1
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Zhu Y, Burg T, Neyrinck K, Vervliet T, Nami F, Vervoort E, Ahuja K, Sassano ML, Chai YC, Tharkeshwar AK, De Smedt J, Hu H, Bultynck G, Agostinis P, Swinnen JV, Van Den Bosch L, da Costa RFM, Verfaillie C. Disruption of MAM integrity in mutant FUS oligodendroglial progenitors from hiPSCs. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:6. [PMID: 38170217 PMCID: PMC10764485 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02666-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by selective loss of motor neurons (MNs). A number of causative genetic mutations underlie the disease, including mutations in the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene, which can lead to both juvenile and late-onset ALS. Although ALS results from MN death, there is evidence that dysfunctional glial cells, including oligodendroglia, contribute to neurodegeneration. Here, we used human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) with a R521H or a P525L mutation in FUS and their isogenic controls to generate oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) by inducing SOX10 expression from a TET-On SOX10 cassette. Mutant and control iPSCs differentiated efficiently into OPCs. RNA sequencing identified a myelin sheath-related phenotype in mutant OPCs. Lipidomic studies demonstrated defects in myelin-related lipids, with a reduction of glycerophospholipids in mutant OPCs. Interestingly, FUSR521H OPCs displayed a decrease in the phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine ratio, known to be associated with maintaining membrane integrity. A proximity ligation assay further indicated that mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAM) were diminished in both mutant FUS OPCs. Moreover, both mutant FUS OPCs displayed increased susceptibility to ER stress when exposed to thapsigargin, and exhibited impaired mitochondrial respiration and reduced Ca2+ signaling from ER Ca2+ stores. Taken together, these results demonstrate a pathological role of mutant FUS in OPCs, causing defects in lipid metabolism associated with MAM disruption manifested by impaired mitochondrial metabolism with increased susceptibility to ER stress and with suppressed physiological Ca2+ signaling. As such, further exploration of the role of oligodendrocyte dysfunction in the demise of MNs is crucial and will provide new insights into the complex cellular mechanisms underlying ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingli Zhu
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Thibaut Burg
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katrien Neyrinck
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tim Vervliet
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Signalling, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fatemeharefeh Nami
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ellen Vervoort
- Laboratory of Cell Death Research and Therapy, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karan Ahuja
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Department of Biology, Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maria Livia Sassano
- Laboratory of Cell Death Research and Therapy, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yoke Chin Chai
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arun Kumar Tharkeshwar
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonathan De Smedt
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Haibo Hu
- National Engineering Research Center for Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Hakka Medical Resources Branch, School of Pharmacy, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Geert Bultynck
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Signalling, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrizia Agostinis
- Laboratory of Cell Death Research and Therapy, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johannes V Swinnen
- Laboratory of Lipid Metabolism and Cancer, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Catherine Verfaillie
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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2
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Rezvykh A, Shteinberg D, Bronovitsky E, Ustyugov A, Funikov S. Animal Models of FUS-Proteinopathy: A Systematic Review. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:S34-S56. [PMID: 38621743 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924140037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Mutations that disrupt the function of the DNA/RNA-binding protein FUS could cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. One of the key features in ALS pathogenesis is the formation of insoluble protein aggregates containing aberrant isoforms of the FUS protein in the cytoplasm of upper and lower motor neurons. Reproduction of human pathology in animal models is the main tool for studying FUS-associated pathology and searching for potential therapeutic agents for ALS treatment. In this review, we provide a systematic analysis of the role of FUS protein in ALS pathogenesis and an overview of the results of modelling FUS-proteinopathy in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Rezvykh
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Daniil Shteinberg
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds, Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russia
| | | | - Aleksey Ustyugov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds, Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russia
| | - Sergei Funikov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
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3
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Rizzuti M, Sali L, Melzi V, Scarcella S, Costamagna G, Ottoboni L, Quetti L, Brambilla L, Papadimitriou D, Verde F, Ratti A, Ticozzi N, Comi GP, Corti S, Gagliardi D. Genomic and transcriptomic advances in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 92:102126. [PMID: 37972860 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the most common motor neuron disease. ALS shows substantial clinical and molecular heterogeneity. In vitro and in vivo models coupled with multiomic techniques have provided important contributions to unraveling the pathomechanisms underlying ALS. To date, despite promising results and accumulating knowledge, an effective treatment is still lacking. Here, we provide an overview of the literature on the use of genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics and microRNAs to deeply investigate the molecular mechanisms developing and sustaining ALS. We report the most relevant genes implicated in ALS pathogenesis, discussing the use of different high-throughput sequencing techniques and the role of epigenomic modifications. Furthermore, we present transcriptomic studies discussing the most recent advances, from microarrays to bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing. Finally, we discuss the use of microRNAs as potential biomarkers and promising tools for molecular intervention. The integration of data from multiple omic approaches may provide new insights into pathogenic pathways in ALS by shedding light on diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, helping to stratify patients into clinically relevant subgroups, revealing novel therapeutic targets and supporting the development of new effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda Rizzuti
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Sali
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Melzi
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Scarcella
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Costamagna
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Linda Ottoboni
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Quetti
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Brambilla
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Federico Verde
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pietro Comi
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Corti
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Delia Gagliardi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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4
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Xie Y, Ye J, Luo H. HOXC Cluster Antisense RNA 3, a Novel Long Non-Coding RNA as an Oncological Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Human Malignancies. Onco Targets Ther 2023; 16:849-865. [PMID: 37899986 PMCID: PMC10612484 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s425523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
HOXC cluster antisense RNA 3 (HOXC-AS3) is a novel long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that exhibits aberrant expression patterns in various cancer types. Its expression is closely related to clinicopathological features, demonstrating significant clinical relevance across multiple tumors. And HOXC-AS3 plays multifaceted roles in tumor progression, impacting cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), autophagy, senescence, tumor growth, and metastasis. In this review, we summarized and comprehensively analyzed the expression and clinical significance of HOXC-AS3 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for malignancies. Additionally, we presented an in-depth update on HOXC-AS3's functions and regulatory mechanisms in cancer pathogenesis. This narrative review underscores the importance of HOXC-AS3 as a promising lncRNA candidate in cancer research and its potential as a predictive biomarker and therapeutic target in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhe Xie
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330008, People’s Republic of China
- Department of General Surgery, Jiujiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, 332007, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiarong Ye
- Queen Mary School, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongliang Luo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330008, People’s Republic of China
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5
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Zarubin M, Azorskaya T, Kuldoshina O, Alekseev S, Mitrofanov S, Kravchenko E. The tardigrade Dsup protein enhances radioresistance in Drosophila melanogaster and acts as an unspecific repressor of transcription. iScience 2023; 26:106998. [PMID: 37534176 PMCID: PMC10391675 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The tardigrade-unique damage suppressor protein (Dsup) can protect DNA from ionizing radiation and reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we generated Dsup-expressing lines of Drosophila melanogaster and demonstrated that Dsup increased the survival rate after γ-ray irradiation and hydrogen peroxide treatment in flies too, but reduced the level of their locomotor activity. The transcriptome analyses of Dsup-expressing lines revealed a significant number of DEGs, >99% of which were down-regulated. Moreover, Dsup could bind RNA. These findings suggest that Dsup can act not only as a DNA protector but also as a non-specific transcriptional repressor and RNA-binding protein, that may lead to disturbance of a number of biological processes in D. melanogaster. The obtained data demonstrate features of the Dsup protein action in non-tardigrade organisms and can be used to understand the impact of other unspecific DNA/RNA-binding proteins on ROS and radiation resistance, gene expression, and epigenetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Zarubin
- Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Talyana Azorskaya
- Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Olga Kuldoshina
- Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Sergey Alekseev
- Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Semen Mitrofanov
- Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Elena Kravchenko
- Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
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6
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Barry A, Samuel SF, Hosni I, Moursi A, Feugere L, Sennett CJ, Deepak S, Achawal S, Rajaraman C, Iles A, Wollenberg Valero KC, Scott IS, Green V, Stead LF, Greenman J, Wade MA, Beltran-Alvarez P. Investigating the effects of arginine methylation inhibitors on microdissected brain tumour biopsies maintained in a miniaturised perfusion system. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:2664-2682. [PMID: 37191188 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00204g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Arginine methylation is a post-translational modification that consists of the transfer of one or two methyl (CH3) groups to arginine residues in proteins. Several types of arginine methylation occur, namely monomethylation, symmetric dimethylation and asymmetric dimethylation, which are catalysed by different protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). Inhibitors of PRMTs have recently entered clinical trials to target several types of cancer, including gliomas (NCT04089449). People with glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive form of brain tumour, are among those with the poorest quality of life and likelihood of survival of anyone diagnosed with cancer. There is currently a lack of (pre)clinical research on the possible application of PRMT inhibitors to target brain tumours. Here, we set out to investigate the effects of clinically-relevant PRMT inhibitors on GBM biopsies. We present a new, low-cost, easy to fabricate perfusion device that can maintain GBM tissue in a viable condition for at least eight days post-surgical resection. The miniaturised perfusion device enables the treatment of GBM tissue with PRMT inhibitors ex vivo, and we observed a two-fold increase in apoptosis in treated samples compared to parallel control experiments. Mechanistically, we show thousands of differentially expressed genes after treatment, and changes in the type of arginine methylation of the RNA binding protein FUS that are consistent with hundreds of differential gene splicing events. This is the first time that cross-talk between different types of arginine methylation has been observed in clinical samples after treatment with PRMT inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Barry
- Centre for Biomedicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.
| | - Sabrina F Samuel
- Centre for Biomedicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.
| | - Ines Hosni
- Centre for Biomedicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.
| | - Amr Moursi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, UK
| | - Lauric Feugere
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | | | - Srihari Deepak
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, UK
| | - Shailendra Achawal
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, UK
| | - Chittoor Rajaraman
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, UK
| | | | | | - Ian S Scott
- Neuroscience Laboratories, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Vicky Green
- Centre for Biomedicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.
| | - Lucy F Stead
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James's, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK
| | - John Greenman
- Centre for Biomedicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.
| | - Mark A Wade
- Centre for Biomedicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, UK.
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7
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Wang JY, Ma GM, Tang XQ, Shi QL, Yu MC, Lou MM, He KW, Wang WY. Brain region-specific synaptic function of FUS underlies the FTLD-linked behavioural disinhibition. Brain 2023; 146:2107-2119. [PMID: 36345573 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic dysfunction is one of the earliest pathological processes that contribute to the development of many neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. However, the synaptic function of many disease-causative genes and their contribution to the pathogenesis of the related diseases remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the synaptic role of fused in sarcoma, an RNA-binding protein linked to frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and its potential pathological role in frontotemporal lobar degeneration using pyramidal neuron-specific conditional knockout mice (FuscKO). We found that FUS regulates the expression of many genes associated with synaptic function in a hippocampal subregion-specific manner, concomitant with the frontotemporal lobar degeneration-linked behavioural disinhibition. Electrophysiological study and molecular pathway analyses further reveal that fused in sarcoma differentially regulates synaptic and neuronal properties in the ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex, respectively. Moreover, fused in sarcoma selectively modulates the ventral hippocampus-prefrontal cortex projection, which is known to mediate the anxiety-like behaviour. Our findings unveil the brain region- and synapse-specific role of fused in sarcoma, whose impairment might lead to the emotional symptoms associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Ying Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guo-Ming Ma
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Qiang Tang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qi-Li Shi
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Ming-Can Yu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Min-Min Lou
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kai-Wen He
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wen-Yuan Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
- Animal Center of Zoology, Institute of Neuroscience, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China
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8
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Mathias C, Marin AM, Kohler AF, Sanchuki HBS, Sukow N, Beltrame MH, Baal SCS, Sebastião APM, de Souza Fonseca Ribeiro EM, Gradia DF, Aoki MN, Carvalho de Oliveira J. LncRNA-SNPs in a Brazilian Breast Cancer Cohort: A Case-Control Study. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14050971. [PMID: 37239331 DOI: 10.3390/genes14050971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that contain more than 200 nucleotides and exhibit a versatile regulatory capacity. Genomic alterations in lncRNAs have already been investigated in several complex diseases, including breast cancer (BC). BC is a highly heterogeneous disease and is the most prevalent cancer type among women worldwide. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in lncRNA regions appear to have an important role in BC susceptibility; however, little is known about lncRNA-SNPs in the Brazilian population. This study used Brazilian tumor samples to identify lncRNA-SNPs with a biological role in BC development. We applied a bioinformatic approach intersecting lncRNAs that are differentially expressed in BC tumor samples using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort data and looked for lncRNAs with SNPs associated with BC in the Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) catalog. We highlight four lncRNA-SNPs-rs3803662, rs4415084, rs4784227, and rs7716600-which were genotyped in Brazilian BC samples in a case-control study. The SNPs rs4415084 and rs7716600 were associated with BC development at higher risk. These SNPs were also associated with progesterone status and lymph node status, respectively. The rs3803662/rs4784227 haplotype GT was associated with BC risk. These genomic alterations were also evaluated in light of the lncRNA's secondary structure and gain/loss of miRNA binding sites to better understand its biological functions. We emphasize that our bioinformatics approach could find lncRNA-SNPs with a potential biological role in BC development and that lncRNA-SNPs should be more deeply investigated in a highly heterogeneous disease population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Mathias
- Department of Genetics, Federal University of Parana, Graduate Program in Genetics, Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
| | - Anelis Maria Marin
- Laboratory of Applied Science and Technology in Health, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
| | - Ana Flávia Kohler
- Department of Genetics, Federal University of Parana, Graduate Program in Genetics, Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
| | - Heloisa Bruna Soligo Sanchuki
- Laboratory of Applied Science and Technology in Health, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
| | - Natalie Sukow
- Department of Genetics, Federal University of Parana, Graduate Program in Genetics, Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
| | - Marcia Holsbach Beltrame
- Department of Genetics, Federal University of Parana, Graduate Program in Genetics, Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
| | - Suelen Cristina Soares Baal
- Department of Genetics, Federal University of Parana, Graduate Program in Genetics, Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
| | | | | | - Daniela Fiori Gradia
- Department of Genetics, Federal University of Parana, Graduate Program in Genetics, Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
| | - Mateus Nóbrega Aoki
- Laboratory of Applied Science and Technology in Health, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
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9
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FUS Alters circRNA Metabolism in Human Motor Neurons Carrying the ALS-Linked P525L Mutation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043181. [PMID: 36834591 PMCID: PMC9968238 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Deregulation of RNA metabolism has emerged as one of the key events leading to the degeneration of motor neurons (MNs) in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease. Indeed, mutations on RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) or on proteins involved in aspects of RNA metabolism account for the majority of familiar forms of ALS. In particular, the impact of the ALS-linked mutations of the RBP FUS on many aspects of RNA-related processes has been vastly investigated. FUS plays a pivotal role in splicing regulation and its mutations severely alter the exon composition of transcripts coding for proteins involved in neurogenesis, axon guidance, and synaptic activity. In this study, by using in vitro-derived human MNs, we investigate the effect of the P525L FUS mutation on non-canonical splicing events that leads to the formation of circular RNAs (circRNAs). We observed altered levels of circRNAs in FUSP525L MNs and a preferential binding of the mutant protein to introns flanking downregulated circRNAs and containing inverted Alu repeats. For a subset of circRNAs, FUSP525L also impacts their nuclear/cytoplasmic partitioning, confirming its involvement in different processes of RNA metabolism. Finally, we assess the potential of cytoplasmic circRNAs to act as miRNA sponges, with possible implications in ALS pathogenesis.
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10
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Yokoi S, Ito T, Sahashi K, Nakatochi M, Nakamura R, Tohnai G, Fujioka Y, Ishigaki S, Udagawa T, Izumi Y, Morita M, Kano O, Oda M, Sone T, Okano H, Atsuta N, Katsuno M, Okada Y, Sobue G. The SYNGAP1 3'UTR Variant in ALS Patients Causes Aberrant SYNGAP1 Splicing and Dendritic Spine Loss by Recruiting HNRNPK. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8881-8896. [PMID: 36261283 PMCID: PMC9698725 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0455-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is a pathogenic RNA-binding protein in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We previously reported that FUS stabilizes Synaptic Ras-GTPase activating protein 1 (Syngap1) mRNA at its 3' untranslated region (UTR) and maintains spine maturation. To elucidate the pathologic roles of this mechanism in ALS patients, we identified the SYNGAP1 3'UTR variant rs149438267 in seven (four males and three females) out of 807 ALS patients at the FUS binding site from a multicenter cohort in Japan. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived motor neurons with the SYNGAP1 variant showed aberrant splicing, increased isoform α1 levels, and decreased isoform γ levels, which caused dendritic spine loss. Moreover, the SYNGAP1 variant excessively recruited FUS and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (HNRNPK), and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) blocking HNRNPK altered aberrant splicing and ameliorated dendritic spine loss. These data suggest that excessive recruitment of RNA-binding proteins, especially HNRNPK, as well as changes in SYNGAP1 isoforms, are crucial for spine formation in motor neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It is not yet known which RNAs cause the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We previously reported that Fused in sarcoma (FUS), a pathogenic RNA-binding protein in ALS, stabilizes synaptic Ras-GTPase activating protein 1 (Syngap1) mRNA at its 3' untranslated region (UTR) and maintains dendritic spine maturation. To elucidate whether this mechanism is crucial for ALS, we identified the SYNGAP1 3'UTR variant rs149438267 at the FUS binding site. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived motor neurons with the SYNGAP1 variant showed aberrant splicing, which caused dendritic spine loss along with excessive recruitment of FUS and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (HNRNPK). Our findings that dendritic spine loss is because of excess recruitment of RNA-binding proteins provide a basis for the future exploration of ALS-related RNA-binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Yokoi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Takuji Ito
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Aichi 480-1195, Japan
- Department of Neural iPSC Research, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Aichi 480-1195, Japan
| | - Kentaro Sahashi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nakatochi
- Public Health Informatics Unit, Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 461-8673, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Nakamura
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Aichi 480-1195, Japan
| | - Genki Tohnai
- Division of ALS Research, Aichi Medical University, Aichi 480-1195, Japan
| | - Yusuke Fujioka
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Ishigaki
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
- Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Udagawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Yuishin Izumi
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Mitsuya Morita
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke 329-0498, Japan
| | - Osamu Kano
- Department of Neurology, Toho University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan
| | - Masaya Oda
- Department of Neurology, Vihara Hananosato Hospital, Miyoshi 728-0001, Japan
| | - Takefumi Sone
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-0016, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-0016, Japan
| | - Naoki Atsuta
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Aichi 480-1195, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Yohei Okada
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Aichi 480-1195, Japan
- Department of Neural iPSC Research, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Aichi 480-1195, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
- Aichi Medical University, Aichi 480-1195, Japan
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11
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Strohm L, Hu Z, Suk Y, Rühmkorf A, Sternburg E, Gattringer V, Riemenschneider H, Berutti R, Graf E, Weishaupt JH, Brill MS, Harbauer AB, Dormann D, Dengjel J, Edbauer D, Behrends C. Multi-omics profiling identifies a deregulated FUS-MAP1B axis in ALS/FTD-associated UBQLN2 mutants. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/11/e202101327. [PMID: 35777956 PMCID: PMC9258132 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101327] [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: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of ALS patient-derived and engineered cells revealed that mutant UBQLN2 increases mRNA and protein of MAP1B which is mediated by dephosphorylation of FUS within its RNA-binding domain. Ubiquilin-2 (UBQLN2) is a ubiquitin-binding protein that shuttles ubiquitinated proteins to proteasomal and autophagic degradation. UBQLN2 mutations are genetically linked to the neurodegenerative disorders amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD). However, it remains elusive how UBQLN2 mutations cause ALS/FTD. Here, we systematically examined proteomic and transcriptomic changes in patient-derived lymphoblasts and CRISPR/Cas9–engineered HeLa cells carrying ALS/FTD UBQLN2 mutations. This analysis revealed a strong up-regulation of the microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B) which was also observed in UBQLN2 knockout cells and primary rodent neurons depleted of UBQLN2, suggesting that a UBQLN2 loss-of-function mechanism is responsible for the elevated MAP1B levels. Consistent with MAP1B’s role in microtubule binding, we detected an increase in total and acetylated tubulin. Furthermore, we uncovered that UBQLN2 mutations result in decreased phosphorylation of MAP1B and of the ALS/FTD–linked fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein at S439 which is critical for regulating FUS-RNA binding and MAP1B protein abundance. Together, our findings point to a deregulated UBQLN2-FUS-MAP1B axis that may link protein homeostasis, RNA metabolism, and cytoskeleton dynamics, three molecular pathomechanisms of ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Strohm
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Munich, Germany
| | - Zehan Hu
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Yongwon Suk
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Alina Rühmkorf
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Erin Sternburg
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Vanessa Gattringer
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Munich, Germany
| | - Henrick Riemenschneider
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Riccardo Berutti
- Institute of Human Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Graf
- Institut für Humangenetik, Klinikum Rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Angelika B Harbauer
- Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Dorothee Dormann
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Molecule Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jörn Dengjel
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Dieter Edbauer
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Behrends
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Munich, Germany
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12
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Lambert-Smith IA, Saunders DN, Yerbury JJ. Progress in biophysics and molecular biology proteostasis impairment and ALS. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 174:3-27. [PMID: 35716729 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that results from the loss of both upper and lower motor neurons. It is the most common motor neuron disease and currently has no effective treatment. There is mounting evidence to suggest that disturbances in proteostasis play a significant role in ALS pathogenesis. Proteostasis is the maintenance of the proteome at the right level, conformation and location to allow a cell to perform its intended function. In this review, we present a thorough synthesis of the literature that provides evidence that genetic mutations associated with ALS cause imbalance to a proteome that is vulnerable to such pressure due to its metastable nature. We propose that the mechanism underlying motor neuron death caused by defects in mRNA metabolism and protein degradation pathways converges on proteostasis dysfunction. We propose that the proteostasis network may provide an effective target for therapeutic development in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella A Lambert-Smith
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Darren N Saunders
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin J Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
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13
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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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14
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Nakaya T. A specific gene-splicing alteration in the SNRNP70 gene as a hallmark of an ALS subtype. Gene 2022; 818:146203. [PMID: 35101583 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been considered as one of the progressive neurodegenerative diseases. Numerous genetic factors in divergent molecular pathways have been identified as causative factors of ALS. However, the underlying molecular mechanism that causes this disease remains undetermined; as a result, this has driven the search to find consensus disease-specific hallmarks. In this study, we focused on the alteration of the ratio of two specific gene-splicing events in the SNRNP70 gene from RNA-seq data derived from patients with ALS and control subjects. The splicing profile was significantly and specifically changed in one previously identified ALS subtype. Conversely, the gene expression profile of other ALS cases containing a splicing alteration in the SNRNP70 gene was similar to that of the subtype, whereas ALS cases without this change have exhibited less similarity. These results indicate that this splicing event in the SNRNP70 gene could represent a novel and broadly applicable molecular hallmark of a subtype of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Nakaya
- School of Pharmacy at Fukuoka, International University of Health and Welfare, Fukuoka 831-8501, Japan.
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15
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Jungers CF, Djuranovic S. Modulation of miRISC-Mediated Gene Silencing in Eukaryotes. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:832916. [PMID: 35237661 PMCID: PMC8882679 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.832916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression is regulated at multiple levels in eukaryotic cells. Regulation at the post-transcriptional level is modulated by various trans-acting factors that bind to specific sequences in the messenger RNA (mRNA). The binding of different trans factors influences various aspects of the mRNA such as degradation rate, translation efficiency, splicing, localization, etc. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short endogenous ncRNAs that combine with the Argonaute to form the microRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC), which uses base-pair complementation to silence the target transcript. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) contribute to post-transcriptional control by influencing the mRNA stability and translation upon binding to cis-elements within the mRNA transcript. RBPs have been shown to impact gene expression through influencing the miRISC biogenesis, composition, or miRISC-mRNA target interaction. While there is clear evidence that those interactions between RBPs, miRNAs, miRISC and target mRNAs influence the efficiency of miRISC-mediated gene silencing, the exact mechanism for most of them remains unclear. This review summarizes our current knowledge on gene expression regulation through interactions of miRNAs and RBPs.
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16
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Nicolas G, Sévigny M, Lecoquierre F, Marguet F, Deschênes A, del Pelaez MC, Feuillette S, Audebrand A, Lecourtois M, Rousseau S, Richard AC, Cassinari K, Deramecourt V, Duyckaerts C, Boland A, Deleuze JF, Meyer V, Clarimon Echavarria J, Gelpi E, Akiyama H, Hasegawa M, Kawakami I, Wong TH, Van Rooij JGJ, Van Swieten JC, Campion D, Dutchak PA, Wallon D, Lavoie-Cardinal F, Laquerrière A, Rovelet-Lecrux A, Sephton CF. A postzygotic de novo NCDN mutation identified in a sporadic FTLD patient results in neurochondrin haploinsufficiency and altered FUS granule dynamics. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:20. [PMID: 35151370 PMCID: PMC8841087 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01314-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a heterogeneous clinical disorder characterized by progressive abnormalities in behavior, executive functions, personality, language and/or motricity. A neuropathological subtype of FTD, frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)-FET, is characterized by protein aggregates consisting of the RNA-binding protein fused in sarcoma (FUS). The cause of FTLD-FET is not well understood and there is a lack of genetic evidence to aid in the investigation of mechanisms of the disease. The goal of this study was to identify genetic variants contributing to FTLD-FET and to investigate their effects on FUS pathology. We performed whole-exome sequencing on a 50-year-old FTLD patient with ubiquitin and FUS-positive neuronal inclusions and unaffected parents, and identified a de novo postzygotic nonsense variant in the NCDN gene encoding Neurochondrin (NCDN), NM_014284.3:c.1206G > A, p.(Trp402*). The variant was associated with a ~ 31% reduction in full-length protein levels in the patient’s brain, suggesting that this mutation leads to NCDN haploinsufficiency. We examined the effects of NCDN haploinsufficiency on FUS and found that depleting primary cortical neurons of NCDN causes a reduction in the total number of FUS-positive cytoplasmic granules. Moreover, we found that these granules were significantly larger and more highly enriched with FUS. We then examined the effects of a loss of FUS function on NCDN in neurons and found that depleting cells of FUS leads to a decrease in NCDN protein and mRNA levels. Our study identifies the NCDN protein as a likely contributor of FTLD-FET pathophysiology. Moreover, we provide evidence for a negative feedback loop of toxicity between NCDN and FUS, where loss of NCDN alters FUS cytoplasmic dynamics, which in turn has an impact on NCDN expression.
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17
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RNA-binding protein dysfunction in neurodegeneration. Essays Biochem 2021; 65:975-986. [PMID: 34927200 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20210024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Protein homeostasis (proteostasis) is a prerequisite for cellular viability and plasticity. In particular, post-mitotic cells such as neurons rely on a tightly regulated safeguard system that allows for regulated protein expression. Previous investigations have identified RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) as crucial regulators of protein expression in nerve cells. However, during neurodegeneration, their ability to control the proteome is progressively disrupted. In this review, we examine the malfunction of key RBPs such as TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), Fused in Sarcoma (FUS), Staufen, Pumilio and fragile-X mental retardation protein (FMRP). Therefore, we focus on two key aspects of RBP dysfunctions in neurodegeneration: protein aggregation and dysregulation of their target RNAs. Moreover, we discuss how the chaperone system responds to changes in the RBP-controlled transcriptome. Based on recent findings, we propose a two-hit model in which both, harmful RBP deposits and target mRNA mistranslation contribute to neurodegeneration observed in RBPathologies.
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18
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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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19
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Zaepfel BL, Rothstein JD. RNA Is a Double-Edged Sword in ALS Pathogenesis. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:708181. [PMID: 34349625 PMCID: PMC8326408 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.708181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects upper and lower motor neurons. Familial ALS accounts for a small subset of cases (<10-15%) and is caused by dominant mutations in one of more than 10 known genes. Multiple genes have been causally or pathologically linked to both ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Many of these genes encode RNA-binding proteins, so the role of dysregulated RNA metabolism in neurodegeneration is being actively investigated. In addition to defects in RNA metabolism, recent studies provide emerging evidence into how RNA itself can contribute to the degeneration of both motor and cortical neurons. In this review, we discuss the roles of altered RNA metabolism and RNA-mediated toxicity in the context of TARDBP, FUS, and C9ORF72 mutations. Specifically, we focus on recent studies that describe toxic RNA as the potential initiator of disease, disease-associated defects in specific RNA metabolism pathways, as well as how RNA-based approaches can be used as potential therapies. Altogether, we highlight the importance of RNA-based investigations into the molecular progression of ALS, as well as the need for RNA-dependent structural studies of disease-linked RNA-binding proteins to identify clear therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Zaepfel
- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jeffrey D Rothstein
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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20
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Wild-Type and Mutant FUS Expression Reduce Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation Properties of Neural Stem Progenitor Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147566. [PMID: 34299185 PMCID: PMC8304973 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nervous system development involves proliferation and cell specification of progenitor cells into neurons and glial cells. Unveiling how this complex process is orchestrated under physiological conditions and deciphering the molecular and cellular changes leading to neurological diseases is mandatory. To date, great efforts have been aimed at identifying gene mutations associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Mutations in the RNA/DNA binding protein Fused in Sarcoma/Translocated in Liposarcoma (FUS/TLS) have been associated with motor neuron degeneration in rodents and humans. Furthermore, increased levels of the wild-type protein can promote neuronal cell death. Despite the well-established causal link between FUS mutations and ALS, its role in neural cells remains elusive. In order to shed new light on FUS functions we studied its role in the control of neural stem progenitor cell (NSPC) properties. Here, we report that human wild-type Fused in Sarcoma (WT FUS), exogenously expressed in mouse embryonic spinal cord-derived NSPCs, was localized in the nucleus, caused cell cycle arrest in G1 phase by affecting cell cycle regulator expression, and strongly reduced neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, the expression of the human mutant form of FUS (P525L-FUS), associated with early-onset ALS, drives the cells preferentially towards a glial lineage, strongly reducing the number of developing neurons. These results provide insight into the involvement of FUS in NSPC proliferation and differentiation into neurons and glia.
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21
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Sahadevan S, Hembach KM, Tantardini E, Pérez-Berlanga M, Hruska-Plochan M, Megat S, Weber J, Schwarz P, Dupuis L, Robinson MD, De Rossi P, Polymenidou M. Synaptic FUS accumulation triggers early misregulation of synaptic RNAs in a mouse model of ALS. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3027. [PMID: 34021139 PMCID: PMC8140117 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23188-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations disrupting the nuclear localization of the RNA-binding protein FUS characterize a subset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients (ALS-FUS). FUS regulates nuclear RNAs, but its role at the synapse is poorly understood. Using super-resolution imaging we determined that the localization of FUS within synapses occurs predominantly near the vesicle reserve pool of presynaptic sites. Using CLIP-seq on synaptoneurosomes, we identified synaptic FUS RNA targets, encoding proteins associated with synapse organization and plasticity. Significant increase of synaptic FUS during early disease in a mouse model of ALS was accompanied by alterations in density and size of GABAergic synapses. mRNAs abnormally accumulated at the synapses of 6-month-old ALS-FUS mice were enriched for FUS targets and correlated with those depicting increased short-term mRNA stability via binding primarily on multiple exonic sites. Our study indicates that synaptic FUS accumulation in early disease leads to synaptic impairment, potentially representing an initial trigger of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonu Sahadevan
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Katharina M Hembach
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Elena Tantardini
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Salim Megat
- Inserm, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julien Weber
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Schwarz
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Inserm, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mark D Robinson
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pierre De Rossi
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
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22
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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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23
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Stagsted LVW, O'Leary ET, Ebbesen KK, Hansen TB. The RNA-binding protein SFPQ preserves long-intron splicing and regulates circRNA biogenesis in mammals. eLife 2021; 10:e63088. [PMID: 33476259 PMCID: PMC7819710 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent an abundant and conserved entity of non-coding RNAs; however, the principles of biogenesis are currently not fully understood. Here, we identify two factors, splicing factor proline/glutamine rich (SFPQ) and non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding protein (NONO), to be enriched around circRNA loci. We observe a subclass of circRNAs, coined DALI circRNAs, with distal inverted Alu elements and long flanking introns to be highly deregulated upon SFPQ knockdown. Moreover, SFPQ depletion leads to increased intron retention with concomitant induction of cryptic splicing, premature transcription termination, and polyadenylation, particularly prevalent for long introns. Aberrant splicing in the upstream and downstream regions of circRNA producing exons are critical for shaping the circRNAome, and specifically, we identify missplicing in the immediate upstream region to be a conserved driver of circRNA biogenesis. Collectively, our data show that SFPQ plays an important role in maintaining intron integrity by ensuring accurate splicing of long introns, and disclose novel features governing Alu-independent circRNA production.
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24
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Kawahara D, Suzuki T, Nakaya T. Cytoplasmic granule formation by FUS-R495X is attributable to arginine methylation in all Gly-rich, RGG1 and RGG2 domains. Genes Cells 2021; 26:190-197. [PMID: 33411976 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many mutations in the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene have been identified as genetic causative factors of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As a certain number of mutants form aberrant cytoplasmic granules under specific conditions, granule forming ability of FUS is believed to be linked to the pathogenesis of ALS. However, molecular mechanisms underlying this property remain unclear. An ALS-linked FUS mutant, R495X, shows extensive cytoplasmic localization and forms granules in neurons. In the present study, using R495X domain deletion constructs, we showed that deletion of any of Gly-rich, RGG1 or RGG2 significantly suppressed granule formation. Furthermore, when neurons expressing EGFP-R495X were treated with an arginine methylation inhibitor, the number of cells displaying R495X granules was significantly reduced. When FLAG-tagged arginine N-methyltransferase 8 (PRMT8) was co-expressed with EGFP-R495X to facilitate its methylation, the number of cells with granules was significantly increased. Collectively, these findings suggest that cytoplasmic granule formation by R495X is attributable to the arginine methylation in all Gly-rich, RGG1 and RGG2 domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Kawahara
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Suzuki
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Nakaya
- School of Pharmacy at Fukuoka, International University of Health and Welfare, Fukuoka, Japan
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25
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Buratti E. Trends in Understanding the Pathological Roles of TDP-43 and FUS Proteins. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1281:243-267. [PMID: 33433879 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-51140-1_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Following the discovery of TDP-43 and FUS involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD), the major challenge in the field has been to understand their physiological functions, both in normal and disease conditions. The hope is that this knowledge will improve our understanding of disease and lead to the development of effective therapeutic options. Initially, the focus has been directed at characterizing the role of these proteins in the control of RNA metabolism, because the main function of TDP-43 and FUS is to bind coding and noncoding RNAs to regulate their life cycle within cells. As a result, we now have an in-depth picture of the alterations that occur in RNA metabolism following their aggregation in various ALS/FTLD models and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in patients' brains. In parallel, progress has been made with regard to understanding how aggregation of these proteins occurs in neurons, how it can spread in different brain regions, and how these changes affect various metabolic cellular pathways to result in neuronal death. The aim of this chapter will be to provide a general overview of the trending topics in TDP-43 and FUS investigations and to highlight what might represent the most promising avenues of research in the years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Buratti
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy.
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26
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Nakaya T. Dissection of FUS domains involved in regulation of SnRNP70 gene expression. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:3518-3529. [PMID: 32915994 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
FUS is one of the causative factors of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Loss and/or gain of its physiological functions has been believed to be linked to the pathogenesis of this condition. However, its functions remain incompletely understood. This study dissected the domains of FUS regulating the expression of SnRNP70, which functions in mRNA splicing. Biochemical analysis revealed that all FUS domains except for RGG1 contribute to determining Snrnp70 transcript abundance and thus its protein abundance. RNA-Seq analysis using the Gly-rich domain-deleted mutant coupled with snRNP70 knockdown revealed that FUS has a potential to regulate gene expression in both snRNP70-dependent and snRNP70-independent manners through the Gly-rich domain. These results provide insight into molecular details of the regulation of gene expression by FUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Nakaya
- School of Pharmacy at Fukuoka, International University of Health and Welfare, Fukuoka, Japan
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27
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Abstract
RNA-binding proteins are a critical group of multifunctional proteins that precisely regulate all aspects of gene expression, from alternative splicing to mRNA trafficking, stability, and translation. Converging evidence highlights aberrant RNA metabolism as a common pathogenic mechanism in several neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. However, dysregulation of disease-linked RNA-binding proteins results in widespread, often tissue-specific and/or pleiotropic effects on the transcriptome, making it challenging to determine the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to disease pathogenesis. Understanding how splicing misregulation as well as alterations of mRNA stability and localization impact the activity and function of neuronal proteins is fundamental to addressing neurodevelopmental defects and synaptic dysfunction in disease. Here we highlight recent exciting studies that use high-throughput transcriptomic analysis and advanced genetic, cell biological, and imaging approaches to dissect the role of disease-linked RNA-binding proteins on different RNA processing steps. We focus specifically on efforts to elucidate the functional consequences of aberrant RNA processing on neuronal morphology, synaptic activity and plasticity in development and disease. We also consider new areas of investigation that will elucidate the molecular mechanisms RNA-binding proteins use to achieve spatiotemporal control of gene expression for neuronal homeostasis and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shavanie Prashad
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Experimental Pathology Graduate Group, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pallavi P Gopal
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Experimental Pathology Graduate Group, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Yale Center for RNA Science and Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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28
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Shukla TN, Song J, Campbell ZT. Molecular entrapment by RNA: an emerging tool for disrupting protein-RNA interactions in vivo. RNA Biol 2020; 17:417-424. [PMID: 31957541 PMCID: PMC7237136 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1717059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
mRNA function is controlled by RNA-binding proteins. The specificity of RNA-binding factors for their targets is critical in that it enables all subsequent regulation. Despite widespread recognition of the pervasive role RNA-binding proteins play in development and disease, they remain challenging to target with small molecules. A renaissance in RNA therapeutics has led to the identification of modifications that substantially increase RNA stability. When combined with information regarding specificity, a new class of oligonucleotide mimics has emerged as a means to competitively disrupt the regulation of endogenous substrates. These decoys have been used to inhibit RNA-binding proteins in living animals. Decoys will likely provide new insights into the expansive roles of RNA-binding proteins in biology and disease. Here, we describe examples where they have been used and discuss how they could be applied to new targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarjani N. Shukla
- The Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas-Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Jane Song
- The Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas-Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Zachary T. Campbell
- The Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas-Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
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29
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Baron DM, Matheny T, Lin YC, Leszyk JD, Kenna K, Gall KV, Santos DP, Tischbein M, Funes S, Hayward LJ, Kiskinis E, Landers JE, Parker R, Shaffer SA, Bosco DA. Quantitative proteomics identifies proteins that resist translational repression and become dysregulated in ALS-FUS. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:2143-2160. [PMID: 30806671 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant translational repression is a feature of multiple neurodegenerative diseases. The association between disease-linked proteins and stress granules further implicates impaired stress responses in neurodegeneration. However, our knowledge of the proteins that evade translational repression is incomplete. It is also unclear whether disease-linked proteins influence the proteome under conditions of translational repression. To address these questions, a quantitative proteomics approach was used to identify proteins that evade stress-induced translational repression in arsenite-treated cells expressing either wild-type or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-linked mutant FUS. This study revealed hundreds of proteins that are actively synthesized during stress-induced translational repression, irrespective of FUS genotype. In addition to proteins involved in RNA- and protein-processing, proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS were also actively synthesized during stress. Protein synthesis under stress was largely unperturbed by mutant FUS, although several proteins were found to be differentially expressed between mutant and control cells. One protein in particular, COPBI, was downregulated in mutant FUS-expressing cells under stress. COPBI is the beta subunit of the coat protein I (COPI), which is involved in Golgi to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retrograde transport. Further investigation revealed reduced levels of other COPI subunit proteins and defects in COPBI-relatedprocesses in cells expressing mutant FUS. Even in the absence of stress, COPBI localization was altered in primary and human stem cell-derived neurons expressing ALS-linked FUS variants. Our results suggest that Golgi to ER retrograde transport may be important under conditions of stress and is perturbed upon the expression of disease-linked proteins such as FUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiree M Baron
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Tyler Matheny
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Yen-Chen Lin
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - John D Leszyk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Worcester, MA, USA.,Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
| | - Kevin Kenna
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Katherine V Gall
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - David P Santos
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maeve Tischbein
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Salome Funes
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Lawrence J Hayward
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - John E Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Roy Parker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Scott A Shaffer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Worcester, MA, USA.,Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
| | - Daryl A Bosco
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Worcester, MA, USA
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30
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Imperatore JA, McAninch DS, Valdez-Sinon AN, Bassell GJ, Mihailescu MR. FUS Recognizes G Quadruplex Structures Within Neuronal mRNAs. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:6. [PMID: 32118033 PMCID: PMC7018707 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS), identified as the heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein P2, is expressed in neuronal and non-neuronal tissue, and among other functions, has been implicated in messenger RNA (mRNA) transport and possibly local translation regulation. Although FUS is mainly localized to the nucleus, in the neurons FUS has also been shown to localize to the post-synaptic density, as well as to the pre-synapse. Additionally, the FUS deletion in cultured hippocampal cells results in abnormal spine and dendrite morphology. Thus, FUS may play a role in synaptic function regulation, mRNA localization, and local translation. Many dendritic mRNAs have been shown to form G quadruplex structures in their 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Since FUS contains three arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG) boxes, an RNA binding domain shown to bind with high affinity and specificity to RNA G quadruplex structures, in this study we hypothesized that FUS recognizes these structural elements in its neuronal mRNA targets. Two neuronal mRNAs found in the pre- and post-synapse are the post-synaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) and Shank1 mRNAs, which encode for proteins involved in synaptic plasticity, maintenance, and function. These mRNAs have been shown to form 3'-UTR G quadruplex structures and were also enriched in FUS hydrogels. In this study, we used native gel electrophoresis and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy to demonstrate specific nanomolar binding of the FUS C-terminal RGG box and of full-length FUS to the RNA G quadruplex structures formed in the 3'-UTR of PSD-95 and Shank1a mRNAs. These results point toward a novel mechanism by which FUS targets neuronal mRNA and given that these PSD-95 and Shank1 3'-UTR G quadruplex structures are also targeted by the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), they raise the possibility that FUS and FMRP might work together to regulate the translation of these neuronal mRNA targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A. Imperatore
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Damian S. McAninch
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | | | - Gary J. Bassell
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Mihaela Rita Mihailescu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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31
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Rahhal R, Seto E. Emerging roles of histone modifications and HDACs in RNA splicing. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:4911-4926. [PMID: 31162605 PMCID: PMC6547430 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone modifications and RNA splicing, two seemingly unrelated gene regulatory processes, greatly increase proteome diversity and profoundly influence normal as well as pathological eukaryotic cellular functions. Like many histone modifying enzymes, histone deacetylases (HDACs) play critical roles in governing cellular behaviors and are indispensable in numerous biological processes. While the association between RNA splicing and histone modifications is beginning to be recognized, a lack of knowledge exists regarding the role of HDACs in splicing. Recent studies however, reveal that HDACs interact with spliceosomal and ribonucleoprotein complexes, actively control the acetylation states of splicing-associated histone marks and splicing factors, and thereby unexpectedly could modulate splicing. Here, we review the role of histone/protein modifications and HDACs in RNA splicing and discuss the convergence of two parallel fields, which supports the argument that HDACs, and perhaps most histone modifying enzymes, are much more versatile and far more complicated than their initially proposed functions. Analogously, an HDAC-RNA splicing connection suggests that splicing is regulated by additional upstream factors and pathways yet to be defined or not fully characterized. Some human diseases share common underlying causes of aberrant HDACs and dysregulated RNA splicing and, thus, further support the potential link between HDACs and RNA splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raneen Rahhal
- George Washington Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Edward Seto
- George Washington Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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32
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Adinolfi M, Pietrosanto M, Parca L, Ausiello G, Ferrè F, Helmer-Citterich M. Discovering sequence and structure landscapes in RNA interaction motifs. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:4958-4969. [PMID: 31162604 PMCID: PMC6547422 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA molecules are able to bind proteins, DNA and other small or long RNAs using information at primary, secondary or tertiary structure level. Recent techniques that use cross-linking and immunoprecipitation of RNAs can detect these interactions and, if followed by high-throughput sequencing, molecules can be analysed to find recurrent elements shared by interactors, such as sequence and/or structure motifs. Many tools are able to find sequence motifs from lists of target RNAs, while others focus on structure using different approaches to find specific interaction elements. In this work, we make a systematic analysis of RBP-RNA and RNA-RNA datasets to better characterize the interaction landscape with information about multi-motifs on the same RNAs. To achieve this goal, we updated our BEAM algorithm to combine both sequence and structure information to create pairs of patterns that model motifs of interaction. This algorithm was applied to several RNA binding proteins and ncRNAs interactors, confirming already known motifs and discovering new ones. This landscape analysis on interaction variability reflects the diversity of target recognition and underlines that often both primary and secondary structure are involved in molecular recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Adinolfi
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Pietrosanto
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Parca
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Ausiello
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Ferrè
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna Alma Mater, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Manuela Helmer-Citterich
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133 Rome, Italy
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33
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Nussbacher JK, Tabet R, Yeo GW, Lagier-Tourenne C. Disruption of RNA Metabolism in Neurological Diseases and Emerging Therapeutic Interventions. Neuron 2019; 102:294-320. [PMID: 30998900 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
RNA binding proteins are critical to the maintenance of the transcriptome via controlled regulation of RNA processing and transport. Alterations of these proteins impact multiple steps of the RNA life cycle resulting in various molecular phenotypes such as aberrant RNA splicing, transport, and stability. Disruption of RNA binding proteins and widespread RNA processing defects are increasingly recognized as critical determinants of neurological diseases. Here, we describe distinct mechanisms by which the homeostasis of RNA binding proteins is compromised in neurological disorders through their reduced expression level, increased propensity to aggregate or sequestration by abnormal RNAs. These mechanisms all converge toward altered neuronal function highlighting the susceptibility of neurons to deleterious changes in RNA expression and the central role of RNA binding proteins in preserving neuronal integrity. Emerging therapeutic approaches to mitigate or reverse alterations of RNA binding proteins in neurological diseases are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K Nussbacher
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute for Genomic Medicine, UCSD Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ricardos Tabet
- Department of Neurology, The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute for Genomic Medicine, UCSD Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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34
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De Santis R, Alfano V, de Turris V, Colantoni A, Santini L, Garone MG, Antonacci G, Peruzzi G, Sudria-Lopez E, Wyler E, Anink JJ, Aronica E, Landthaler M, Pasterkamp RJ, Bozzoni I, Rosa A. Mutant FUS and ELAVL4 (HuD) Aberrant Crosstalk in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Cell Rep 2019; 27:3818-3831.e5. [PMID: 31242416 PMCID: PMC6613039 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been genetically linked to mutations in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), including FUS. Here, we report the RNA interactome of wild-type and mutant FUS in human motor neurons (MNs). This analysis identified a number of RNA targets. Whereas the wild-type protein preferentially binds introns, the ALS mutation causes a shift toward 3' UTRs. Neural ELAV-like RBPs are among mutant FUS targets. As a result, ELAVL4 protein levels are increased in mutant MNs. ELAVL4 and mutant FUS interact and co-localize in cytoplasmic speckles with altered biomechanical properties. Upon oxidative stress, ELAVL4 and mutant FUS are engaged in stress granules. In the spinal cord of FUS ALS patients, ELAVL4 represents a neural-specific component of FUS-positive cytoplasmic aggregates, whereas in sporadic patients it co-localizes with phosphorylated TDP-43-positive inclusions. We propose that pathological mutations in FUS trigger an aberrant crosstalk with ELAVL4 with implications for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo De Santis
- 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
| | - Vincenzo Alfano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria de Turris
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Colantoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Santini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Giovanna Garone
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Antonacci
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Peruzzi
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Emma Sudria-Lopez
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Emanuel Wyler
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jasper J Anink
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Markus Landthaler
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; IRI Life Sciences, Institute für Biologie, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Philippstraße 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- 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
| | - 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.
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Loughlin FE, Lukavsky PJ, Kazeeva T, Reber S, Hock EM, Colombo M, Von Schroetter C, Pauli P, Cléry A, Mühlemann O, Polymenidou M, Ruepp MD, Allain FHT. The Solution Structure of FUS Bound to RNA Reveals a Bipartite Mode of RNA Recognition with Both Sequence and Shape Specificity. Mol Cell 2019; 73:490-504.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Butti Z, Patten SA. RNA Dysregulation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Genet 2019; 9:712. [PMID: 30723494 PMCID: PMC6349704 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease and is characterized by the degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. It has become increasingly clear that RNA dysregulation is a key contributor to ALS pathogenesis. The major ALS genes SOD1, TARDBP, FUS, and C9orf72 are involved in aspects of RNA metabolism processes such as mRNA transcription, alternative splicing, RNA transport, mRNA stabilization, and miRNA biogenesis. In this review, we highlight the current understanding of RNA dysregulation in ALS pathogenesis involving these major ALS genes and discuss the potential of therapeutic strategies targeting disease RNAs for treating ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Butti
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, National Institute of Scientific Research, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Shunmoogum A Patten
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, National Institute of Scientific Research, Laval, QC, Canada
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis associated FUS mutation shortens mitochondria and induces neurotoxicity. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15575. [PMID: 30349096 PMCID: PMC6197261 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33964-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects motor neurons. Dominant mutations in the RNA binding protein Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) have been identified as causative factors of ALS. Mutation, R495X, results in a premature stop codon and induces an aggressive disease phenotype by a largely unknown process. Here, we employ CLIP-Seq, RNA-Seq and Ribo-Seq in cultured neurons expressing R495X or wild-type FUS to identify the mutation effects on the FUS targetome and on the neuronal transcriptome at the expression and translation level, simultaneously. We report that, unlike wild-type FUS that binds on precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs), R495X binds mature mRNAs in the cytoplasm. R495X has a moderate effect on target mRNA expression and its binding induces only modest expression changes. In contrast, we find that R495X controls the translation of genes that are associated with mitochondria function and results in significant reduction of mitochondrial size. Importantly, we show that introduction of the 4FL mutation that alters binding of R495X to RNA, partially abrogates R495X-induced effects on mRNA translation, mitochondrial size and neurotoxicity. Our findings uncover a novel RNA-mediated pathway of FUS R495X-induced neurotoxicity that affects mitochondria morphology and provide insight to previous studies associating mitochondria dysfunction to ALS.
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38
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Sobue G, Ishigaki S, Watanabe H. Pathogenesis of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration: Insights From Loss of Function Theory and Early Involvement of the Caudate Nucleus. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:473. [PMID: 30050404 PMCID: PMC6052086 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a group of clinically, pathologically and genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders that involve the frontal and temporal lobes. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), semantic dementia (SD), and progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA) are three major clinical syndromes. TDP-43, FUS, and tau are three major pathogenetic proteins. In this review, we first discuss the loss-of-function mechanism of FTLD. We focus on FUS-associated pathogenesis in which FUS is linked to tau by regulating its alternative splicing machinery. Moreover, FUS is associated with abnormalities in post-synaptic formation, which can be an early disease marker of FTLD. Second, we discuss clinical and pathological aspects of FTLD. Recently, FTLD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been recognized as the same disease entity; indeed, nearly all sporadic ALS cases show TDP-43 pathology irrespective of FTD phenotype. Thus, investigating early structural and network changes in the FTLD/ALS continuum can be useful for developing early diagnostic markers of FTLD. MRI studies have revealed the involvement of the caudate nucleus and its anatomical networks in association with the early phase of behavioral/cognitive decline in FTLD/ALS. In particular, even ALS patients with normal cognition have shown a significant decrease in structural connectivity between the caudate head networks. In pathological studies, FTLD/ALS has shown striatal involvement of both efferent system components and glutamatergic inputs from the cerebral cortices even in ALS patients. Thus, the caudate nucleus may be primarily associated with behavioral abnormality and cognitive involvement in FTLD/ALS. Although several clinical trials have been conducted, there is still no therapy that can change the disease course in patients with FTLD. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish a strategy for predominant sporadic FTLD cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Sobue
- Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Brain and Mind Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Ishigaki
- Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Brain and Mind Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Watanabe
- Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Brain and Mind Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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Yokoi S, Udagawa T, Fujioka Y, Honda D, Okado H, Watanabe H, Katsuno M, Ishigaki S, Sobue G. 3'UTR Length-Dependent Control of SynGAP Isoform α2 mRNA by FUS and ELAV-like Proteins Promotes Dendritic Spine Maturation and Cognitive Function. Cell Rep 2018; 20:3071-3084. [PMID: 28954225 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.08.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
FUS is an RNA-binding protein associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Previous reports have demonstrated intrinsic roles of FUS in synaptic function. However, the mechanism underlying FUS's regulation of synaptic morphology has remained unclear. We found that reduced mature spines after FUS depletion were associated with the internalization of PSD-95 within the dendritic shaft. Mass spectrometry of PSD-95-interacting proteins identified SynGAP, whose expression decreased after FUS depletion. Moreover, FUS and the ELAV-like proteins ELAVL4 and ELAVL1 control SynGAP mRNA stability in a 3'UTR length-dependent manner, resulting in the stable expression of the alternatively spliced SynGAP isoform α2. Finally, abnormal spine maturation and FTLD-like behavioral deficits in FUS-knockout mice were ameliorated by SynGAP α2. Our findings establish an important link between FUS and ELAVL proteins for mRNA stability control and indicate that this mechanism is crucial for the maintenance of synaptic morphology and cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Yokoi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Udagawa
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan; Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Yusuke Fujioka
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan
| | - Daiyu Honda
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan
| | - Haruo Okado
- Department of Brain Development and Neural Regeneration, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Watanabe
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan; Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Ishigaki
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan; Department of Therapeutics for Intractable Neurological Disorders, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Gen Sobue
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan; Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
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Liu C, Zhang Y, She X, Fan L, Li P, Feng J, Fu H, Liu Q, Liu Q, Zhao C, Sun Y, Wu M. A cytoplasmic long noncoding RNA LINC00470 as a new AKT activator to mediate glioblastoma cell autophagy. J Hematol Oncol 2018; 11:77. [PMID: 29866190 PMCID: PMC5987392 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-018-0619-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the overwhelming number of investigations on AKT, little is known about lncRNA on AKT regulation, especially in GBM cells. METHODS RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation assay (RIP) and RNA pulldown were used to confirm the binding of LINC00470 and fused in sarcoma (FUS). Confocal imaging, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and GST pulldown assays were used to detect the interaction between FUS and AKT. EdU assay, CCK-8 assay, and intracranial xenograft assays were performed to demonstrate the effect of LINC00470 on the malignant phenotype of GBM cells. RT-qPCR and Western blotting were performed to test the effect of LINC00470 on AKT and pAKT. RESULTS In this study, we demonstrated that LINC00470 was a positive regulator for AKT activation in GBM. LINC00470 bound to FUS and AKT to form a ternary complex, anchoring FUS in the cytoplasm to increase AKT activity. Higher pAKT activated by LINC00470 inhibited ubiquitination of HK1, which affected glycolysis, and inhibited cell autophagy. Furthermore, higher LINC00470 expression was associated with GBM tumorigenesis and poor patient prognosis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings revealed a noncanonical AKT activation signaling pathway, i.e., LINC00470 directly interacts with FUS, serving as an AKT activator to promote GBM progression. LINC00470 has an important referential significance to evaluate the prognosis of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhong Liu
- Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital and the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital and the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoling She
- Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Li Fan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Peiyao Li
- Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital and the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Jianbo Feng
- Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital and the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Haijuan Fu
- Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital and the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Qing Liu
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Chunhua Zhao
- Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital and the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Yingnan Sun
- Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital and the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Minghua Wu
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Ministry of Health, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
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Ishigaki S, Sobue G. Importance of Functional Loss of FUS in FTLD/ALS. Front Mol Biosci 2018; 5:44. [PMID: 29774215 PMCID: PMC5943504 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2018.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is an RNA binding protein that regulates RNA metabolism including alternative splicing, transcription, and RNA transportation. FUS is genetically and pathologically involved in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Multiple lines of evidence across diverse models suggest that functional loss of FUS can lead to neuronal dysfunction and/or neuronal cell death. Loss of FUS in the nucleus can impair alternative splicing and/or transcription, whereas dysfunction of FUS in the cytoplasm, especially in the dendritic spines of neurons, can cause mRNA destabilization. Alternative splicing of the MAPT gene at exon 10, which generates 4-repeat Tau (4R-Tau) and 3-repeat Tau (3R-Tau), is one of the most impactful targets regulated by FUS. Additionally, loss of FUS function can affect dendritic spine maturations by destabilizing mRNAs such as Glutamate receptor 1 (GluA1), a major AMPA receptor, and Synaptic Ras GTPase-activating protein 1 (SynGAP1). Moreover, FUS is involved in axonal transport and morphological maintenance of neurons. These findings indicate that a biological link between loss of FUS function, Tau isoform alteration, aberrant post-synaptic function, and phenotypic expression might lead to the sequential cascade culminating in FTLD. Thus, to facilitate development of early disease markers and/or therapeutic targets of FTLD/ALS it is critical that the functions of FUS and its downstream pathways are unraveled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinsuke Ishigaki
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Therapeutics for Intractable Neurological Disorders, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Brain and Mind Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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42
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Jalali S, Gandhi S, Scaria V. Distinct and Modular Organization of Protein Interacting Sites in Long Non-coding RNAs. Front Mol Biosci 2018; 5:27. [PMID: 29670884 PMCID: PMC5893854 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2018.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), are being reported to be extensively involved in diverse regulatory roles and have exhibited numerous disease associations. LncRNAs modulate their function through interaction with other biomolecules in the cell including DNA, RNA, and proteins. The availability of genome-scale experimental datasets of RNA binding proteins (RBP) motivated us to understand the role of lncRNAs in terms of its interactions with these proteins. In the current report, we demonstrate a comprehensive study of interactions between RBP and lncRNAs at a transcriptome scale through extensive analysis of the crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) experimental datasets available for 70 RNA binding proteins. Results: Our analysis suggests that density of interaction sites for these proteins was significantly higher for specific sub-classes of lncRNAs when compared to protein-coding transcripts. We also observe a positional preference of these RBPs across lncRNA and protein coding transcripts in addition to a significant co-occurrence of RBPs having similar functions, suggesting a modular organization of these elements across lncRNAs. Conclusion: The significant enrichment of RBP sites across some lncRNA classes is suggestive that these interactions might be important in understanding the functional role of lncRNA. We observed a significant enrichment of RBPs which are involved in functional roles such as silencing, splicing, mRNA processing, and transport, indicating the potential participation of lncRNAs in such processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saakshi Jalali
- GN Ramachandran Knowledge Center for Genome Informatics, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India.,CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Shrey Gandhi
- GN Ramachandran Knowledge Center for Genome Informatics, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
| | - Vinod Scaria
- GN Ramachandran Knowledge Center for Genome Informatics, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India.,CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India
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43
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A Regulatory Circuitry Between Gria2, miR-409, and miR-495 Is Affected by ALS FUS Mutation in ESC-Derived Motor Neurons. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:7635-7651. [PMID: 29430619 PMCID: PMC6132778 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-0884-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in fused in sarcoma (FUS) cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). FUS is a multifunctional protein involved in the biogenesis and activity of several types of RNAs, and its role in the pathogenesis of ALS may involve both direct effects of disease-associated mutations through gain- and loss-of-function mechanisms and indirect effects due to the cross talk between different classes of FUS-dependent RNAs. To explore how FUS mutations impinge on motor neuron-specific RNA-based circuitries, we performed transcriptome profiling of small and long RNAs of motor neurons (MNs) derived from mouse embryonic stem cells carrying a FUS-P517L knock-in mutation, which is equivalent to human FUS-P525L, associated with a severe and juvenile-onset form of ALS. Combining ontological, predictive and molecular analyses, we found an inverse correlation between several classes of deregulated miRNAs and their corresponding mRNA targets in both homozygous and heterozygous P517L MNs. We validated a circuitry in which the upregulation of miR-409-3p and miR-495-3p, belonging to a brain-specific miRNA subcluster implicated in several neurodevelopmental disorders, produced the downregulation of Gria2, a subunit of the glutamate α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor with a significant role in excitatory neurotransmission. Moreover, we found that FUS was involved in mediating such miRNA repression. Gria2 alteration has been proposed to be implicated in MN degeneration, through disturbance of Ca2+ homeostasis, which triggers a cascade of damaging “excitotoxic” events. The molecular cross talk identified highlights a role for FUS in excitotoxicity and in miRNA-dependent regulation of Gria2. This circuitry also proved to be deregulated in heterozygosity, which matches the human condition perfectly.
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44
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Coyne AN, Zaepfel BL, Zarnescu DC. Failure to Deliver and Translate-New Insights into RNA Dysregulation in ALS. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:243. [PMID: 28860970 PMCID: PMC5562674 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting both upper and lower motor neurons. The molecular mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis remain largely unknown. Multiple genetic loci including genes involved in proteostasis and ribostasis have been linked to ALS providing key insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying disease. In particular, the identification of the RNA binding proteins TDP-43 and fused in sarcoma (FUS) as causative factors of ALS resulted in a paradigm shift centered on the study of RNA dysregulation as a major mechanism of disease. With wild-type TDP-43 pathology being found in ~97% of ALS cases and the identification of disease causing mutations within its sequence, TDP-43 has emerged as a prominent player in ALS. More recently, studies of the newly discovered C9orf72 repeat expansion are lending further support to the notion of defects in RNA metabolism as a key factor underlying ALS. RNA binding proteins are involved in all aspects of RNA metabolism ranging from splicing, transcription, transport, storage into RNA/protein granules, and translation. How these processes are affected by disease-associated mutations is just beginning to be understood. Considerable work has gone into the identification of splicing and transcription defects resulting from mutations in RNA binding proteins associated with disease. More recently, defects in RNA transport and translation have been shown to be involved in the pathomechanism of ALS. A central hypothesis in the field is that disease causing mutations lead to the persistence of RNA/protein complexes known as stress granules. Under times of prolonged cellular stress these granules sequester specific mRNAs preventing them from translation, and are thought to evolve into pathological aggregates. Here we will review recent efforts directed at understanding how altered RNA metabolism contributes to ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa N Coyne
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, United States
| | - Benjamin L Zaepfel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, United States
| | - Daniela C Zarnescu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, United States
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45
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Efimova AD, Ovchinnikov RK, Roman AY, Maltsev AV, Grigoriev VV, Kovrazhkina EA, Skvortsova VI. The FUS protein: Physiological functions and a role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mol Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893317020091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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46
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Takeda JI, Masuda A, Ohno K. Six GU-rich (6GU R) FUS-binding motifs detected by normalization of CLIP-seq by Nascent-seq. Gene 2017; 618:57-64. [PMID: 28392367 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
FUS, an RNA-binding protein (RBP), is mutated or abnormally regulated in neurodegenerative disorders. FUS regulates various aspects of RNA metabolisms. FUS-binding sites are rich in GU contents and are highly degenerative. FUS-binding motifs of GGU, GGUG, GUGGU and CGCGC have been previously reported. These motifs, however, are applicable to a small fraction of FUS-binding sites. As CLIP-seq tags are enriched in genes that are highly expressed, we normalized CLIP-seq tags by Nascent-seq tags or RNA-seq tags of mouse N2a cells. Nascent-seq identifies nascent transcripts before being processed for splicing and polyadenylation. We extracted frequently observed 4-nt motifs from Nascent-seq-normalized CLIP regions, RNA-seq-normalized CLIP regions, and native CLIP regions. Specific GU-rich motifs were best detected in Nascent-seq-normalized CLIP regions. Analysis of structural motifs using Nascent-seq-normalized CLIP regions also predicted GU-rich sequence forming a stem structure. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated by examining whether the extracted motifs were present at the cross-linking-induced mutation sites (CIMS), where FUS was directly bound. We found that a combination of six motifs (UGUG, CUGG, UGGU, GCUG, GUGG, and UUGG), which were extracted from Nascent-seq-normalized CLIP-regions, had a better discriminative power than (i) motifs extracted from RNA-seq-normalized CLIP regions, (ii) motifs extracted from native CLIP regions, (iii) previously reported individual motifs, or (iv) 15 motifs in SpliceAid 2. Validation of the 6 GU-rich (6GUR) motifs using CLIP-seq of the cerebrum and the whole brain showed that the 6GUR motifs were specifically enriched in CIMS. The number of the 6GUR motifs in an uninterrupted region was counted and multiplied by four to calculate the area, which was defined as the 6GUR-Score. The 6GUR-Score of 8 or more best discriminated CIMS from CIMS-flanking regions. We propose that the 6GUR motifs predict FUS-binding sites more efficiently than previously reported individual motifs or 15 motifs in SpliceAid 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Ichi Takeda
- Division of Neurogenetics, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Akio Masuda
- Division of Neurogenetics, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Kinji Ohno
- Division of Neurogenetics, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
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47
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Yasuda K, Clatterbuck-Soper SF, Jackrel ME, Shorter J, Mili S. FUS inclusions disrupt RNA localization by sequestering kinesin-1 and inhibiting microtubule detyrosination. J Cell Biol 2017; 216:1015-1034. [PMID: 28298410 PMCID: PMC5379945 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201608022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis–associated mutations promote the formation of cytoplasmic FUS inclusions. In this study, Yasuda et al. show in fibroblasts and neurons that kinesin-1 is sequestered in FUS inclusions, resulting in a loss of detyrosinated microtubules and mislocalization of specific RNAs. Cytoplasmic inclusions of the RNA-binding protein fused in sarcoma (FUS) represent one type of membraneless ribonucleoprotein compartment. Formation of FUS inclusions is promoted by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)–linked mutations, but the cellular functions affected upon inclusion formation are poorly defined. In this study, we find that FUS inclusions lead to the mislocalization of specific RNAs from fibroblast cell protrusions and neuronal axons. This is mediated by recruitment of kinesin-1 mRNA and protein within FUS inclusions, leading to a loss of detyrosinated glutamate (Glu)–microtubules (MTs; Glu-MTs) and an inability to support the localization of RNAs at protrusions. Importantly, dissolution of FUS inclusions using engineered Hsp104 disaggregases, or overexpression of kinesin-1, reverses these effects. We further provide evidence that kinesin-1 affects MT detyrosination not through changes in MT stability, but rather through targeting the tubulin carboxypeptidase enzyme onto specific MTs. Interestingly, other pathological inclusions lead to similar outcomes, but through apparently distinct mechanisms. These results reveal a novel kinesin-dependent mechanism controlling the MT cytoskeleton and identify loss of Glu-MTs and RNA mislocalization as common outcomes of ALS pathogenic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyota Yasuda
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Sarah F Clatterbuck-Soper
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Meredith E Jackrel
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Stavroula Mili
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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48
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Gama-Carvalho M, L Garcia-Vaquero M, R Pinto F, Besse F, Weis J, Voigt A, Schulz JB, De Las Rivas J. Linking amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy through RNA-transcriptome homeostasis: a genomics perspective. J Neurochem 2017; 141:12-30. [PMID: 28054357 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we present our most recent understanding of key biomolecular processes that underlie two motor neuron degenerative disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and spinal muscular atrophy. We focus on the role of four multifunctional proteins involved in RNA metabolism (TDP-43, FUS, SMN, and Senataxin) that play a causal role in these diseases. Recent results have led to a novel scenario of intricate connections between these four proteins, bringing transcriptome homeostasis into the spotlight as a common theme in motor neuron degeneration. We review reported functional and physical interactions between these four proteins, highlighting their common association with nuclear bodies and small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle biogenesis and function. We discuss how these interactions are turning out to be particularly relevant for the control of transcription and chromatin homeostasis, including the recent identification of an association between SMN and Senataxin required to ensure the resolution of DNA-RNA hybrid formation and proper termination by RNA polymerase II. These connections strongly support the existence of common pathways underlying the spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis phenotype. We also discuss the potential of genome-wide expression profiling, in particular RNA sequencing derived data, to contribute to unravelling the underlying mechanisms. We provide a review of publicly available datasets that have addressed both diseases using these approaches, and highlight the value of investing in cross-disease studies to promote our understanding of the pathways leading to neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Gama-Carvalho
- Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marina L Garcia-Vaquero
- Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francisco R Pinto
- Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Joachim Weis
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aaron Voigt
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jörg B Schulz
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Javier De Las Rivas
- Cancer Research Center (CiC-IBMCC, CSIC/USAL/IBSAL), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad de Salamanca (USAL), Salamanca, Spain
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49
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Lebedeva S, de Jesus Domingues AM, Butter F, Ketting RF. Characterization of genetic loss-of-function of Fus in zebrafish. RNA Biol 2017; 14:29-35. [PMID: 27898262 PMCID: PMC5270537 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2016.1256532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The RNA-binding protein FUS is implicated in transcription, alternative splicing of neuronal genes and DNA repair. Mutations in FUS have been linked to human neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). We genetically disrupted fus in zebrafish (Danio rerio) using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. The fus knockout animals are fertile and did not show any distinctive phenotype. Mutation of fus induces mild changes in gene expression on the transcriptome and proteome level in the adult brain. We observed a significant influence of genetic background on gene expression and 3'UTR usage, which could mask the effects of loss of Fus. Unlike published fus morphants, maternal zygotic fus mutants do not show motoneuronal degeneration and exhibit normal locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Falk Butter
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
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50
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Schulte C, Ripamonti M, Maffioli E, Cappelluti MA, Nonnis S, Puricelli L, Lamanna J, Piazzoni C, Podestà A, Lenardi C, Tedeschi G, Malgaroli A, Milani P. Scale Invariant Disordered Nanotopography Promotes Hippocampal Neuron Development and Maturation with Involvement of Mechanotransductive Pathways. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:267. [PMID: 27917111 PMCID: PMC5114288 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of biomaterials which promote neuronal maturation up to the generation of integrated neural circuits is fundamental for modern neuroscience. The development of neural circuits arises from complex maturative processes regulated by poorly understood signaling events, often guided by the extracellular matrix (ECM). Here we report that nanostructured zirconia surfaces, produced by supersonic cluster beam deposition of zirconia nanoparticles and characterized by ECM-like nanotopographical features, can direct the maturation of neural networks. Hippocampal neurons cultured on such cluster-assembled surfaces displayed enhanced differentiation paralleled by functional changes. The latter was demonstrated by single-cell electrophysiology showing earlier action potential generation and increased spontaneous postsynaptic currents compared to the neurons grown on the featureless unnaturally flat standard control surfaces. Label-free shotgun proteomics broadly confirmed the functional changes and suggests furthermore a vast impact of the neuron/nanotopography interaction on mechanotransductive machinery components, known to control physiological in vivo ECM-regulated axon guidance and synaptic plasticity. Our results indicate a potential of cluster-assembled zirconia nanotopography exploitable for the creation of efficient neural tissue interfaces and cell culture devices promoting neurogenic events, but also for unveiling mechanotransductive aspects of neuronal development and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Schulte
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Centro Interdisciplinare Materiali e Interfacce Nanostrutturate, Università degli Studi di MilanoMilan, Italy; Fondazione FilareteMilan, Italy
| | - Maddalena Ripamonti
- Neurobiology of Learning Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Maffioli
- Fondazione FilareteMilan, Italy; Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di MilanoMilan, Italy
| | - Martino A Cappelluti
- Fondazione FilareteMilan, Italy; SEMM - European School of Molecular MedicineMilan, Italy
| | - Simona Nonnis
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Puricelli
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Centro Interdisciplinare Materiali e Interfacce Nanostrutturate, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo Lamanna
- Neurobiology of Learning Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Piazzoni
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Centro Interdisciplinare Materiali e Interfacce Nanostrutturate, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Podestà
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Centro Interdisciplinare Materiali e Interfacce Nanostrutturate, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Lenardi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Centro Interdisciplinare Materiali e Interfacce Nanostrutturate, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Tedeschi
- Fondazione FilareteMilan, Italy; Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di MilanoMilan, Italy
| | - Antonio Malgaroli
- Neurobiology of Learning Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Milani
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Centro Interdisciplinare Materiali e Interfacce Nanostrutturate, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy
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