, we find that cold temperature (15 °C) selectively induces the trypsin-like activity of the proteasome in Caenorhabditis elegans through PSME-3, the worm orthologue of human PA28γ/PSME3. This proteasome activator is required for cold-induced longevity and ameliorates age-related deficits in protein degradation. Moreover, cold-induced PA28γ/PSME-3 diminishes protein aggregation in C. elegans models of age-related diseases such as Huntington's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Notably, exposure of human cells to moderate cold temperature (36 °C) also activates trypsin-like activity through PA28γ/PSME3, reducing disease-related protein aggregation and neurodegeneration. Together, our findings reveal a beneficial role of cold temperature that crosses evolutionary boundaries with potential implications for multi-disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Ju Lee
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hafiza Alirzayeva
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Seda Koyuncu
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Amirabbas Rueber
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alireza Noormohammadi
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - David Vilchez
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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4
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Aslan A, Yuka SA. Stem Cell-Based Therapeutic Approaches in Genetic Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1436:19-53. [PMID: 36735185 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2023_761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Stem cells, which can self-renew and differentiate into different cell types, have become the keystone of regenerative medicine due to these properties. With the achievement of superior clinical results in the therapeutic approaches of different diseases, the applications of these cells in the treatment of genetic diseases have also come to the fore. Foremost, conventional approaches of stem cells to genetic diseases are the first approaches in this manner, and they have brought safety issues due to immune reactions caused by allogeneic transplantation. To eliminate these safety issues and phenotypic abnormalities caused by genetic defects, firstly, basic genetic engineering practices such as vectors or RNA modulators were combined with stem cell-based therapeutic approaches. However, due to challenges such as immune reactions and inability to target cells effectively in these applications, advanced molecular methods have been adopted in ZFN, TALEN, and CRISPR/Cas genome editing nucleases, which allow modular designs in stem cell-based genetic diseases' therapeutic approaches. Current studies in genetic diseases are in the direction of creating permanent treatment regimens by genomic manipulation of stem cells with differentiation potential through genome editing tools. In this chapter, the stem cell-based therapeutic approaches of various vital genetic diseases were addressed wide range from conventional applications to genome editing tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayça Aslan
- Department of Bioengineering, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Selcen Arı Yuka
- Department of Bioengineering, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Health Biotechnology Joint Research and Application Center of Excellence, Istanbul, Turkey.
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5
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Cordella F, Ferrucci L, D’Antoni C, Ghirga S, Brighi C, Soloperto A, Gigante Y, Ragozzino D, Bezzi P, Di Angelantonio S. Human iPSC-Derived Cortical Neurons Display Homeostatic Plasticity. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12111884. [PMID: 36431019 PMCID: PMC9696876 DOI: 10.3390/life12111884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining the excitability of neurons and circuits is fundamental for healthy brain functions. The global compensatory increase in excitatory synaptic strength, in response to decreased activity, is one of the main homeostatic mechanisms responsible for such regulation. This type of plasticity has been extensively characterized in rodents in vivo and in vitro, but few data exist on human neurons maturation. We have generated an in vitro cortical model system, based on differentiated human-induced pluripotent stem cells, chronically treated with tetrodotoxin, to investigate homeostatic plasticity at different developmental stages. Our findings highlight the presence of homeostatic plasticity in human cortical networks and show that the changes in synaptic strength are due to both pre- and post-synaptic mechanisms. Pre-synaptic plasticity involves the potentiation of neurotransmitter release machinery, associated to an increase in synaptic vesicle proteins expression. At the post-synaptic level, we report an increase in the expression of post-synaptic density proteins, involved in glutamatergic receptor anchoring. These results extend our understanding of neuronal homeostasis and reveal the developmental regulation of its expression in human cortical networks. Since induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons can be obtained from patients with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, our platform offers a versatile model for assessing human neural plasticity under physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Cordella
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Ferrucci
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara D’Antoni
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghirga
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Brighi
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
- CrestOptics S.p.A., Via di Torre Rossa 66, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Soloperto
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Ylenia Gigante
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
- D-Tails s.r.l., Via di Torre Rossa 66, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Ragozzino
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation, European Center for Brain Research, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Bezzi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Correspondence: or (P.B.); or (S.D.A.)
| | - Silvia Di Angelantonio
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161 Rome, Italy
- D-Tails s.r.l., Via di Torre Rossa 66, 00165 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: or (P.B.); or (S.D.A.)
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6
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Marlin E, Viu-Idocin C, Arrasate M, Aragón T. The Role and Therapeutic Potential of the Integrated Stress Response in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147823. [PMID: 35887167 PMCID: PMC9321386 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, loss of cellular homeostasis within cortical and spinal cord motor neurons triggers the activation of the integrated stress response (ISR), an intracellular signaling pathway that remodels translation and promotes a gene expression program aimed at coping with stress. Beyond its neuroprotective role, under regimes of chronic or excessive stress, ISR can also promote cell/neuronal death. Given the two-edged sword nature of ISR, many experimental attempts have tried to establish the therapeutic potential of ISR enhancement or inhibition in ALS. This review discusses the complex interplay between ISR and disease progression in different models of ALS, as well as the opportunities and limitations of ISR modulation in the hard quest to find an effective therapy for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elías Marlin
- Neuroscience Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain;
- Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroscience Department, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | | | - Montserrat Arrasate
- Neuroscience Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain;
- School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroscience Department, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (T.A.)
| | - Tomás Aragón
- Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroscience Department, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (T.A.)
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7
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Tsai YL, Mu YC, Manley JL. Nuclear RNA transcript levels modulate nucleocytoplasmic distribution of ALS/FTD-associated protein FUS. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8180. [PMID: 35581240 PMCID: PMC9114323 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12098-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) is a nuclear RNA/DNA binding protein that mislocalizes to the cytoplasm in the neurodegenerative diseases ALS and FTD. Despite the existence of FUS pathogenic mutations that result in nuclear import defects, a subset of ALS/FTD patients display cytoplasmic accumulation of wild-type FUS, although the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here we confirm that transcriptional inhibition, specifically of RNA polymerase II (RNAP II), induces FUS cytoplasmic translocation, but we show that several other stresses do not. We found unexpectedly that the epitope specificity of different FUS antibodies significantly affects the apparent FUS nucleocytoplasmic ratio as determined by immunofluorescence, explaining inconsistent observations in previous studies. Significantly, depletion of the nuclear mRNA export factor NXF1 or RNA exosome cofactor MTR4 promotes FUS nuclear retention, even when transcription is repressed, while mislocalization was independent of the nuclear protein export factor CRM1 and import factor TNPO1. Finally, we report that levels of nascent RNAP II transcripts, including those known to bind FUS, are reduced in sporadic ALS iPS cells, linking possible aberrant transcriptional control and FUS cytoplasmic mislocalization. Our findings thus reveal that factors that influence accumulation of nuclear RNAP II transcripts modulate FUS nucleocytoplasmic homeostasis, and provide evidence that reduced RNAP II transcription can contribute to FUS mislocalization to the cytoplasm in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Lin Tsai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Yu Chun Mu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - James L Manley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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8
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Soloperto A, Quaglio D, Baiocco P, Romeo I, Mori M, Ardini M, Presutti C, Sannino I, Ghirga S, Iazzetti A, Ippoliti R, Ruocco G, Botta B, Ghirga F, Di Angelantonio S, Boffi A. Rational design and synthesis of a novel BODIPY-based probe for selective imaging of tau tangles in human iPSC-derived cortical neurons. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5257. [PMID: 35347170 PMCID: PMC8960764 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09016-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown a strong correlation between the number of neurofibrillary tangles of the tau protein and Alzheimer's disease progression, making the quantitative detection of tau very promising from a clinical point of view. However, the lack of highly reliable fluorescent probes for selective imaging of tau neurofibrillary tangles is a major challenge due to sharing similar β–sheet motifs with homologous Amyloid-β fibrils. In the current work, we describe the rational design and the in silico evaluation of a small-size focused library of fluorescent probes, consisting of a BODIPY core (electron acceptor) featuring highly conjugated systems (electron donor) with a length in the range 13–19 Å at C3. Among the most promising probes in terms of binding mode, theoretical affinity and polarity, BT1 has been synthesized and tested in vitro onto human induced pluripotent stem cells derived neuronal cell cultures. The probe showed excellent photophysical properties and high selectivity allowing in vitro imaging of hyperphosphorylated tau protein filaments with minimal background noise. Our findings offer new insight into the structure-activity relationship of this class of tau selective fluorophores, paving the way for boosting tau tangle detection in patients possibly through retinal spectral scans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Soloperto
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Deborah Quaglio
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Baiocco
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Romeo
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy.,Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Matteo Ardini
- Department of Life, Health, and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Caterina Presutti
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Ida Sannino
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghirga
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonia Iazzetti
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Ippoliti
- Department of Life, Health, and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Botta
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Ghirga
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Silvia Di Angelantonio
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy. .,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alberto Boffi
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
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9
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Garone MG, D'Antoni C, Rosa A. Culture of Human iPSC-Derived Motoneurons in Compartmentalized Microfluidic Devices and Quantitative Assays for Studying Axonal Phenotypes. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2429:189-199. [PMID: 35507162 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1979-7_12] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In order to use induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) to model neurodegenerative diseases, efficient and homogeneous generation of neurons in vitro represents a key step. Here we describe a method to obtain and characterize functional human spinal and cranial motoneurons using a combined approach of microfluidic chips and programs designed for scientific multidimensional imaging. We have used this approach to analyze axonal phenotypes. These tools are useful to investigate the cellular and molecular bases of neuromuscular diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Giovanna Garone
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara D'Antoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy.
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10
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D'Ambra E, Santini T, Vitiello E, D'Uva S, Silenzi V, Morlando M, Bozzoni I. Circ-Hdgfrp3 shuttles along neurites and is trapped in aggregates formed by ALS-associated mutant FUS. iScience 2021; 24:103504. [PMID: 34934923 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103504] [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] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
CircRNAs belong to a family of RNA molecules which are conserved in evolution, have tissue-specific expression, and are abundant in neuronal cells. Here, we define several features of circ-Hdgfrp3 and describe interesting alterations occurring in motor neurons (MNs) carrying ALS-associated FUS mutations. Through a highly sensitive in situ approach we describe that circ-Hdgfrp3 traffics along neurites, while upon oxidative stress it is retained in the perinuclear region. While in wild-type stressed MNs, circ-Hdgfrp3 localizes in stress granules (SGs), in MNs carrying mutant FUS, a higher proportion of circ-Hdgfrp3 was trapped into cytoplasmic aggregates. Upon stress removal, circ-Hdgfrp3 was easily freed from SGs whereas it was less efficiently released from FUS-aggregates. We found that the human circ-Hdgfrp3 counterpart was also similarly associated to mutant FUS-aggregates in stressed neuronal cells. Overall, the alteration of circ-Hdgfrp3 trafficking adds a further layer of complexity to the role of FUS-aggregates in ALS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora D'Ambra
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Santini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Erika Vitiello
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Center for Human Technology@ Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Sara D'Uva
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Silenzi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Morlando
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Center for Human Technology@ Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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11
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Wang H, Kodavati M, Britz GW, Hegde ML. DNA Damage and Repair Deficiency in ALS/FTD-Associated Neurodegeneration: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Implication. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:784361. [PMID: 34975400 PMCID: PMC8716463 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.784361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies reveal that neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), are commonly linked to DNA damage accumulation and repair deficiency. Neurons are particularly vulnerable to DNA damage due to their high metabolic activity, relying primarily on oxidative phosphorylation, which leads to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and subsequent DNA damage. Efficient and timely repair of such damage is critical for guarding the integrity of genomic DNA and for cell survival. Several genes predominantly associated with RNA/DNA metabolism have been implicated in both ALS and FTD, suggesting that the two diseases share a common underlying pathology with varied clinical manifestations. Recent studies reveal that many of the gene products, including RNA/DNA binding proteins (RBPs) TDP-43 and FUS are involved in diverse DNA repair pathways. A key question in the etiology of the ALS/FTD spectrum of neurodegeneration is the mechanisms and pathways involved in genome instability caused by dysfunctions/mutations of those RBP genes and their consequences in the central nervous system. The understanding of such converging molecular mechanisms provides insights into the underlying etiology of the rapidly progressing neurodegeneration in ALS/FTD, while also revealing novel DNA repair target avenues for therapeutic development. In this review, we summarize the common mechanisms of neurodegeneration in ALS and FTD, with a particular emphasis on the DNA repair defects induced by ALS/FTD causative genes. We also highlight the consequences of DNA repair defects in ALS/FTD and the therapeutic potential of DNA damage repair-targeted amelioration of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Manohar Kodavati
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Gavin W. Britz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Muralidhar L. Hegde
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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12
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McTague A, Rossignoli G, Ferrini A, Barral S, Kurian MA. Genome Editing in iPSC-Based Neural Systems: From Disease Models to Future Therapeutic Strategies. Front Genome Ed 2021; 3:630600. [PMID: 34713254 PMCID: PMC8525405 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2021.630600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic advances for neurological disorders are challenging due to limited accessibility of the human central nervous system and incomplete understanding of disease mechanisms. Many neurological diseases lack precision treatments, leading to significant disease burden and poor outcome for affected patients. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology provides human neuronal cells that facilitate disease modeling and development of therapies. The use of genome editing, in particular CRISPR-Cas9 technology, has extended the potential of iPSCs, generating new models for a number of disorders, including Alzheimers and Parkinson Disease. Editing of iPSCs, in particular with CRISPR-Cas9, allows generation of isogenic pairs, which differ only in the disease-causing mutation and share the same genetic background, for assessment of phenotypic differences and downstream effects. Moreover, genome-wide CRISPR screens allow high-throughput interrogation for genetic modifiers in neuronal phenotypes, leading to discovery of novel pathways, and identification of new therapeutic targets. CRISPR-Cas9 has now evolved beyond altering gene expression. Indeed, fusion of a defective Cas9 (dCas9) nuclease with transcriptional repressors or activation domains allows down-regulation or activation of gene expression (CRISPR interference, CRISPRi; CRISPR activation, CRISPRa). These new tools will improve disease modeling and facilitate CRISPR and cell-based therapies, as seen for epilepsy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Genome engineering holds huge promise for the future understanding and treatment of neurological disorders, but there are numerous barriers to overcome. The synergy of iPSC-based model systems and gene editing will play a vital role in the route to precision medicine and the clinical translation of genome editing-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy McTague
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giada Rossignoli
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arianna Ferrini
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Serena Barral
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Manju A Kurian
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom
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13
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Loh D, Reiter RJ. Melatonin: Regulation of Biomolecular Condensates in Neurodegenerative Disorders. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:1483. [PMID: 34573116 PMCID: PMC8465482 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10091483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates are membraneless organelles (MLOs) that form dynamic, chemically distinct subcellular compartments organizing macromolecules such as proteins, RNA, and DNA in unicellular prokaryotic bacteria and complex eukaryotic cells. Separated from surrounding environments, MLOs in the nucleoplasm, cytoplasm, and mitochondria assemble by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) into transient, non-static, liquid-like droplets that regulate essential molecular functions. LLPS is primarily controlled by post-translational modifications (PTMs) that fine-tune the balance between attractive and repulsive charge states and/or binding motifs of proteins. Aberrant phase separation due to dysregulated membrane lipid rafts and/or PTMs, as well as the absence of adequate hydrotropic small molecules such as ATP, or the presence of specific RNA proteins can cause pathological protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disorders. Melatonin may exert a dominant influence over phase separation in biomolecular condensates by optimizing membrane and MLO interdependent reactions through stabilizing lipid raft domains, reducing line tension, and maintaining negative membrane curvature and fluidity. As a potent antioxidant, melatonin protects cardiolipin and other membrane lipids from peroxidation cascades, supporting protein trafficking, signaling, ion channel activities, and ATPase functionality during condensate coacervation or dissolution. Melatonin may even control condensate LLPS through PTM and balance mRNA- and RNA-binding protein composition by regulating N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications. There is currently a lack of pharmaceuticals targeting neurodegenerative disorders via the regulation of phase separation. The potential of melatonin in the modulation of biomolecular condensate in the attenuation of aberrant condensate aggregation in neurodegenerative disorders is discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Loh
- Independent Researcher, Marble Falls, TX 78654, USA
| | - Russel J. Reiter
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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14
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Fortuna TR, Kour S, Anderson EN, Ward C, Rajasundaram D, Donnelly CJ, Hermann A, Wyne H, Shewmaker F, Pandey UB. DDX17 is involved in DNA damage repair and modifies FUS toxicity in an RGG-domain dependent manner. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 142:515-536. [PMID: 34061233 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02333-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the RNA binding protein, Fused in Sarcoma (FUS), lead to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most frequent form of motor neuron disease. Cytoplasmic aggregation and defective DNA repair machinery are etiologically linked to mutant FUS-associated ALS. Although FUS is involved in numerous aspects of RNA processing, little is understood about the pathophysiological mechanisms of mutant FUS. Here, we employed RNA-sequencing technology in Drosophila brains expressing FUS to identify significantly altered genes and pathways involved in FUS-mediated neurodegeneration. We observed the expression levels of DEAD-Box Helicase 17 (DDX17) to be significantly downregulated in response to mutant FUS in Drosophila and human cell lines. Mutant FUS recruits nuclear DDX17 into cytoplasmic stress granules and physically interacts with DDX17 through the RGG1 domain of FUS. Ectopic expression of DDX17 reduces cytoplasmic mislocalization and sequestration of mutant FUS into cytoplasmic stress granules. We identified DDX17 as a novel regulator of the DNA damage response pathway whose upregulation repairs defective DNA damage repair machinery caused by mutant neuronal FUS ALS. In addition, we show DDX17 is a novel modifier of FUS-mediated neurodegeneration in vivo. Our findings indicate DDX17 is downregulated in response to mutant FUS, and restoration of DDX17 levels suppresses FUS-mediated neuropathogenesis and toxicity in vivo.
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15
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Garone MG, Birsa N, Rosito M, Salaris F, Mochi M, de Turris V, Nair RR, Cunningham TJ, Fisher EMC, Morlando M, Fratta P, Rosa A. ALS-related FUS mutations alter axon growth in motoneurons and affect HuD/ELAVL4 and FMRP activity. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1025. [PMID: 34471224 PMCID: PMC8410767 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02538-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the RNA-binding protein (RBP) FUS have been genetically associated with the motoneuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Using both human induced pluripotent stem cells and mouse models, we found that FUS-ALS causative mutations affect the activity of two relevant RBPs with important roles in neuronal RNA metabolism: HuD/ELAVL4 and FMRP. Mechanistically, mutant FUS leads to upregulation of HuD protein levels through competition with FMRP for HuD mRNA 3'UTR binding. In turn, increased HuD levels overly stabilize the transcript levels of its targets, NRN1 and GAP43. As a consequence, mutant FUS motoneurons show increased axon branching and growth upon injury, which could be rescued by dampening NRN1 levels. Since similar phenotypes have been previously described in SOD1 and TDP-43 mutant models, increased axonal growth and branching might represent broad early events in the pathogenesis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Giovanna Garone
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicol Birsa
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Rosito
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Salaris
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Mochi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria de Turris
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Mariangela Morlando
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Pietro Fratta
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy.
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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16
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Tejido C, Pakravan D, Bosch LVD. Potential Therapeutic Role of HDAC Inhibitors in FUS-ALS. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:686995. [PMID: 34434087 PMCID: PMC8380926 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.686995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the FUS gene cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS-FUS). However, the exact pathogenic mechanism of mutant fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein is not completely understood. FUS is an RNA binding protein (RBP) localized predominantly in the nucleus, but ALS-linked FUS mutations can affect its nuclear localization signal impairing its import into the nucleus. This mislocalization to the cytoplasm facilitates FUS aggregation in cytoplasmic inclusions. Therapies targeting post translational modifications are rising as new treatments for ALS, in particular acetylation which could have a role in the dynamics of RBPs. Research using histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors in FUS-ALS models showed that HDACs can influence cytoplasmic FUS localization. Inhibition of HDACs could promote acetylation of the FUS RNA binding domain (RRM) and altering its RNA interactions resulting in FUS maintenance in the nucleus. In addition, acetylation of FUS RRMs might also favor or disfavor its incorporation into pathological inclusions. In this review, we summarize and discuss the evidence for the potential role of HDACs in the context of FUS-ALS and we propose a new hypothesis based on this overview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Tejido
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Donya Pakravan
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Leuven Brain Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Leuven Brain Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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17
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Birsa N, Ule AM, Garone MG, Tsang B, Mattedi F, Chong PA, Humphrey J, Jarvis S, Pisiren M, Wilkins OG, Nosella ML, Devoy A, Bodo C, de la Fuente RF, Fisher EMC, Rosa A, Viero G, Forman-Kay JD, Schiavo G, Fratta P. FUS-ALS mutants alter FMRP phase separation equilibrium and impair protein translation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/30/eabf8660. [PMID: 34290090 PMCID: PMC8294762 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf8660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
FUsed in Sarcoma (FUS) is a multifunctional RNA binding protein (RBP). FUS mutations lead to its cytoplasmic mislocalization and cause the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we use mouse and human models with endogenous ALS-associated mutations to study the early consequences of increased cytoplasmic FUS. We show that in axons, mutant FUS condensates sequester and promote the phase separation of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), another RBP associated with neurodegeneration. This leads to repression of translation in mouse and human FUS-ALS motor neurons and is corroborated in vitro, where FUS and FMRP copartition and repress translation. Last, we show that translation of FMRP-bound RNAs is reduced in vivo in FUS-ALS motor neurons. Our results unravel new pathomechanisms of FUS-ALS and identify a novel paradigm by which mutations in one RBP favor the formation of condensates sequestering other RBPs, affecting crucial biological functions, such as protein translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicol Birsa
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Agnieszka M Ule
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Maria Giovanna Garone
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Brian Tsang
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Francesca Mattedi
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Institute of Biophysics, CNR, Trento, Italy
| | - P Andrew Chong
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Jack Humphrey
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Seth Jarvis
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Melis Pisiren
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Oscar G Wilkins
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Micheal L Nosella
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Anny Devoy
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Cristian Bodo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Julie D Forman-Kay
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Giampietro Schiavo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
- MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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18
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Asadi MR, Sadat Moslehian M, Sabaie H, Jalaiei A, Ghafouri-Fard S, Taheri M, Rezazadeh M. Stress Granules and Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Scoping Review. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:650740. [PMID: 34248597 PMCID: PMC8261063 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.650740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytoplasmic ribonucleoproteins called stress granules (SGs) are considered as one of the main cellular solutions against stress. Their temporary presence ends with stress relief. Any factor such as chronic stress or mutations in the structure of the components of SGs that lead to their permanent presence can affect their interactions with pathological aggregations and increase the degenerative effects. SGs involved in RNA mechanisms are important factors in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), and Alzheimer's diseases (AD). Although many studies have been performed in the field of SGs and neurodegenerative disorders, so far, no systematic studies have been executed in this field. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive perspective of all studies about the role of SGs in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders with a focus on the protein ingredients of these granules. This scoping review is based on a six-stage methodology structure and the PRISMA guideline. A systematic search of seven databases for qualified articles was conducted until December 2020. Publications were screened independently by two reviewers and quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed on the extracted data. Bioinformatics analysis was used to plot the network and predict interprotein interactions. In addition, GO analysis was performed. A total of 48 articles were identified that comply the inclusion criteria. Most studies on neurodegenerative diseases have been conducted on ALS, AD, and FTD using human post mortem tissues. Human derived cell line studies have been used only in ALS. A total 29 genes of protein components of SGs have been studied, the most important of which are TDP-43, TIA-1, PABP-1. Bioinformatics studies have predicted 15 proteins to interact with the protein components of SGs, which may be the constituents of SGs. Understanding the interactions between SGs and pathological aggregations in neurodegenerative diseases can provide new targets for treatment of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Asadi
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Marziyeh Sadat Moslehian
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hani Sabaie
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Abbas Jalaiei
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Taheri
- Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Rezazadeh
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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19
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Amen T, Kaganovich D. Stress granules inhibit fatty acid oxidation by modulating mitochondrial permeability. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109237. [PMID: 34133922 PMCID: PMC8220302 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of stress granules (SGs) is an essential aspect of the cellular response to many kinds of stress, but its adaptive role is far from clear. SG dysfunction is implicated in aging-onset neurodegenerative diseases, prompting interest in their physiological function. Here, we report that during starvation stress, SGs interact with mitochondria and regulate metabolic remodeling. We show that SG formation leads to a downregulation of fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) through the modulation of mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channels (VDACs), which import fatty acids (FAs) into mitochondria. The subsequent decrease in FAO during long-term starvation reduces oxidative damage and rations FAs for longer use. Failure to form SGs, whether caused by the genetic deletion of SG components or an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-associated mutation, translates into an inability to downregulate FAO. Because metabolic dysfunction is a common pathological element of neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, our findings provide a direction for studying the clinical relevance of SGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Triana Amen
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Kaganovich
- 1Base Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA 02129, USA; Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
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20
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Ding Q, Chaplin J, Morris MJ, Hilliard MA, Wolvetang E, Ng DCH, Noakes PG. TDP-43 Mutation Affects Stress Granule Dynamics in Differentiated NSC-34 Motoneuron-Like Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:611601. [PMID: 34169068 PMCID: PMC8217991 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.611601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Cytoplasmic inclusions of TDP-43 are frequently reported in motor neurons of ALS patients. TDP-43 has also been shown to associate with stress granules (SGs), a complex of proteins and mRNAs formed in response to stress stimuli that temporarily sequester mRNA translation. The effect of pathogenic TDP-43 mutations within glycine-rich regions (where the majority of ALS-causing TDP-43 mutations occur) on SG dynamics in motor neurons is poorly understood. To address this issue, we generated murine NSC-34 cell lines that stably over-express wild type TDP-43 (TDP-43WT) or mutant forms (ALS-causing TDP-43 mutations TDP-43A315T or TDP-43M337V). We then differentiated these NSC-34 lines into motoneuron-like cells and evaluated SG formation and disassembly kinetics in response to oxidative or osmotic stress treatment. Wild type and mutant TDP-43 appeared to be largely retained in the nucleus following exposure to arsenite-induced oxidative stress. Upon arsenite removal, mutant TDP-43 clearly accumulated within HuR positive SGs in the cytoplasm, whereas TDP-43WT remained mostly within the nucleus. 24 h following arsenite removal, all SGs were disassembled in both wild type and mutant TDP-43 expressing cells. By contrast, we observed significant differences in the dynamics of mutant TDP-43 association with SGs in response to hyperosmotic stress. Specifically, in response to sorbitol treatment, TDP-43WT remained in the nucleus, whereas mutant TDP-43 relocalized to HuR positive SGs in the cytoplasm following exposure to sorbitol stress, resulting in a significant increase in TDP-43 SG numbers. These SGs remained assembled for 24 h following removal of sorbitol. Our data reveal that under certain stress conditions the rates of SG formation and disassembly is modulated by TDP-43 mutations associated with ALS, and suggest that this may be an early event in the seeding of insoluble cytoplasmic inclusions observed in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Ding
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Justin Chaplin
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Matthew J Morris
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Massimo A Hilliard
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ernst Wolvetang
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Dominic C H Ng
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter G Noakes
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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21
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Zhao A, Pan Y, Cai S. Patient-Specific Cells for Modeling and Decoding Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Advances and Challenges. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2021; 16:482-502. [PMID: 31916190 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-019-09946-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Motor neuron loss or degeneration is the typical characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which often leads to weakness, paralysis, or even death. The underlying mechanisms of motor neuron degeneration and ALS progression remain elusive, and there is no effective treatment for ALS. The advances of stem cells and reprogramming techniques has made it possible to generate patient-specific motor neurons as cell models for studying disease mechanisms and drug discovery. This review comprehensively discusses recent approaches to generate motor neurons from stem cells and somatic cells and highlights the application of induced motor neurons to modeling ALS diseases, dissecting the pathogenesis, and screening new drugs. New perspectives are also discussed on generating patient-specific motor neuron subtypes that are affected by ALS or creating 3D spinal cord organoid models for better recapitulating and understanding ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andong Zhao
- Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yu Pan
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518101, China.
| | - Sa Cai
- Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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22
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Cicardi ME, Marrone L, Azzouz M, Trotti D. Proteostatic imbalance and protein spreading in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. EMBO J 2021; 40:e106389. [PMID: 33792056 PMCID: PMC8126909 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder whose exact causative mechanisms are still under intense investigation. Several lines of evidence suggest that the anatomical and temporal propagation of pathological protein species along the neural axis could be among the main driving mechanisms for the fast and irreversible progression of ALS pathology. Many ALS-associated proteins form intracellular aggregates as a result of their intrinsic prion-like properties and/or following impairment of the protein quality control systems. During the disease course, these mutated proteins and aberrant peptides are released in the extracellular milieu as soluble or aggregated forms through a variety of mechanisms. Internalization by recipient cells may seed further aggregation and amplify existing proteostatic imbalances, thus triggering a vicious cycle that propagates pathology in vulnerable cells, such as motor neurons and other susceptible neuronal subtypes. Here, we provide an in-depth review of ALS pathology with a particular focus on the disease mechanisms of seeding and transmission of the most common ALS-associated proteins, including SOD1, FUS, TDP-43, and C9orf72-linked dipeptide repeats. For each of these proteins, we report historical, biochemical, and pathological evidence of their behaviors in ALS. We further discuss the possibility to harness pathological proteins as biomarkers and reflect on the implications of these findings for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elena Cicardi
- Department of NeuroscienceWeinberg ALS CenterVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Lara Marrone
- Department of NeuroscienceSheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)University of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Mimoun Azzouz
- Department of NeuroscienceSheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)University of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Davide Trotti
- Department of NeuroscienceWeinberg ALS CenterVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
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23
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Brighi C, Salaris F, Soloperto A, Cordella F, Ghirga S, de Turris V, Rosito M, Porceddu PF, D’Antoni C, Reggiani A, Rosa A, Di Angelantonio S. Novel fragile X syndrome 2D and 3D brain models based on human isogenic FMRP-KO iPSCs. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:498. [PMID: 33993189 PMCID: PMC8124071 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03776-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by intellectual disability and sensory deficits, caused by epigenetic silencing of the FMR1 gene and subsequent loss of its protein product, fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). Delays in synaptic and neuronal development in the cortex have been reported in FXS mouse models; however, the main goal of translating lab research into pharmacological treatments in clinical trials has been so far largely unsuccessful, leaving FXS a still incurable disease. Here, we generated 2D and 3D in vitro human FXS model systems based on isogenic FMR1 knock-out mutant and wild-type human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines. Phenotypical and functional characterization of cortical neurons derived from FMRP-deficient hiPSCs display altered gene expression and impaired differentiation when compared with the healthy counterpart. FXS cortical cultures show an increased number of GFAP positive cells, likely astrocytes, increased spontaneous network activity, and depolarizing GABAergic transmission. Cortical brain organoid models show an increased number of glial cells, and bigger organoid size. Our findings demonstrate that FMRP is required to correctly support neuronal and glial cell proliferation, and to set the correct excitation/inhibition ratio in human brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Brighi
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Salaris
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Soloperto
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Cordella
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghirga
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria de Turris
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosito
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Pier Francesca Porceddu
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907D3 Validation Research Line, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Chiara D’Antoni
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Reggiani
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907D3 Validation Research Line, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Di Angelantonio
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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24
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Tiago T, Hummel B, Morelli FF, Basile V, Vinet J, Galli V, Mediani L, Antoniani F, Pomella S, Cassandri M, Garone MG, Silvestri B, Cimino M, Cenacchi G, Costa R, Mouly V, Poser I, Yeger-Lotem E, Rosa A, Alberti S, Rota R, Ben-Zvi A, Sawarkar R, Carra S. Small heat-shock protein HSPB3 promotes myogenesis by regulating the lamin B receptor. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:452. [PMID: 33958580 PMCID: PMC8102500 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03737-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
One of the critical events that regulates muscle cell differentiation is the replacement of the lamin B receptor (LBR)-tether with the lamin A/C (LMNA)-tether to remodel transcription and induce differentiation-specific genes. Here, we report that localization and activity of the LBR-tether are crucially dependent on the muscle-specific chaperone HSPB3 and that depletion of HSPB3 prevents muscle cell differentiation. We further show that HSPB3 binds to LBR in the nucleoplasm and maintains it in a dynamic state, thus promoting the transcription of myogenic genes, including the genes to remodel the extracellular matrix. Remarkably, HSPB3 overexpression alone is sufficient to induce the differentiation of two human muscle cell lines, LHCNM2 cells, and rhabdomyosarcoma cells. We also show that mutant R116P-HSPB3 from a myopathy patient with chromatin alterations and muscle fiber disorganization, forms nuclear aggregates that immobilize LBR. We find that R116P-HSPB3 is unable to induce myoblast differentiation and instead activates the unfolded protein response. We propose that HSPB3 is a specialized chaperone engaged in muscle cell differentiation and that dysfunctional HSPB3 causes neuromuscular disease by deregulating LBR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Tiago
- Centre for Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Barbara Hummel
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Federica F Morelli
- Centre for Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Valentina Basile
- Centre for Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Jonathan Vinet
- Centre for Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Veronica Galli
- Centre for Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Laura Mediani
- Centre for Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesco Antoniani
- Centre for Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Silvia Pomella
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Cassandri
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Giovanna Garone
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Silvestri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Cimino
- Centre for Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanna Cenacchi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences DIBINEM, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Centre for Applied Biomedical Research - CRBA, University of Bologna, IRCCS St. Orsola Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberta Costa
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences DIBINEM, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Centre for Applied Biomedical Research - CRBA, University of Bologna, IRCCS St. Orsola Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincent Mouly
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Ina Poser
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Dewpoint Therapeutics GmbH, Tatzberg 47, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Esti Yeger-Lotem
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Simon Alberti
- Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47/49, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Anat Ben-Zvi
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Ritwick Sawarkar
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108, Freiburg, Germany
- Medical Research Council (MRC), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Serena Carra
- Centre for Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy.
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25
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Harley J, Clarke BE, Patani R. The Interplay of RNA Binding Proteins, Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in ALS. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10040552. [PMID: 33918215 PMCID: PMC8066094 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10040552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA binding proteins fulfil a wide number of roles in gene expression. Multiple mechanisms of RNA binding protein dysregulation have been implicated in the pathomechanisms of several neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction also play important roles in these diseases. In this review, we highlight the mechanistic interplay between RNA binding protein dysregulation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in ALS. We also discuss different potential therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Harley
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK;
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Benjamin E. Clarke
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK;
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Correspondence: (B.E.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK;
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Correspondence: (B.E.C.); (R.P.)
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26
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Xu LQ, Hu W, Guo QF, Xu GR, Wang N, Zhang QJ. Serum Uric Acid Levels Predict Mortality Risk in Male Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients. Front Neurol 2021; 12:602663. [PMID: 33776880 PMCID: PMC7991582 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.602663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To explore the associations between serum uric acid levels with survival in male and female ALS patients. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was carried out including 313 sporadic and 16 familial ALS patients with repeated serum uric acid measurements. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to evaluate the survival-related factors. Results: There were 207 male and 122 female, and the mean age of onset was 55.7 ± 11.2 years old. The male patients had significantly higher baseline uric acid levels than that in female patients (342.4 ± 91.4 vs. 279.3 ± 71.4 μmol/L; p < 0.0001). The uric acid levels were inversely associated with the decline rate of ALSFRS-R per month (ΔALSFRS-R). After multivariate Cox regression analysis, a survival advantage was found in male, but not female, with higher serum uric acid levels. In males, a shorter diagnostic delay (≤10 m), lower BMI at baseline (≤18.70 kg/m2), faster disease progression (ΔALSFRS-R > 0.63), and lower baseline uric acid levels (≤292 μmol/L, HR: 1.936; 95% CI: 1.334-2.810) were associated with a shorter survival. During follow-up, the serum uric acid levels were not significantly altered over time. Conclusion: There is an inverse correlation between baseline serum uric acid levels and risk of death, prominently in male ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu-Qing Xu
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qi-Fu Guo
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Guo-Rong Xu
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qi-Jie Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
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27
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Advani VM, Ivanov P. Stress granule subtypes: an emerging link to neurodegeneration. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:4827-4845. [PMID: 32500266 PMCID: PMC7668291 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03565-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Stress Granules (SGs) are membraneless cytoplasmic RNA granules, which contain translationally stalled mRNAs, associated translation initiation factors and multiple RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). They are formed in response to various stresses and contribute to reprogramming of cellular metabolism to aid cell survival. Because of their cytoprotective nature, association with translation regulation and cell signaling, SGs are an essential component of the integrated stress response pathway, a complex adaptive program central to stress management. Recent advances in SG biology unambiguously demonstrate that SGs are heterogeneous in their RNA and protein content leading to the idea that various SG subtypes exist. These SG variants are formed in cell type- and stress-specific manners and differ in their composition, dynamics of assembly and disassembly, and contribution to cell viability. As aberrant SG dynamics contribute to the formation of pathological persistent SGs that are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, the biology of different SG subtypes may be directly implicated in neurodegeneration. Here, we will discuss mechanisms of SG formation, their subtypes, and potential contribution to health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek M Advani
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Pavel Ivanov
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Initiative for RNA Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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28
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Wongworawat YC, Liu YA, Raghavan R, White CL, Dietz R, Zuppan C, Rosenfeld J. Aggressive FUS-Mutant Motor Neuron Disease Without Profound Spinal Cord Pathology. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2020; 79:365-369. [PMID: 32142142 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlaa011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A 29-year-old man presented with rapidly progressive severe neck weakness, asymmetrical bilateral upper extremity weakness, bulbar dysfunction, profound muscle wasting, and weight loss. Within 1 year, his speech became unintelligible, he became gastrostomy- and tracheostomy/ventilator-dependent, and wheelchair bound. Electrophysiology suggested motor neuron disease. Whole exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous pathogenic variant in the fused in sarcoma gene (FUS), c.1574C>T,p. R525L, consistent with autosomal dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Autopsy revealed extensive denervation atrophy of skeletal musculature. Surprisingly, there was only minimal patchy depletion of motor neurons within the cervico-thoracic spinal cord anterior horn cells, and the tracts were largely preserved. TDP-43 inclusions were absent. Abnormal expression of FUS mutation product (cytoplasmic inclusions) was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry within anterior horn motor neurons. The most prominent finding was a disparity between profound neck weakness and relatively low-grade anterior horn cell loss or tract degeneration in the cervico-thoracic cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chen Wongworawat
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
| | - Yin Allison Liu
- Department of Pediatrics/Child Neurology, Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, Loma Linda, California
| | - Ravi Raghavan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
| | - Charles L White
- Department of Pathology/Neuropathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Robin Dietz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
| | - Craig Zuppan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center
| | - Jeffrey Rosenfeld
- Department of Neurology, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California
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29
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Ford LK, Fioriti L. Coiled-Coil Motifs of RNA-Binding Proteins: Dynamicity in RNA Regulation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:607947. [PMID: 33330512 PMCID: PMC7710910 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.607947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal granules are biomolecular condensates that concentrate high quantities of RNAs and RNA-related proteins within neurons. These dense packets of information are trafficked from the soma to distal sites rich in polysomes, where local protein synthesis can occur. Movement of neuronal granules to distal sites, and local protein synthesis, play a critical role in synaptic plasticity. The formation of neuronal granules is intriguing; these granules lack a membrane and instead phase separate due to protein and RNA interactions. Low complexity motifs and RNA binding domains are highly prevalent in these proteins. Here, we introduce the role that coiled-coil motifs play in neuronal granule proteins, and investigate the structure-function relationship of coiled-coil proteins in RNA regulation. Interestingly, low complexity domains and coiled-coil motifs are highly dynamic, allowing for increased functional response to environmental influences. Finally, biomolecular condensates have been suggested to drive the formation of toxic, neurodegenerative proteins such as TDP-43 and tau. Here, we review the conversion of coiled-coil motifs to amyloid structures, and speculate a role that neuronal granules play in coiled-coil to amyloid conversions of neurodegenerative proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenzie K Ford
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Luana Fioriti
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Polyglutamine Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, Dulbecco Telethon Institute, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri (IRCCS), Milan, Italy
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Stress-Specific Spatiotemporal Responses of RNA-Binding Proteins in Human Stem-Cell-Derived Motor Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218346. [PMID: 33172210 PMCID: PMC7664327 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been shown to play a key role in the pathogenesis of a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an exemplar neurodegenerative disease characterised by rapid progression and relatively selective motor neuron loss. Nuclear-to-cytoplasmic mislocalisation and accumulation of RBPs have been identified as a pathological hallmark of the disease, yet the spatiotemporal responses of RBPs to different extrinsic stressors in human neurons remain incompletely understood. Here, we used healthy induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons to model how different types of cellular stress affect the nucleocytoplasmic localisation of key ALS-linked RBPs. We found that osmotic stress robustly induced nuclear loss of TDP-43, SPFQ, FUS, hnRNPA1 and hnRNPK, with characteristic changes in nucleocytoplasmic localisation in an RBP-dependent manner. Interestingly, we found that RBPs displayed stress-dependent characteristics, with unique responses to both heat and oxidative stress. Alongside nucleocytoplasmic protein distribution changes, we identified the formation of stress- and RBP-specific nuclear and cytoplasmic foci. Furthermore, the kinetics of nuclear relocalisation upon recovery from extrinsic stressors was also found to be both stress- and RBP-specific. Importantly, these experiments specifically highlight TDP-43 and FUS, two of the most recognised RBPs in ALS pathogenesis, as exhibiting delayed nuclear relocalisation following stress in healthy human motor neurons as compared to SFPQ, hnRNPA1 and hnRNPK. Notably, ALS-causing valosin containing protein (VCP) mutations did not disrupt the relocalisation dynamics of TDP-43 or FUS in human motor neurons following stress. An increased duration of TDP-43 and FUS within the cytoplasm after stress may render the environment more aggregation-prone, which may be poorly tolerated in the context of ALS and related neurodegenerative disorders. In summary, our study addresses stress-specific spatiotemporal responses of neurodegeneration-related RBPs in human motor neurons. The insights into the nucleocytoplasmic dynamics of RBPs provided here may be informative for future studies examining both disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategy.
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31
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Yu CH, Davidson S, Harapas CR, Hilton JB, Mlodzianoski MJ, Laohamonthonkul P, Louis C, Low RRJ, Moecking J, De Nardo D, Balka KR, Calleja DJ, Moghaddas F, Ni E, McLean CA, Samson AL, Tyebji S, Tonkin CJ, Bye CR, Turner BJ, Pepin G, Gantier MP, Rogers KL, McArthur K, Crouch PJ, Masters SL. TDP-43 Triggers Mitochondrial DNA Release via mPTP to Activate cGAS/STING in ALS. Cell 2020; 183:636-649.e18. [PMID: 33031745 PMCID: PMC7599077 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 492] [Impact Index Per Article: 123.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43 is a disease hallmark for many cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), associated with a neuroinflammatory cytokine profile related to upregulation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and type I interferon (IFN) pathways. Here we show that this inflammation is driven by the cytoplasmic DNA sensor cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-AMP synthase (cGAS) when TDP-43 invades mitochondria and releases DNA via the permeability transition pore. Pharmacologic inhibition or genetic deletion of cGAS and its downstream signaling partner STING prevents upregulation of NF-κB and type I IFN induced by TDP-43 in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons and in TDP-43 mutant mice. Finally, we document elevated levels of the specific cGAS signaling metabolite cGAMP in spinal cord samples from patients, which may be a biomarker of mtDNA release and cGAS/STING activation in ALS. Our results identify mtDNA release and cGAS/STING activation as critical determinants of TDP-43-associated pathology and demonstrate the potential for targeting this pathway in ALS. TDP-43 enters mitochondria, triggers mtDNA release via the mPTP TDP-43-induced cytosolic mtDNA accumulation activates the cGAS/STING pathway Evidence of cytoplasmic mtDNA was found in ALS patient cells and disease models Blocking STING prevents inflammation and neurodegeneration in vitro and in vivo
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Hsiung Yu
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Sophia Davidson
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Cassandra R Harapas
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - James B Hilton
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Michael J Mlodzianoski
- Centre for Dynamic Imaging, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Pawat Laohamonthonkul
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Cynthia Louis
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Ronnie Ren Jie Low
- Personalised Oncology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Jonas Moecking
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dominic De Nardo
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Katherine R Balka
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Dale J Calleja
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Fiona Moghaddas
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Department of Immunology and Allergy, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Erya Ni
- Infection and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Catriona A McLean
- Anatomical Pathology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Andre L Samson
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Shiraz Tyebji
- Infection and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Christopher J Tonkin
- Infection and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Christopher R Bye
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Bradley J Turner
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Genevieve Pepin
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Michael P Gantier
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Kelly L Rogers
- Centre for Dynamic Imaging, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Kate McArthur
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Peter J Crouch
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Seth L Masters
- Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Immunology Laboratory, Guangzhou Institute of Paediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Centre, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510623, China.
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Chen L. FUS mutation is probably the most common pathogenic gene for JALS, especially sporadic JALS. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2020; 177:333-340. [PMID: 33036763 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2020.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS) is a rare and severe form of ALS. The development of gene sequencing methods has resulted in increased reports of JALS cases in recent years, and additional gene mutations in FUS have been identified. Fused in sarcoma (FUS) mutations, appeared rarely in classical ALS but indeed were the most frequent pathogenic mutations in JALS, especially in sporadic JALS. After studied the reports in the last 10 years about JALS cases, the case characteristics caused by FUS mutations and the commonality of the mutation sites were summarized in this review. FUS mutation associated with more than half of JALS and the very majority of sporadic JALS. It's worth noting that almost all of the mutations occur in nuclear localization signal (NLS) of FUS in sporadic JALS. This discovery emphasized a new perspective focus on NLS for the diagnosis and etiology of sporadic JALS as well as for further study about new treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1, Janshe East Road, Zhengzhou, 450000 Henan Province, China.
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33
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Identification of Molecular Signatures in Neural Differentiation and Neurological Diseases Using Digital Color-Coded Molecular Barcoding. Stem Cells Int 2020; 2020:8852313. [PMID: 33005195 PMCID: PMC7503121 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8852313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, represent powerful tools for disease modeling and for therapeutic applications. PSCs are particularly useful for the study of development and diseases of the nervous system. However, generating in vitro models that recapitulate the architecture and the full variety of subtypes of cells that make the complexity of our brain remains a challenge. In order to fully exploit the potential of PSCs, advanced methods that facilitate the identification of molecular signatures in neural differentiation and neurological diseases are highly demanded. Here, we review the literature on the development and application of digital color-coded molecular barcoding as a potential tool for standardizing PSC research and applications in neuroscience. We will also describe relevant examples of the use of this technique for the characterization of the heterogeneous composition of the brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme.
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34
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Gotor NL, Armaos A, Calloni G, Torrent Burgas M, Vabulas R, De Groot NS, Tartaglia GG. RNA-binding and prion domains: the Yin and Yang of phase separation. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:9491-9504. [PMID: 32857852 PMCID: PMC7515694 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins and RNAs assemble in membrane-less organelles that organize intracellular spaces and regulate biochemical reactions. The ability of proteins and RNAs to form condensates is encoded in their sequences, yet it is unknown which domains drive the phase separation (PS) process and what are their specific roles. Here, we systematically investigated the human and yeast proteomes to find regions promoting condensation. Using advanced computational methods to predict the PS propensity of proteins, we designed a set of experiments to investigate the contributions of Prion-Like Domains (PrLDs) and RNA-binding domains (RBDs). We found that one PrLD is sufficient to drive PS, whereas multiple RBDs are needed to modulate the dynamics of the assemblies. In the case of stress granule protein Pub1 we show that the PrLD promotes sequestration of protein partners and the RBD confers liquid-like behaviour to the condensate. Our work sheds light on the fine interplay between RBDs and PrLD to regulate formation of membrane-less organelles, opening up the avenue for their manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nieves Lorenzo Gotor
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandros Armaos
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, RNA System Biology Lab, Via Enrico Melen 83, 16152 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giulia Calloni
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main,60438, Germany
| | - Marc Torrent Burgas
- Systems Biology of Infection Lab, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biosciences Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - R Martin Vabulas
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main,60438, Germany
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Biochemistry, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalia Sanchez De Groot
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gian Gaetano Tartaglia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, RNA System Biology Lab, Via Enrico Melen 83, 16152 Genoa, Italy
- Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 23 Passeig Lluis Companys, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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35
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Fasnall Induces Atypically Transient Stress Granules Independently of FASN Inhibition. iScience 2020; 23:101550. [PMID: 33083719 PMCID: PMC7516299 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress Granule formation has been linked to the resistance of some cancer cells to chemotherapeutic intervention. A number of studies have proposed that certain anti-tumor compounds promote cancer cell survival by inducing Stress Granule formation, leading to increased cellular fitness and apoptosis avoidance. Here we show that a potent fatty acid synthase inhibitor, fasnall, known for its anti-tumor capabilities, triggers the formation of atypical Stress Granules, independently of fatty acid synthase inhibition, characterized by high internal mobility and rapid turnover.
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36
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Chronic stress induces formation of stress granules and pathological TDP-43 aggregates in human ALS fibroblasts and iPSC-motoneurons. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 145:105051. [PMID: 32827688 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the presence of neuropathological aggregates of phosphorylated TDP-43 (P-TDP-43) protein. The RNA-binding protein TDP-43 participates also to cell stress response by forming stress granules (SG) in the cytoplasm to temporarily arrest translation. The hypothesis that TDP-43 pathology directly arises from SG has been proposed but is still under debate because only sub-lethal stress conditions have been tested experimentally so far. In this study we reproduced a mild and chronic oxidative stress by sodium arsenite to better mimic the persistent and subtle alterations occurring during the neurodegenerative process in primary fibroblasts and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motoneurons (iPSC-MN) from ALS patients carrying mutations in TARDBP and C9ORF72 genes. We found that not only the acute sub-lethal stress usually used in literature, but also the chronic oxidative insult was able to induce SG formation in both primary fibroblasts and iPSC-MN. We also observed the recruitment of TDP-43 into SG only upon chronic stress in association to the formation of distinct cytoplasmic P-TDP-43 aggregates and a significant increase of the autophagy marker p62. A quantitative analysis revealed differences in both the number of cells forming SG in mutant ALS and healthy control fibroblasts, suggesting a specific genetic contribution to cell stress response, and in SG size, suggesting a different composition of these cytoplasmic foci in the two stress conditions. Upon removal of arsenite, the recovery from chronic stress was complete for SG and P-TDP-43 aggregates at 72 h with the exception of p62, which was reduced but still persistent, supporting the hypothesis that autophagy impairment may drive pathological TDP-43 aggregates formation. The gene-specific differences observed in fibroblasts in response to oxidative stress were not present in iPSC-MN, which showed a similar formation of SG and P-TDP-43 aggregates regardless their genotype. Our results show that SG and P-TDP-43 aggregates may be recapitulated in patient-derived neuronal and non-neuronal cells exposed to prolonged oxidative stress, which may be therefore exploited to study TDP-43 pathology and to develop individualized therapeutic strategies for ALS/FTD.
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37
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Vasques JF, Mendez-Otero R, Gubert F. Modeling ALS using iPSCs: is it possible to reproduce the phenotypic variations observed in patients in vitro? Regen Med 2020; 15:1919-1933. [PMID: 32795164 DOI: 10.2217/rme-2020-0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease that leads to progressive degeneration of motoneurons. Mutations in the C9ORF72, SOD1, TARDBP and FUS genes, among others, have been associated with ALS. Although motoneuron degeneration is the common outcome of ALS, different pathological mechanisms seem to be involved in this process, depending on the genotypic background of the patient. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology enabled the development of patient-specific cell lines, from which it is possible to generate different cell types and search for phenotypic alterations. In this review, we summarize the pathophysiological markers detected in cells differentiated from iPSCs of ALS patients. In a translational perspective, iPSCs from ALS patients could be useful for drug screening, through stratifying patients according to their genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Ferreira Vasques
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Medicina Regenerativa
| | - Rosalia Mendez-Otero
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Medicina Regenerativa
| | - Fernanda Gubert
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Medicina Regenerativa.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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38
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Proteomics analysis of FUS mutant human motoneurons reveals altered regulation of cytoskeleton and other ALS-linked proteins via 3'UTR binding. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11827. [PMID: 32678235 PMCID: PMC7366621 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68794-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) mutated RNA binding proteins acquire aberrant functions, leading to altered RNA metabolism with significant impact on encoded protein levels. Here, by taking advantage of a human induced pluripotent stem cell-based model, we aimed to gain insights on the impact of ALS mutant FUS on the motoneuron proteome. Label-free proteomics analysis by mass-spectrometry revealed upregulation of proteins involved in catabolic processes and oxidation–reduction, and downregulation of cytoskeletal proteins and factors directing neuron projection. Mechanistically, proteome alteration does not correlate with transcriptome changes. Rather, we observed a strong correlation with selective binding of mutant FUS to target mRNAs in their 3′UTR. Novel validated targets, selectively bound by mutant FUS, include genes previously involved in familial or sporadic ALS, such as VCP, and regulators of membrane trafficking and cytoskeleton remodeling, such as ASAP1. These findings unveil a novel mechanism by which mutant FUS might intersect other pathogenic pathways in ALS patients’ motoneurons.
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39
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HOTAIRM1 regulates neuronal differentiation by modulating NEUROGENIN 2 and the downstream neurogenic cascade. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:527. [PMID: 32661334 PMCID: PMC7359305 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-02738-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal differentiation is a timely and spatially regulated process, relying on precisely orchestrated gene expression control. The sequential activation/repression of genes driving cell fate specification is achieved by complex regulatory networks, where transcription factors and noncoding RNAs work in a coordinated manner. Herein, we identify the long noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1 (HOXA Transcript Antisense RNA, Myeloid-Specific 1) as a new player in neuronal differentiation. We demonstrate that the neuronal-enriched HOTAIRM1 isoform epigenetically controls the expression of the proneural transcription factor NEUROGENIN 2 that is key to neuronal fate commitment and critical for brain development. We also show that HOTAIRM1 activity impacts on NEUROGENIN 2 downstream regulatory cascade, thus contributing to the achievement of proper neuronal differentiation timing. Finally, we identify the RNA-binding proteins HNRNPK and FUS as regulators of HOTAIRM1 biogenesis and metabolism. Our findings uncover a new regulatory layer underlying NEUROGENIN 2 transitory expression in neuronal differentiation and reveal a previously unidentified function for the neuronal-induced long noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1.
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40
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Martone J, Lisi M, Castagnetti F, Rosa A, Di Carlo V, Blanco E, Setti A, Mariani D, Colantoni A, Santini T, Perone L, Di Croce L, Bozzoni I. Trans-generational epigenetic regulation associated with the amelioration of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. EMBO Mol Med 2020; 12:e12063. [PMID: 32596946 PMCID: PMC7411655 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202012063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Exon skipping is an effective strategy for the treatment of many Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) mutations. Natural exon skipping observed in several DMD cases can help in identifying novel therapeutic tools. Here, we show a DMD study case where the lack of a splicing factor (Celf2a), which results in exon skipping and dystrophin rescue, is due to a maternally inherited trans‐generational epigenetic silencing. We found that the study case and his mother express a repressive long non‐coding RNA, DUXAP8, whose presence correlates with silencing of the Celf2a coding region. We also demonstrate that DUXAP8 expression is lost upon cell reprogramming and that, upon induction of iPSCs into myoblasts, Celf2a expression is recovered leading to the loss of exon skipping and loss of dystrophin synthesis. Finally, CRISPR/Cas9 inactivation of the splicing factor Celf2a was proven to ameliorate the pathological state in other DMD backgrounds establishing Celf2a ablation or inactivation as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Martone
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,CNR Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Lisi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Castagnetti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Adriano Setti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Mariani
- Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessio Colantoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Santini
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Perone
- Cell Culture and Cytogenetics Core, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Luciano Di Croce
- Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,CNR Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), Rome, Italy.,Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
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41
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Liscic RM, Alberici A, Cairns NJ, Romano M, Buratti E. From basic research to the clinic: innovative therapies for ALS and FTD in the pipeline. Mol Neurodegener 2020; 15:31. [PMID: 32487123 PMCID: PMC7268618 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-020-00373-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) are neurodegenerative disorders, related by deterioration of motor and cognitive functions and short survival. Aside from cases with an inherited pathogenic mutation, the causes of the disorders are still largely unknown and no effective treatment currently exists. It has been shown that FTD may coexist with ALS and this overlap occurs at clinical, genetic, and molecular levels. In this work, we review the main pathological aspects of these complex diseases and discuss how the integration of the novel pathogenic molecular insights and the analysis of molecular interaction networks among all the genetic players represents a critical step to shed light on discovering novel therapeutic strategies and possibly tailoring personalized medicine approaches to specific ALS and FTD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajka Maria Liscic
- Department of Neurology, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria
- School of Medicine, University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Antonella Alberici
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neurological Sciences and Vision, ASST-Spedali Civili-University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Nigel John Cairns
- College of Medicine and Health and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Maurizio Romano
- Department of Life Sciences, Via Valerio 28, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Emanuele Buratti
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano 99, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
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42
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Yousefi N, Abdollahii S, Kouhbanani MAJ, Hassanzadeh A. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as game-changing tools in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease: Mirage or reality? J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:9166-9184. [PMID: 32437029 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Based on investigations, there exist tight correlations between neurodegenerative diseases' incidence and progression and aberrant protein aggregreferates in nervous tissue. However, the pathology of these diseases is not well known, leading to an inability to find an appropriate therapeutic approach to delay occurrence or slow many neurodegenerative diseases' development. The accessibility of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in mimicking the phenotypes of various late-onset neurodegenerative diseases presents a novel strategy for in vitro disease modeling. The iPSCs provide a valuable and well-identified resource to clarify neurodegenerative disease mechanisms, as well as prepare a promising human stem cell platform for drug screening. Undoubtedly, neurodegenerative disease modeling using iPSCs has established innovative opportunities for both mechanistic types of research and recognition of novel disease treatments. Most important, the iPSCs have been considered as a novel autologous cell origin for cell-based therapy of neurodegenerative diseases following differentiation to varied types of neural lineage cells (e.g. GABAergic neurons, dopamine neurons, cortical neurons, and motor neurons). In this review, we summarize iPSC-based disease modeling in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. Moreover, we discuss the efficacy of cell-replacement therapies for neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niloufar Yousefi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Pasteur Instittableute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.,Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahla Abdollahii
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Jadidi Kouhbanani
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Hassanzadeh
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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43
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Srinivasan E, Rajasekaran R. A Systematic and Comprehensive Review on Disease-Causing Genes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. J Mol Neurosci 2020; 70:1742-1770. [PMID: 32415434 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-020-01569-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by degeneration and axon loss from the upper motor neuron, that descends from the lower motor neuron in the brain. Over the period, assorted outcomes from medical findings, molecular pathogenesis, and structural and biophysical studies have abetted in providing thoughtful insights underlying the importance of disease-causing genes in ALS. Consequently, numerous mechanisms were proposed for the pathogenesis of ALS, considering protein mutations, aggregation, and misfolding. Besides, the answers to the majority of ALS cases that happen to be sporadic still remain obscure. The application in discovering susceptibility factors in ALS contemplating the genetic factors is to be further dissevered in the future years with innovation in research studies. Hence, this review targets in revisiting the breakthroughs on the disease-causing genes related with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Srinivasan
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (deemed to be university), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - R Rajasekaran
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (deemed to be university), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
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44
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Establishment of an in Vitro Human Blood-Brain Barrier Model Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Comparison to a Porcine Cell-Based System. Cells 2020; 9:cells9040994. [PMID: 32316221 PMCID: PMC7226989 DOI: 10.3390/cells9040994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is responsible for the homeostasis between the cerebral vasculature and the brain and it has a key role in regulating the influx and efflux of substances, in healthy and diseased states. Stem cell technology offers the opportunity to use human brain-specific cells to establish in vitro BBB models. Here, we describe the establishment of a human BBB model in a two-dimensional monolayer culture, derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). This model was characterized by a transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) higher than 2000 Ω∙cm2 and associated with negligible paracellular transport. The hiPSC-derived BBB model maintained the functionality of major endothelial transporter proteins and receptors. Some proprietary molecules from our central nervous system (CNS) programs were evaluated revealing comparable permeability in the human model and in the model from primary porcine brain endothelial cells (PBECs).
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45
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Shelkovnikova TA, An H, Skelt L, Tregoning JS, Humphreys IR, Buchman VL. Antiviral Immune Response as a Trigger of FUS Proteinopathy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Cell Rep 2019; 29:4496-4508.e4. [PMID: 31875556 PMCID: PMC6941233 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the FUS gene cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS-FUS). In ALS-FUS, FUS-positive inclusions are detected in the cytoplasm of neurons and glia, a condition known as FUS proteinopathy. Mutant FUS incorporates into stress granules (SGs) and can spontaneously form cytoplasmic RNA granules in cultured cells. However, it is unclear what can trigger the persistence of mutant FUS assemblies and lead to inclusion formation. Using CRISPR/Cas9 cell lines and patient fibroblasts, we find that the viral mimic dsRNA poly(I:C) or a SG-inducing virus causes the sustained presence of mutant FUS assemblies. These assemblies sequester the autophagy receptor optineurin and nucleocytoplasmic transport factors. Furthermore, an integral component of the antiviral immune response, type I interferon, promotes FUS protein accumulation by increasing FUS mRNA stability. Finally, mutant FUS-expressing cells are hypersensitive to dsRNA toxicity. Our data suggest that the antiviral immune response is a plausible second hit for FUS proteinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana A Shelkovnikova
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK; Medicines Discovery Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
| | - Haiyan An
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK; Medicines Discovery Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Lucy Skelt
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - John S Tregoning
- Department of Infectious Disease, St Mary's Campus, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK
| | - Ian R Humphreys
- Systems Immunity Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Vladimir L Buchman
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK; Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds of RAS, Chernogolovka 142432, Russian Federation.
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46
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Mejzini R, Flynn LL, Pitout IL, Fletcher S, Wilton SD, Akkari PA. ALS Genetics, Mechanisms, and Therapeutics: Where Are We Now? Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1310. [PMID: 31866818 PMCID: PMC6909825 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 454] [Impact Index Per Article: 90.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The scientific landscape surrounding amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) continues to shift as the number of genes associated with the disease risk and pathogenesis, and the cellular processes involved, continues to grow. Despite decades of intense research and over 50 potentially causative or disease-modifying genes identified, etiology remains unexplained and treatment options remain limited for the majority of ALS patients. Various factors have contributed to the slow progress in understanding and developing therapeutics for this disease. Here, we review the genetic basis of ALS, highlighting factors that have contributed to the elusiveness of genetic heritability. The most commonly mutated ALS-linked genes are reviewed with an emphasis on disease-causing mechanisms. The cellular processes involved in ALS pathogenesis are discussed, with evidence implicating their involvement in ALS summarized. Past and present therapeutic strategies and the benefits and limitations of the model systems available to ALS researchers are discussed with future directions for research that may lead to effective treatment strategies outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Mejzini
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Loren L. Flynn
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Ianthe L. Pitout
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Sue Fletcher
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Steve D. Wilton
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - P. Anthony Akkari
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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47
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Casci I, Krishnamurthy K, Kour S, Tripathy V, Ramesh N, Anderson EN, Marrone L, Grant RA, Oliver S, Gochenaur L, Patel K, Sterneckert J, Gleixner AM, Donnelly CJ, Ruepp MD, Sini AM, Zuccaro E, Pennuto M, Pasinelli P, Pandey UB. Muscleblind acts as a modifier of FUS toxicity by modulating stress granule dynamics and SMN localization. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5583. [PMID: 31811140 PMCID: PMC6898697 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13383-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in fused in sarcoma (FUS) lead to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with varying ages of onset, progression and severity. This suggests that unknown genetic factors contribute to disease pathogenesis. Here we show the identification of muscleblind as a novel modifier of FUS-mediated neurodegeneration in vivo. Muscleblind regulates cytoplasmic mislocalization of mutant FUS and subsequent accumulation in stress granules, dendritic morphology and toxicity in mammalian neuronal and human iPSC-derived neurons. Interestingly, genetic modulation of endogenous muscleblind was sufficient to restore survival motor neuron (SMN) protein localization in neurons expressing pathogenic mutations in FUS, suggesting a potential mode of suppression of FUS toxicity. Upregulation of SMN suppressed FUS toxicity in Drosophila and primary cortical neurons, indicating a link between FUS and SMN. Our data provide in vivo evidence that muscleblind is a dominant modifier of FUS-mediated neurodegeneration by regulating FUS-mediated ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Casci
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Karthik Krishnamurthy
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sukhleen Kour
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vadreenath Tripathy
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nandini Ramesh
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Eric N Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lara Marrone
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rogan A Grant
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Stacie Oliver
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lauren Gochenaur
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Krishani Patel
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jared Sterneckert
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Amanda M Gleixner
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Live Like Lou Center for ALS Research, Brain Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Christopher J Donnelly
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Live Like Lou Center for ALS Research, Brain Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marc-David Ruepp
- UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Antonella M Sini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences (DBS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Emanuela Zuccaro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences (DBS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Pennuto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences (DBS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), Padova, Italy
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Udai Bhan Pandey
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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48
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Hawrot J, Imhof S, Wainger BJ. Modeling cell-autonomous motor neuron phenotypes in ALS using iPSCs. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 134:104680. [PMID: 31759135 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an aggressive and uniformly fatal degenerative disease of the motor nervous system. In order to understand underlying disease mechanisms, researchers leverage a host of in vivo and in vitro models, including yeast, worms, flies, zebrafish, mice, and more recently, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from ALS patients. While mouse models have been the main workhorse of preclinical ALS research, the development of iPSCs provides a new opportunity to explore molecular phenotypes of ALS within human cells. Importantly, this technology enables modeling of both familial and sporadic ALS in the relevant human genetic backgrounds, as well as a personalized or targeted approach to therapy development. Harnessing these powerful tools requires addressing numerous challenges, including different variance components associated with iPSCs and motor neurons as well as concomitant limits of reductionist approaches. In order to overcome these obstacles, optimization of protocols and assays, confirmation of phenotype robustness at scale, and validation of findings in human tissue and genetics will cement the role for iPSC models as a valuable complement to animal models in ALS and more broadly among neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Hawrot
- Departments of Neurology and Anesthesia, Critical Care & Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sophie Imhof
- Departments of Neurology and Anesthesia, Critical Care & Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Brian J Wainger
- Departments of Neurology and Anesthesia, Critical Care & Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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49
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Pugliese GM, Salaris F, Palermo V, Marabitti V, Morina N, Rosa A, Franchitto A, Pichierri P. Inducible SMARCAL1 knockdown in iPSC reveals a link between replication stress and altered expression of master differentiation genes. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm.039487. [PMID: 31515241 PMCID: PMC6826020 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.039487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia is an autosomal recessive genetic osteochondrodysplasia characterized by dysmorphism, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, nephrotic syndrome and frequently T cell immunodeficiency. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the pathophysiology of the disease; however, the mechanism by which SMARCAL1 mutations cause the syndrome is elusive. Here, we generated a conditional SMARCAL1 knockdown model in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to mimic conditions associated with the severe form the disease. Using multiple cellular endpoints, we characterized this model for the presence of phenotypes linked to the replication caretaker role of SMARCAL1. Our data show that conditional knockdown of SMARCAL1 in human iPSCs induces replication-dependent and chronic accumulation of DNA damage triggering the DNA damage response. Furthermore, they indicate that accumulation of DNA damage and activation of the DNA damage response correlates with increased levels of R-loops and replication-transcription interference. Finally, we provide evidence that SMARCAL1-deficient iPSCs maintain active DNA damage response beyond differentiation, possibly contributing to the observed altered expression of a subset of germ layer-specific master genes. Confirming the relevance of SMARCAL1 loss for the observed phenotypes, they are prevented or rescued after re-expression of wild-type SMARCAL1 in our iPSC model. In conclusion, our conditional SMARCAL1 knockdown model in iPSCs may represent a powerful model when studying pathogenetic mechanisms of severe Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusj Monia Pugliese
- Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Models Unit, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Salaris
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Palermo
- Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Models Unit, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Veronica Marabitti
- Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Models Unit, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Nicolò Morina
- Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Models Unit, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Annapaola Franchitto
- Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Models Unit, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Pichierri
- Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Models Unit, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy .,Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi, Via delle Medaglie d'Oro, 00136 Rome, Italy
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50
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Picchiarelli G, Demestre M, Zuko A, Been M, Higelin J, Dieterlé S, Goy MA, Mallik M, Sellier C, Scekic-Zahirovic J, Zhang L, Rosenbohm A, Sijlmans C, Aly A, Mersmann S, Sanjuan-Ruiz I, Hübers A, Messaddeq N, Wagner M, van Bakel N, Boutillier AL, Ludolph A, Lagier-Tourenne C, Boeckers TM, Dupuis L, Storkebaum E. FUS-mediated regulation of acetylcholine receptor transcription at neuromuscular junctions is compromised in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:1793-1805. [PMID: 31591561 PMCID: PMC6858880 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0498-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) disruption is an early pathogenic event in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Yet, direct links between NMJ pathways and ALS-associated genes such as FUS, whose heterozygous mutations cause aggressive forms of ALS, remain elusive. In a knock-in Fus-ALS mouse model, we identified postsynaptic NMJ defects in newborn homozygous mutants, attributable to mutant FUS toxicity in skeletal muscle. Adult heterozygous knock-in mice displayed smaller neuromuscular endplates that denervated before motor neuron loss, consistent with ‘dying-back’ neuronopathy. FUS was enriched in subsynaptic myonuclei, and this innervation-dependent enrichment was distorted in FUS-ALS. Mechanistically, FUS collaborates with the ETS-transcription factor ERM to stimulate transcription of acetylcholine receptor (AchR) genes. FUS-ALS patient iPSC-derived motor neuron-myotube co-cultures revealed endplate maturation defects due to intrinsic FUS toxicity in both motor neurons and myotubes. Thus, FUS regulates AChR gene expression in subsynaptic myonuclei and muscle-intrinsic toxicity of ALS-mutant FUS may contribute to dying-back motor neuronopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Demestre
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Amila Zuko
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marije Been
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Julia Higelin
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Moushami Mallik
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Chantal Sellier
- IGBMC, INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | | | - Li Zhang
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | | | - Céline Sijlmans
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Amr Aly
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sina Mersmann
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | | | | | - Nadia Messaddeq
- IGBMC, INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Marina Wagner
- Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Nick van Bakel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne-Laurence Boutillier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France
| | - Albert Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Oberer Eselsberg 45, Ulm, Germany
| | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tobias M Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. .,DZNE, Ulm site, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Erik Storkebaum
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany. .,Faculty of Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
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