1
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Li H, Doray B, Jennings BC, Lee WS, Liu L, Kornfeld S, Li H. Structure of a truncated human GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase variant reveals the basis for its hyperactivity. J Biol Chem 2024:107706. [PMID: 39178950 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations that cause loss of function of GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase (PTase) lead to the lysosomal storage disorder mucolipidosis II. PTase is the key enzyme of the mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) targeting system that is responsible for tagging lysosomal hydrolases with the M6P moiety for their delivery to the lysosome. We had previously generated a truncated hyperactive form of PTase termed S1S3 which was shown to notably increase the phosphorylation level of secreted lysosomal enzymes and enhance their uptake by cells. Here, we report the 3.4 Å cryo-EM structure of soluble S1S3 lacking both transmembrane domains and cytosolic tails. The structure reveals a high degree of conservation of the catalytic core to full-length PTase. In this dimeric structure, the EF hand of one protomer is observed interacting with the conserved region 4 of the other. In addition, we present a high-quality EM 3D map of the UDP-GlcNAc bound form of the full-length soluble protein showing the key molecular interactions between the nucleotide sugar donor and side chain amino acids of the protein. Finally, although the domain organization of S1S3 is very similar to that of the Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) PTase homolog, we establish that the latter does not act on lysosomal hydrolases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Li
- Department of Structural Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Balraj Doray
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Benjamin C Jennings
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Wang-Sik Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lin Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Stuart Kornfeld
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Huilin Li
- Department of Structural Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
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2
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Goodman LD, Moulton MJ, Lin G, Bellen HJ. Does glial lipid dysregulation alter sleep in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease? Trends Mol Med 2024:S1471-4914(24)00098-4. [PMID: 38755043 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2024.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
In this opinion article, we discuss potential connections between sleep disturbances observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) and the dysregulation of lipids in the brain. Research using Drosophila has highlighted the role of glial-mediated lipid metabolism in sleep and diurnal rhythms. Relevant to AD, the formation of lipid droplets in glia, which occurs in response to elevated neuronal reactive oxygen species (ROS), is required for sleep. In disease models, this process is disrupted, arguing a connection to sleep dysregulation. Relevant to PD, the degradation of neuronally synthesized glucosylceramides by glia requires glucocerebrosidase (GBA, a PD-associated risk factor) and this regulates sleep. Loss of GBA in glia causes an accumulation of glucosylceramides and neurodegeneration. Overall, research primarily using Drosophila has highlighted how dysregulation of glial lipid metabolism may underlie sleep disturbances in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey D Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Matthew J Moulton
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Guang Lin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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3
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Gizzio J, Thakur A, Haldane A, Post CB, Levy RM. Evolutionary sequence and structural basis for the distinct conformational landscapes of Tyr and Ser/Thr kinases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.08.584161. [PMID: 38559238 PMCID: PMC10979876 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.08.584161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Protein kinases are molecular machines with rich sequence variation that distinguishes the two main evolutionary branches - tyrosine kinases (TKs) from serine/threonine kinases (STKs). Using a sequence co-variation Potts statistical energy model we previously concluded that TK catalytic domains are more likely than STKs to adopt an inactive conformation with the activation loop in an autoinhibitory "folded" conformation, due to intrinsic sequence effects. Here we investigated the structural basis for this phenomenon by integrating the sequence-based model with structure-based molecular dynamics (MD) to determine the effects of mutations on the free energy difference between active and inactive conformations, using a novel thermodynamic cycle involving many (n=108) protein-mutation free energy perturbation (FEP) simulations in the active and inactive conformations. The sequence and structure-based results are consistent and support the hypothesis that the inactive conformation "DFG-out Activation Loop Folded", is a functional regulatory state that has been stabilized in TKs relative to STKs over the course of their evolution via the accumulation of residue substitutions in the activation loop and catalytic loop that facilitate distinct substrate binding modes in trans and additional modes of regulation in cis for TKs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Gizzio
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
| | - Abhishek Thakur
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
| | - Allan Haldane
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
- Department of Physics, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
| | - Carol Beth Post
- Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
| | - Ronald M. Levy
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
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4
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Hull A, Atilano ML, Gergi L, Kinghorn KJ. Lysosomal storage, impaired autophagy and innate immunity in Gaucher and Parkinson's diseases: insights for drug discovery. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220381. [PMID: 38368939 PMCID: PMC10874704 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0381] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Impairment of autophagic-lysosomal pathways is increasingly being implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD). GBA1 mutations cause the lysosomal storage disorder Gaucher disease (GD) and are the commonest known genetic risk factor for PD. GBA1 mutations have been shown to cause autophagic-lysosomal impairment. Defective autophagic degradation of unwanted cellular constituents is associated with several pathologies, including loss of normal protein homeostasis, particularly of α-synuclein, and innate immune dysfunction. The latter is observed both peripherally and centrally in PD and GD. Here, we will discuss the mechanistic links between autophagy and immune dysregulation, and the possible role of these pathologies in communication between the gut and brain in these disorders. Recent work in a fly model of neuronopathic GD (nGD) revealed intestinal autophagic defects leading to gastrointestinal dysfunction and immune activation. Rapamycin treatment partially reversed the autophagic block and reduced immune activity, in association with increased survival and improved locomotor performance. Alterations in the gut microbiome are a critical driver of neuroinflammation, and studies have revealed that eradication of the microbiome in nGD fly and mouse models of PD ameliorate brain inflammation. Following these observations, lysosomal-autophagic pathways, innate immune signalling and microbiome dysbiosis are discussed as potential therapeutic targets in PD and GD. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Understanding the endo-lysosomal network in neurodegeneration'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Hull
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Magda L Atilano
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Laith Gergi
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Kerri J Kinghorn
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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5
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Hall DR, Johnson RM, Kwon H, Ferdous Z, Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Blitvich BJ, Brackney DE, Smith RC. Mosquito immune cells enhance dengue and Zika virus dissemination in Aedes aegypti. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.03.587950. [PMID: 38617257 PMCID: PMC11014501 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.03.587950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Mosquito-borne viruses cause more than 400 million annual infections and place over half of the world's population at risk. Despite this importance, the mechanisms by which arboviruses infect the mosquito host and disseminate to tissues required for transmission are not well understood. Here, we provide evidence that mosquito immune cells, known as hemocytes, play an integral role in the dissemination of dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. We establish that phagocytic hemocytes are a focal point for virus infection and demonstrate that these immune cell populations facilitate virus dissemination to the ovaries and salivary glands. Additional transfer experiments confirm that virus-infected hemocytes confer a virus infection to non-infected mosquitoes more efficiently than free virus in acellular hemolymph, revealing that hemocytes are an important tropism to enhance virus dissemination in the mosquito host. These data support a "trojan horse" model of virus dissemination where infected hemocytes transport virus through the hemolymph to deliver virus to mosquito tissues required for transmission and parallels vertebrate systems where immune cell populations promote virus dissemination to secondary sites of infection. In summary, this study significantly advances our understanding of virus infection dynamics in mosquitoes and highlights conserved roles of immune cells in virus dissemination across vertebrate and invertebrate systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R. Hall
- Interdepartmental Program in Genetics and Genomics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
| | - Rebecca M. Johnson
- Center for Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Hyeogsun Kwon
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
| | - Zannatul Ferdous
- Center for Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Bradley J. Blitvich
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
| | - Doug E. Brackney
- Center for Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Ryan C. Smith
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
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6
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Imomnazarov K, Lopez-Scarim J, Bagheri I, Joers V, Tansey MG, Martín-Peña A. Biochemical Fractionation of Human α-Synuclein in a Drosophila Model of Synucleinopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3643. [PMID: 38612454 PMCID: PMC11011978 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of central nervous system pathologies that are characterized by the intracellular accumulation of misfolded and aggregated α-synuclein in proteinaceous depositions known as Lewy Bodies (LBs). The transition of α-synuclein from its physiological to pathological form has been associated with several post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and an increasing degree of insolubility, which also correlate with disease progression in post-mortem specimens from human patients. Neuronal expression of α-synuclein in model organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster, has been a typical approach employed to study its physiological effects. Biochemical analysis of α-synuclein solubility via high-speed ultracentrifugation with buffers of increasing detergent strength offers a potent method for identification of α-synuclein biochemical properties and the associated pathology stage. Unfortunately, the development of a robust and reproducible method for the evaluation of human α-synuclein solubility isolated from Drosophila tissues has remained elusive. Here, we tested different detergents for their ability to solubilize human α-synuclein carrying the pathological mutation A53T from the brains of aged flies. We also assessed the effect of sonication on the solubility of human α-synuclein and optimized a protocol to discriminate the relative amounts of soluble/insoluble human α-synuclein from dopaminergic neurons of the Drosophila brain. Our data established that, using a 5% SDS buffer, the three-step protocol separates cytosolic soluble, detergent-soluble and insoluble proteins in three sequential fractions according to their chemical properties. This protocol shows that sonication breaks down α-synuclein insoluble complexes from the fly brain, making them soluble in the SDS buffer and thus enriching the detergent-soluble fraction of the protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khondamir Imomnazarov
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.I.); (J.L.-S.); (I.B.); (V.J.); (M.G.T.)
| | - Joshua Lopez-Scarim
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.I.); (J.L.-S.); (I.B.); (V.J.); (M.G.T.)
| | - Ila Bagheri
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.I.); (J.L.-S.); (I.B.); (V.J.); (M.G.T.)
| | - Valerie Joers
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.I.); (J.L.-S.); (I.B.); (V.J.); (M.G.T.)
| | - Malú Gámez Tansey
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.I.); (J.L.-S.); (I.B.); (V.J.); (M.G.T.)
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Alfonso Martín-Peña
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (K.I.); (J.L.-S.); (I.B.); (V.J.); (M.G.T.)
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7
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Liu N, Qiang W, Jordan P, Marko J, Qiao H. Cell-cycle and Age-Related Modulations in Mouse Chromosome Stiffness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.06.583771. [PMID: 38559262 PMCID: PMC10979861 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.06.583771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The intricate structure of chromosomes is complex, and many aspects of chromosome configuration/organization remain to be fully understood. Measuring chromosome stiffness can provide valuable insights into their structure. However, the nature of chromosome stiffness, whether static or dynamic, remains elusive. In this study, we analyzed chromosome stiffness in MI and MII oocytes. We revealed that MI oocytes had a ten-fold increase in stiffness compared to mitotic chromosomes, whereas chromosome stiffness in MII oocytes was relatively low chromosome. We then investigated the contribution of meiosis-specific cohesin complexes to chromosome stiffness in MI and MII oocytes. Surprisingly, the Young's modulus of chromosomes from the three meiosis-specific cohesin mutants did not exhibit significant differences compared to the wild type, indicating that these proteins may not play a substantial role in determining chromosome stiffness. Additionally, our findings revealed an age-related increase in chromosome stiffness in MI oocytes. Age correlates with elevated DNA damage levels, so we investigated the impact of etoposide-induced DNA damage on chromosome stiffness, discovering a reduction in stiffness in response to such damage in MI oocytes. Overall, our study underscores the dynamic nature of chromosome stiffness, subject to changes influenced by the cell cycle and age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Wenan Qiang
- Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Philip Jordan
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Departments, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John Marko
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Huanyu Qiao
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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8
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Imomnazarov K, Lopez-Scarim J, Bagheri I, Joers V, Tansey MG, Martín-Peña A. Biochemical fractionation of human α-Synuclein in a Drosophila model of synucleinopathies. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.05.579034. [PMID: 38370694 PMCID: PMC10871193 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.05.579034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of central nervous system pathologies that are characterized by neuronal accumulation of misfolded and aggregated α-synuclein in proteinaceous depositions known as Lewy Bodies (LBs). The transition of α-synuclein from its physiological to pathological form has been associated with several post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and an increasing degree of insolubility, which also correlate with disease progression in postmortem specimens from human patients. Neuronal expression of α-synuclein in model organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster, has been a typical approach employed to study its physiological effects. Biochemical analysis of α-synuclein solubility via high-speed ultracentrifugation with buffers of increasing detergent strength offers a potent method for identification of α-synuclein biochemical properties and the associated pathology stage. Unfortunately, the development of a robust and reproducible method for evaluation of human α-synuclein solubility isolated from Drosophila tissues has remained elusive. Here, we tested different detergents for their ability to solubilize human α-synuclein carrying the pathological mutation A53T from brains of aged flies. We also assessed the effect of sonication on solubility of human α-synuclein and optimized a protocol to discriminate relative amounts of soluble/insoluble human α-synuclein from dopaminergic neurons of the Drosophila brain. Our data established that, using a 5% SDS buffer, the 3-step protocol distinguishes between cytosolic soluble proteins in fraction 1, detergent-soluble proteins in fraction 2 and insoluble proteins in fraction 3. This protocol shows that sonication breaks down α-synuclein insoluble complexes from the fly brain, making them soluble in the SDS buffer and enriching fraction 2 of the protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khondamir Imomnazarov
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute
| | - Joshua Lopez-Scarim
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute
| | - Ila Bagheri
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute
| | - Valerie Joers
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute
| | - Malú Gámez Tansey
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida
| | - Alfonso Martín-Peña
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute
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9
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Vincow ES, Thomas RE, Milstein G, Pareek G, Bammler T, MacDonald J, Pallanck L. Glucocerebrosidase deficiency leads to neuropathology via cellular immune activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.13.571406. [PMID: 38168223 PMCID: PMC10760128 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in GBA (glucosylceramidase beta), which encodes the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), are the strongest genetic risk factor for the neurodegenerative disorders Parkinson's disease (PD) and Lewy body dementia. Recent work has suggested that neuroinflammation may be an important factor in the risk conferred by GBA mutations. We therefore systematically tested the contributions of immune-related genes to neuropathology in a Drosophila model of GCase deficiency. We identified target immune factors via RNA-Seq and proteomics on heads from GCase-deficient flies, which revealed both increased abundance of humoral factors and increased macrophage activation. We then manipulated the identified immune factors and measured their effect on head protein aggregates, a hallmark of neurodegenerative disease. Genetic ablation of humoral (secreted) immune factors did not suppress the development of protein aggregation. By contrast, re-expressing Gba1b in activated macrophages suppressed head protein aggregation in Gba1b mutants and rescued their lifespan and behavioral deficits. Moreover, reducing the GCase substrate glucosylceramide in activated macrophages also ameliorated Gba1b mutant phenotypes. Taken together, our findings show that glucosylceramide accumulation due to GCase deficiency leads to macrophage activation, which in turn promotes the development of neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn S. Vincow
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ruth E. Thomas
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Gillian Milstein
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Gautam Pareek
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Theo Bammler
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - James MacDonald
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Leo Pallanck
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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10
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Atilano ML, Hull A, Romila CA, Adams ML, Wildfire J, Ureña E, Dyson M, Ivan-Castillo-Quan J, Partridge L, Kinghorn KJ. Autophagic dysfunction and gut microbiota dysbiosis cause chronic immune activation in a Drosophila model of Gaucher disease. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011063. [PMID: 38127816 PMCID: PMC10734978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the GBA1 gene cause the lysosomal storage disorder Gaucher disease (GD) and are the greatest known genetic risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD). Communication between the gut and brain and immune dysregulation are increasingly being implicated in neurodegenerative disorders such as PD. Here, we show that flies lacking the Gba1b gene, the main fly orthologue of GBA1, display widespread NF-kB signalling activation, including gut inflammation, and brain glial activation. We also demonstrate intestinal autophagic defects, gut dysfunction, and microbiome dysbiosis. Remarkably, modulating the microbiome of Gba1b knockout flies, by raising them under germ-free conditions, partially ameliorates lifespan, locomotor and immune phenotypes. Moreover, we show that modulation of the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway is detrimental to the survival of Gba1 deficient flies. We also reveal that direct stimulation of autophagy by rapamycin treatment achieves similar benefits to germ-free conditions independent of gut bacterial load. Consistent with this, we show that pharmacologically blocking autophagosomal-lysosomal fusion, mimicking the autophagy defects of Gba1 depleted cells, is sufficient to stimulate intestinal immune activation. Overall, our data elucidate a mechanism whereby an altered microbiome, coupled with defects in autophagy, drive chronic activation of NF-kB signaling in a Gba1 loss-of-function model. It also highlights that elimination of the microbiota or stimulation of autophagy to remove immune mediators, rather than prolonged immunosuppression, may represent effective therapeutic avenues for GBA1-associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda L. Atilano
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Hull
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Catalina-Andreea Romila
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mirjam L. Adams
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob Wildfire
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Enric Ureña
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Miranda Dyson
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jorge Ivan-Castillo-Quan
- Section on Islet Cell & Regenerative Biology, Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States of America
| | - Linda Partridge
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kerri J. Kinghorn
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Cabasso O, Kuppuramalingam A, Lelieveld L, Van der Lienden M, Boot R, Aerts JM, Horowitz M. Animal Models for the Study of Gaucher Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16035. [PMID: 38003227 PMCID: PMC10671165 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In Gaucher disease (GD), a relatively common sphingolipidosis, the mutant lysosomal enzyme acid β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase), encoded by the GBA1 gene, fails to properly hydrolyze the sphingolipid glucosylceramide (GlcCer) in lysosomes, particularly of tissue macrophages. As a result, GlcCer accumulates, which, to a certain extent, is converted to its deacylated form, glucosylsphingosine (GlcSph), by lysosomal acid ceramidase. The inability of mutant GCase to degrade GlcSph further promotes its accumulation. The amount of mutant GCase in lysosomes depends on the amount of mutant ER enzyme that shuttles to them. In the case of many mutant GCase forms, the enzyme is largely misfolded in the ER. Only a fraction correctly folds and is subsequently trafficked to the lysosomes, while the rest of the misfolded mutant GCase protein undergoes ER-associated degradation (ERAD). The retention of misfolded mutant GCase in the ER induces ER stress, which evokes a stress response known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). GD is remarkably heterogeneous in clinical manifestation, including the variant without CNS involvement (type 1), and acute and subacute neuronopathic variants (types 2 and 3). The present review discusses animal models developed to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying GD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Cabasso
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel; (O.C.); (A.K.)
| | - Aparna Kuppuramalingam
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel; (O.C.); (A.K.)
| | - Lindsey Lelieveld
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 9502 Leiden, The Netherlands; (L.L.); (M.V.d.L.); (R.B.)
| | - Martijn Van der Lienden
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 9502 Leiden, The Netherlands; (L.L.); (M.V.d.L.); (R.B.)
| | - Rolf Boot
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 9502 Leiden, The Netherlands; (L.L.); (M.V.d.L.); (R.B.)
| | - Johannes M. Aerts
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 9502 Leiden, The Netherlands; (L.L.); (M.V.d.L.); (R.B.)
| | - Mia Horowitz
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel; (O.C.); (A.K.)
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12
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Swaby C, Yeung-Luk B, Thapa S, Nishida K, Wally A, Ghosh B, Niederkofler A, Luk S, Girgis M, Keller A, Cortez C, Ramaswamy S, Wilmsen K, Bouché L, Dell A, Drummond MB, Putcha N, Haslam SM, Mathias R, Hansel NN, Sheng J, Sidhaye V. Decreased fucosylation impacts epithelial integrity and increases risk for COPD. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.31.564805. [PMID: 37961411 PMCID: PMC10635007 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.31.564805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
COPD causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Epithelial damage is fundamental to disease pathogenesis, although the mechanisms driving disease remain undefined. Published evidence from a COPD cohort (SPIROMICS) and confirmed in a second cohort (COPDgene) demonstrate a polymorphism in Fucosyltransferese-2 (FUT2) is a trans-pQTL for E-cadherin, which is critical in COPD pathogenesis. We found by MALDI-TOF analysis that FUT2 increased terminal fucosylation of E-cadherin. Using atomic force microscopy, we found that FUT2-dependent fucosylation enhanced E-cadherin-E-cadherin bond strength, mediating the improvement in monolayer integrity. Tracheal epithelial cells from Fut2-/- mice have reduced epithelial integrity, which is recovered with reconstitution of Fut2. Overexpression of FUT2 in COPD derived epithelia rescues barrier function. Fut2-/- mice show increased susceptibility in an elastase model of disease developing both emphysema and fibrosis. We propose this is due to the role of FUT2 in proliferation and cell differentiation. Overexpression of FUT2 significantly increased proliferation. Loss of Fut2 results in accumulation of Spc+ cells suggesting a failure of alveolar type 2 cells to undergo transdifferentiation to alveolar type 1. Using a combination of population data, genetically manipulated mouse models, and patient-derived cells, we present a novel mechanism by which post-translational modifications modulate tissue pathology and serve as a proof of concept for the development of a disease-modifying target in COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carter Swaby
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA
| | - Bonnie Yeung-Luk
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Shreeti Thapa
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21224, Maryland, USA
| | - Kristine Nishida
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21224, Maryland, USA
| | - Arabelis Wally
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21224, Maryland, USA
| | - Baishakhi Ghosh
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Austin Niederkofler
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Sean Luk
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Mirit Girgis
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Allison Keller
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Cecilia Cortez
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Sahana Ramaswamy
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Kai Wilmsen
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Laura Bouché
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Anne Dell
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - M. Bradley Drummond
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27514, USA
| | - Nirupama Putcha
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21224, Maryland, USA
| | - Stuart M. Haslam
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Rasika Mathias
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21224, Maryland, USA
| | - Nadia N. Hansel
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21224, Maryland, USA
| | - Jian Sheng
- Department of Engineering, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
| | - Venkataramana Sidhaye
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21224, Maryland, USA
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, USA
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13
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de Koning EA, Panjalingam M, Tran J, Eckhart MR, Dahlberg PD, Shapiro L. The PHB Granule Biogenesis Pathway in Caulobacter. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.06.548030. [PMID: 37461544 PMCID: PMC10350054 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.06.548030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
PHB granules are bacterial organelles that store excess carbohydrates in the form of water-insoluble polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). The PHB polymerase, phasin (a small amphipathic protein), and active PHB synthesis are essential for the formation of mature PHB granules in Caulobacter crescentus. Granule formation was found to be initiated by the condensation of self-associating PHB polymerase-GFP into foci, closely followed by the recruitment and condensation of phasin-mCherry. Following the active synthesis of PHB and granule maturation, the polymerase dissociates from mature granules and the PHB depolymerase is recruited to the granule. The polymerase directly binds phasin in vitro through its intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain. Thus, granule biogenesis is initiated and controlled by the action of a PHB polymerase and an associated helper protein, phasin, that together synthesize the hydrophobic granule's content while forming the granules protein boundary.
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14
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Guo B, Borda V, Laboulaye R, Spring MD, Wojnarski M, Vesely BA, Silva JC, Waters NC, O'Connor TD, Takala-Harrison S. Strong Positive Selection Biases Identity-By-Descent-Based Inferences of Recent Demography and Population Structure in Plasmodium falciparum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.14.549114. [PMID: 37502843 PMCID: PMC10370022 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.14.549114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Malaria genomic surveillance often estimates parasite genetic relatedness using metrics such as Identity-By-Decent (IBD). Yet, strong positive selection stemming from antimalarial drug resistance or other interventions may bias IBD-based estimates. In this study, we utilized simulations, a true IBD inference algorithm, and empirical datasets from different malaria transmission settings to investigate the extent of such bias and explore potential correction strategies. We analyzed whole genome sequence data generated from 640 new and 4,026 publicly available Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates. Our findings demonstrated that positive selection distorts IBD distributions, leading to underestimated effective population size and blurred population structure. Additionally, we discovered that the removal of IBD peak regions partially restored the accuracy of IBD-based inferences, with this effect contingent on the population's background genetic relatedness. Consequently, we advocate for selection correction for parasite populations undergoing strong, recent positive selection, particularly in high malaria transmission settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Guo
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Victor Borda
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roland Laboulaye
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michele D Spring
- Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mariusz Wojnarski
- Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Brian A Vesely
- Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Joana C Silva
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Norman C Waters
- Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Timothy D O'Connor
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shannon Takala-Harrison
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
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15
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Yu M, Ye H, De-Paula RB, Mangleburg CG, Wu T, Lee TV, Li Y, Duong D, Phillips B, Cruchaga C, Allen GI, Seyfried NT, Al-Ramahi I, Botas J, Shulman JM. Functional screening of lysosomal storage disorder genes identifies modifiers of alpha-synuclein neurotoxicity. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010760. [PMID: 37200393 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterozygous variants in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene are common and potent risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD). GBA also causes the autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder (LSD), Gaucher disease, and emerging evidence from human genetics implicates many other LSD genes in PD susceptibility. We have systemically tested 86 conserved fly homologs of 37 human LSD genes for requirements in the aging adult Drosophila brain and for potential genetic interactions with neurodegeneration caused by α-synuclein (αSyn), which forms Lewy body pathology in PD. Our screen identifies 15 genetic enhancers of αSyn-induced progressive locomotor dysfunction, including knockdown of fly homologs of GBA and other LSD genes with independent support as PD susceptibility factors from human genetics (SCARB2, SMPD1, CTSD, GNPTAB, SLC17A5). For several genes, results from multiple alleles suggest dose-sensitivity and context-dependent pleiotropy in the presence or absence of αSyn. Homologs of two genes causing cholesterol storage disorders, Npc1a / NPC1 and Lip4 / LIPA, were independently confirmed as loss-of-function enhancers of αSyn-induced retinal degeneration. The enzymes encoded by several modifier genes are upregulated in αSyn transgenic flies, based on unbiased proteomics, revealing a possible, albeit ineffective, compensatory response. Overall, our results reinforce the important role of lysosomal genes in brain health and PD pathogenesis, and implicate several metabolic pathways, including cholesterol homeostasis, in αSyn-mediated neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meigen Yu
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hui Ye
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ruth B De-Paula
- Quantitative and Computational Biology Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Carl Grant Mangleburg
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Timothy Wu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Tom V Lee
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yarong Li
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Duc Duong
- Departments of Biochemistry and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Bridget Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- NeuroGenomics and Informatics, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Carlos Cruchaga
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- NeuroGenomics and Informatics, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Genevera I Allen
- Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Statistics, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Nicholas T Seyfried
- Departments of Biochemistry and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Juan Botas
- Quantitative and Computational Biology Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Joshua M Shulman
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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16
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Kaye EG, Nelson GM, Zomer HD, Roy D, Joseph II, Adelman K, Reddi PP. RNA polymerase II pausing is essential during spermatogenesis for appropriate gene expression and completion of meiosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.08.539879. [PMID: 37215034 PMCID: PMC10197597 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.08.539879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Male germ cell development requires precise regulation of gene activity in a cell-type and stage-specific manner, with perturbations in gene expression during spermatogenesis associated with infertility. Here, we use steady-state, nascent and single-cell RNA sequencing strategies to comprehensively characterize gene expression across male germ cell populations, to dissect the mechanisms of gene control and provide new insights towards therapy. We discover a requirement for pausing of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) at the earliest stages of sperm differentiation to establish the landscape of gene activity across development. Accordingly, genetic knockout of the Pol II pause-inducing factor NELF in immature germ cells blocks differentiation to mature spermatids. Further, we uncover unanticipated roles for Pol II pausing in the regulation of meiosis during spermatogenesis, with the presence of paused Pol II associated with double strand break formation by SPO11, and disruption of SPO11 expression in germ cells lacking NELF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily G. Kaye
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Geoffrey M. Nelson
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Helena D. Zomer
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61802, USA
| | - Debarun Roy
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61802, USA
| | - Irene Infancy Joseph
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61802, USA
| | - Karen Adelman
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Prabhakara P. Reddi
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61802, USA
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17
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Amin MR, Hasan M, Arnab SP, DeGiorgio M. Tensor decomposition based feature extraction and classification to detect natural selection from genomic data. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.27.527731. [PMID: 37034767 PMCID: PMC10081272 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.27.527731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Inferences of adaptive events are important for learning about traits, such as human digestion of lactose after infancy and the rapid spread of viral variants. Early efforts toward identifying footprints of natural selection from genomic data involved development of summary statistic and likelihood methods. However, such techniques are grounded in simple patterns or theoretical models that limit the complexity of settings they can explore. Due to the renaissance in artificial intelligence, machine learning methods have taken center stage in recent efforts to detect natural selection, with strategies such as convolutional neural networks applied to images of haplotypes. Yet, limitations of such techniques include estimation of large numbers of model parameters under non-convex settings and feature identification without regard to location within an image. An alternative approach is to use tensor decomposition to extract features from multidimensional data while preserving the latent structure of the data, and to feed these features to machine learning models. Here, we adopt this framework and present a novel approach termed T-REx , which extracts features from images of haplotypes across sampled individuals using tensor decomposition, and then makes predictions from these features using classical machine learning methods. As a proof of concept, we explore the performance of T-REx on simulated neutral and selective sweep scenarios and find that it has high power and accuracy to discriminate sweeps from neutrality, robustness to common technical hurdles, and easy visualization of feature importance. Therefore, T-REx is a powerful addition to the toolkit for detecting adaptive processes from genomic data.
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18
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Treen N, Chavarria E, Weaver CJ, Brangwynne CP, Levine M. An FGF timer for zygotic genome activation. Genes Dev 2023; 37:80-85. [PMID: 36801820 PMCID: PMC10069452 DOI: 10.1101/gad.350164.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Zygotic genome activation has been extensively studied in a variety of systems including flies, frogs, and mammals. However, there is comparatively little known about the precise timing of gene induction during the earliest phases of embryogenesis. Here we used high-resolution in situ detection methods, along with genetic and experimental manipulations, to study the timing of zygotic activation in the simple model chordate Ciona with minute-scale temporal precision. We found that two Prdm1 homologs in Ciona are the earliest genes that respond to FGF signaling. We present evidence for a FGF timing mechanism that is driven by ERK-mediated derepression of the ERF repressor. Depletion of ERF results in ectopic activation of FGF target genes throughout the embryo. A highlight of this timer is the sharp transition in FGF responsiveness between the eight- and 16-cell stages of development. We propose that this timer is an innovation of chordates that is also used by vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Treen
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA;
| | - Emily Chavarria
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Claire J Weaver
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Clifford P Brangwynne
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
| | - Michael Levine
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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19
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Dhanushkodi NR, Abul Khair SB, Ardah MT, Haque ME. ATP13A2 Gene Silencing in Drosophila Affects Autophagic Degradation of A53T Mutant α-Synuclein. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021775. [PMID: 36675288 PMCID: PMC9861907 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in ATP13A2 (PARK9), an autophagy-related protein, cause Kufor-Rakeb syndrome, an autosomal recessive, juvenile-onset form of parkinsonism. α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a presynaptic neuronal protein that forms toxic aggregates in Parkinson's disease (PD). We studied α-syn aggregation and autophagic flux in ATP13A2-knockdown Drosophila expressing either wild-type (WT) or mutant α-syn. Dopaminergic (DA) neuron loss was studied by confocal microscopy. Sleep and circadian activity were evaluated in young and old flies using a Drosophila activity monitor. Thirty-day-old ATP13A2-RNAi A53T-α-syn flies had increased Triton-insoluble α-syn levels, compared to control A53T-α-syn flies without ATP13A2-RNAi. Whole-brain staining revealed significantly fewer dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the PPL2 cluster of 30-day-old ATP13A2-RNAi flies expressing WT-, A30P-, and A53T-α-syn than in that of controls. In ATP13A2-RNAi A53T-α-syn flies, autophagic flux was decreased, as indicated by increased accumulation of Ref(2)P, the Drosophila p62 homologue. ATP13A2 silencing decreased total locomotor activity in young, and enhanced sleep features, similar to PD (decreasing bout length), in old flies expressing A53T-α-syn. ATP13A2 silencing also altered the circadian locomotor activity of A30P- and A53T-α-syn flies. Thus, ATP13A2 may play a role in the autophagic degradation of A53T-α-syn.
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20
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Pan X, Dutta D, Lu S, Bellen HJ. Sphingolipids in neurodegenerative diseases. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1137893. [PMID: 36875645 PMCID: PMC9978793 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1137893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDDs) are a group of disorders that cause progressive deficits of neuronal function. Recent evidence argues that sphingolipid metabolism is affected in a surprisingly broad set of NDDs. These include some lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs), hereditary sensory and autonomous neuropathy (HSAN), hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD), Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), as well as some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Many of these diseases have been modeled in Drosophila melanogaster and are associated with elevated levels of ceramides. Similar changes have also been reported in vertebrate cells and mouse models. Here, we summarize studies using fly models and/or patient samples which demonstrate the nature of the defects in sphingolipid metabolism, the organelles that are implicated, the cell types that are initially affected, and potential therapeutics for these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyang Pan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Debdeep Dutta
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Shenzhao Lu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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21
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Nitta Y, Sugie A. Studies of neurodegenerative diseases using Drosophila and the development of novel approaches for their analysis. Fly (Austin) 2022; 16:275-298. [PMID: 35765969 PMCID: PMC9336468 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2022.2087484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of Drosophila in neurodegenerative disease research has contributed to the identification of modifier genes for the pathology. The basis for neurodegenerative disease occurrence in Drosophila is the conservation of genes across species and the ability to perform rapid genetic analysis using a compact brain. Genetic findings previously discovered in Drosophila can reveal molecular pathologies involved in human neurological diseases in later years. Disease models using Drosophila began to be generated during the development of genetic engineering. In recent years, results of reverse translational research using Drosophila have been reported. In this review, we discuss research on neurodegenerative diseases; moreover, we introduce various methods for quantifying neurodegeneration in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Nitta
- Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sugie
- Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
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22
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Gaudioso Á, Silva TP, Ledesma MD. Models to study basic and applied aspects of lysosomal storage disorders. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 190:114532. [PMID: 36122863 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The lack of available treatments and fatal outcome in most lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) have spurred research on pathological mechanisms and novel therapies in recent years. In this effort, experimental methodology in cellular and animal models have been developed, with aims to address major challenges in many LSDs such as patient-to-patient variability and brain condition. These techniques and models have advanced knowledge not only of LSDs but also for other lysosomal disorders and have provided fundamental insights into the biological roles of lysosomes. They can also serve to assess the efficacy of classical therapies and modern drug delivery systems. Here, we summarize the techniques and models used in LSD research, which include both established and recently developed in vitro methods, with general utility or specifically addressing lysosomal features. We also review animal models of LSDs together with cutting-edge technology that may reduce the need for animals in the study of these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Gaudioso
- Centro Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa P Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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23
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Asthana J, Shravage BV. Exploring therapeutic potential of mitophagy modulators using Drosophila models of Parkinson’s disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:986849. [PMID: 36337696 PMCID: PMC9632658 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.986849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most popular age-associated neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. The degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn), and locomotor defects are the main characteristic features of PD. The main cause of a familial form of PD is associated with a mutation in genes such as SNCA, PINK1, Parkin, DJ-1, LRKK2, and others. Recent advances have uncovered the different underlying mechanisms of PD but the treatment of PD is still unknown due to the unavailability of effective therapies and preventive medicines in the current scenario. The pathophysiology and genetics of PD have been strongly associated with mitochondria in disease etiology. Several studies have investigated a complex molecular mechanism governing the identification and clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria from the cell, a mitochondrial quality control mechanism called mitophagy. Reduced mitophagy and mitochondrial impairment are found in both sporadic and familial PD. Pharmacologically modulating mitophagy and accelerating the removal of defective mitochondria are of common interest in developing a therapy for PD. However, despite the extensive understanding of the mitochondrial quality control pathway and its underlying mechanism, the therapeutic potential of targeting mitophagy modulation and its role in PD remains to be explored. Thus, targeting mitophagy using chemical agents and naturally occurring phytochemicals could be an emerging therapeutic strategy in PD prevention and treatment. We discuss the current research on understanding the role of mitophagy modulators in PD using Drosophila melanogaster as a model. We further explore the contribution of Drosophila in the pathophysiology of PD, and discuss comprehensive genetic analysis in flies and pharmacological drug screening to develop potential therapeutic molecules for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyotsna Asthana
- Developmental Biology Group, MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India
| | - Bhupendra V. Shravage
- Developmental Biology Group, MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
- Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
- *Correspondence: Bhupendra V. Shravage,
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24
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Vaughen JP, Theisen E, Rivas-Serna IM, Berger AB, Kalakuntla P, Anreiter I, Mazurak VC, Rodriguez TP, Mast JD, Hartl T, Perlstein EO, Reimer RJ, Clandinin MT, Clandinin TR. Glial control of sphingolipid levels sculpts diurnal remodeling in a circadian circuit. Neuron 2022; 110:3186-3205.e7. [PMID: 35961319 PMCID: PMC10868424 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Structural plasticity in the brain often necessitates dramatic remodeling of neuronal processes, with attendant reorganization of the cytoskeleton and membranes. Although cytoskeletal restructuring has been studied extensively, how lipids might orchestrate structural plasticity remains unclear. We show that specific glial cells in Drosophila produce glucocerebrosidase (GBA) to locally catabolize sphingolipids. Sphingolipid accumulation drives lysosomal dysfunction, causing gba1b mutants to harbor protein aggregates that cycle across circadian time and are regulated by neural activity, the circadian clock, and sleep. Although the vast majority of membrane lipids are stable across the day, a specific subset that is highly enriched in sphingolipids cycles daily in a gba1b-dependent fashion. Remarkably, both sphingolipid biosynthesis and degradation are required for the diurnal remodeling of circadian clock neurites, which grow and shrink across the day. Thus, dynamic sphingolipid regulation by glia enables diurnal circuit remodeling and proper circadian behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Vaughen
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Emma Theisen
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Irma Magaly Rivas-Serna
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Andrew B Berger
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Prateek Kalakuntla
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ina Anreiter
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vera C Mazurak
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | | | - Joshua D Mast
- Perlara PBC, 2625 Alcatraz Ave #435, Berkeley, CA 94705, USA
| | - Tom Hartl
- Perlara PBC, 2625 Alcatraz Ave #435, Berkeley, CA 94705, USA
| | | | - Richard J Reimer
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - M Thomas Clandinin
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Thomas R Clandinin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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25
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Glia-neuron interplay drives circadian glycosphingolipid homeostasis and structural brain plasticity. Neuron 2022; 110:3058-3060. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
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26
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Lopez-Ortiz C, Edwards M, Natarajan P, Pacheco-Valenciana A, Nimmakayala P, Adjeroh DA, Sirbu C, Reddy UK. Peppers in Diet: Genome-Wide Transcriptome and Metabolome Changes in Drosophila melanogaster. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179924. [PMID: 36077322 PMCID: PMC9455967 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense) is an increasingly important spice and vegetable crop worldwide because of its high capsaicin content and pungent flavor. Diets supplemented with the phytochemicals found in habanero peppers might cause shifts in an organism’s metabolism and gene expression. Thus, understanding how these interactions occur can reveal the potential health effects associated with such changes. We performed transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of Drosophila melanogaster adult flies reared on a habanero pepper diet. We found 539 genes/59 metabolites that were differentially expressed/accumulated in flies fed a pepper versus control diet. Transcriptome results indicated that olfactory sensitivity and behavioral responses to the pepper diet were mediated by olfactory and nutrient-related genes including gustatory receptors (Gr63a, Gr66a, and Gr89a), odorant receptors (Or23a, Or59a, Or82a, and Orco), and odorant-binding proteins (Obp28a, Obp83a, Obp83b, Obp93a, and Obp99a). Metabolome analysis revealed that campesterol, sitosterol, and sucrose were highly upregulated and azelaic acid, ethyl phosphoric acid, and citric acid were the major metabolites downregulated in response to the habanero pepper diet. Further investigation by integration analysis between transcriptome and metabolome data at gene pathway levels revealed six unique enriched pathways, including phenylalanine metabolism; insect hormone biosynthesis; pyrimidine metabolism; glyoxylate, and dicarboxylate metabolism; glycine, serine, threonine metabolism; and glycerolipid metabolism. In view of the transcriptome and metabolome findings, our comprehensive analysis of the response to a pepper diet in Drosophila have implications for exploring the molecular mechanism of pepper consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Lopez-Ortiz
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112, USA
| | - Mary Edwards
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112, USA
| | - Purushothaman Natarajan
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112, USA
| | - Armando Pacheco-Valenciana
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112, USA
| | - Padma Nimmakayala
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112, USA
| | - Donald A. Adjeroh
- Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Cristian Sirbu
- Charleston Area Medical Center, Institute for Academic Medicine, Charleston, WV 25304, USA
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Charleston Division, Charleston, WV 25304, USA
| | - Umesh K. Reddy
- Department of Biology, Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112, USA
- Correspondence:
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27
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Ma M, Moulton MJ, Lu S, Bellen HJ. 'Fly-ing' from rare to common neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. Trends Genet 2022; 38:972-984. [PMID: 35484057 PMCID: PMC9378361 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Advances in genome sequencing have enabled researchers and clinicians to probe vast numbers of human variants to distinguish pathogenic from benign variants. Model organisms have been crucial in variant assessment and in delineating the molecular mechanisms of some of the diseases caused by these variants. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has played a valuable role in this endeavor, taking advantage of its genetic technologies and established biological knowledge. We highlight the utility of the fly in studying the function of genes associated with rare neurological diseases that have led to a better understanding of common disease mechanisms. We emphasize that shared themes emerge among disease mechanisms, including the importance of lipids, in two prominent neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Ma
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Matthew J Moulton
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shenzhao Lu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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28
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Arévalo NB, Lamaizon CM, Cavieres VA, Burgos PV, Álvarez AR, Yañez MJ, Zanlungo S. Neuronopathic Gaucher disease: Beyond lysosomal dysfunction. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:934820. [PMID: 35992201 PMCID: PMC9381931 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.934820] [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: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gaucher disease (GD) is an inherited disorder caused by recessive mutations in the GBA1 gene that encodes the lysosomal enzyme β-glucocerebrosidase (β-GC). β-GC hydrolyzes glucosylceramide (GluCer) into glucose and ceramide in the lysosome, and the loss of its activity leads to GluCer accumulation in different tissues. In severe cases, enzymatic deficiency triggers inflammation, organomegaly, bone disease, and neurodegeneration. Neuronopathic Gaucher disease (nGD) encompasses two different forms of the disease, characterized by chronic or acute damage to the central nervous system (CNS). The cellular and molecular studies that uncover the pathological mechanisms of nGD mainly focus on lysosomal dysfunction since the lysosome is the key organelle affected in GD. However, new studies show alterations in other organelles that contribute to nGD pathology. For instance, abnormal accumulation of GluCer in lysosomes due to the loss of β-GC activity leads to excessive calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), activating the ER-associated degradation pathway and the unfolded protein response. Recent evidence indicates mitophagy is altered in nGD, resulting in the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, a critical factor in disease progression. Additionally, nGD patients present alterations in mitochondrial morphology, membrane potential, ATP production, and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Little is known about potential dysfunction in other organelles of the secretory pathway, such as the Golgi apparatus and exosomes. This review focuses on collecting evidence regarding organelle dysfunction beyond lysosomes in nGD. We briefly describe cellular and animal models and signaling pathways relevant to uncovering the pathological mechanisms and new therapeutic targets in GD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nohela B. Arévalo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristian M. Lamaizon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago, Chile
| | - Viviana A. Cavieres
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE-UC), Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago, Chile
| | - Patricia V. Burgos
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE-UC), Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandra R. Álvarez
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE-UC), Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago, Chile
| | - María J. Yañez
- Faculty of Medicine and Science, School of Medical Technology, Universidad San Sebastian, Concepción, Chile
- *Correspondence: María J. Yañez
| | - Silvana Zanlungo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Silvana Zanlungo
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29
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Wang L, Lin G, Zuo Z, Li Y, Byeon SK, Pandey A, Bellen HJ. Neuronal activity induces glucosylceramide that is secreted via exosomes for lysosomal degradation in glia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn3326. [PMID: 35857503 PMCID: PMC9278864 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Recessive variants in GBA1 cause Gaucher disease, a prevalent form of lysosome storage disease. GBA1 encodes a lysosomal enzyme that hydrolyzes glucosylceramide (GlcCer) into glucose and ceramide. Its loss causes lysosomal dysfunction and increased levels of GlcCer. We generated a null allele of the Drosophila ortholog Gba1b by inserting the Gal4 using CRISPR-Cas9. Here, we show that Gba1b is expressed in glia but not in neurons. Glial-specific knockdown recapitulates the defects found in Gba1b mutants, and these can be rescued by glial expression of human GBA1. We show that GlcCer is synthesized upon neuronal activity, and it is transported from neurons to glia through exosomes. Furthermore, we found that glial TGF-β/BMP induces the transfer of GlcCer from neurons to glia and that the White protein, an ABCG transporter, promotes GlcCer trafficking to glial lysosomes for degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Wang
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Guang Lin
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhongyuan Zuo
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yarong Li
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Seul Kee Byeon
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Akhilesh Pandey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576 104, India
| | - Hugo J. Bellen
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Corresponding author.
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30
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Xue J, Zhu Y, Wei L, Huang H, Li G, Huang W, Zhu H, Duan R. Loss of Drosophila NUS1 results in cholesterol accumulation and Parkinson's disease-related neurodegeneration. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22411. [PMID: 35695805 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202200212r] [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: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
NgBR is the Nogo-B receptor, encoded by NUS1 gene. As NgBR contains a C-terminal domain that is similar to cis-isoprenyltransferase (cis-IPTase), NgBR was speculated to stabilize nascent Niemann-Pick type C 2 (NPC2) to facilitate cholesterol transport out of lysosomes. Mutations in the NUS1 were known as risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD). In our previous study, it was shown that knockdown of Drosophila NUS1 orthologous gene tango14 causes decreased climbing ability, loss of dopaminergic neurons, and decreased dopamine contents. In this study, tango14 mutant flies were generated with a mutation in the C-terminal enzyme activity region using CRISPR/Cas9. Tango14 mutant showed a reduced lifespan with locomotive defects and cholesterol accumulation in Malpighian tubules and brains, especially in dopaminergic neurons. Multilamellar bodies were found in tango14 mutants using electron microscopy. Neurodegenerative-related brain vacuolization was also detected in tango14 knockdown flies in an age-dependent manner. In addition, tango14 knockdown increased α-synuclein (α-syn) neurotoxicity in α-syn-overexpressing flies, with decreased locomotive activities, dopamine contents, and the numbers of dopaminergic neurons in aging flies. Thus, these observations suggest a role of NUS1, the ortholog of tango14, in PD-related pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Xue
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yingbao Zhu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Liyi Wei
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hongjing Huang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Guangxu Li
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wen Huang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Jilin, China
| | - Ranhui Duan
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China
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31
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Genes Responsible for H2S Production and Metabolism Are Involved in Learning and Memory in Drosophila melanogaster. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12060751. [PMID: 35740876 PMCID: PMC9221306 DOI: 10.3390/biom12060751] [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: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide (H2S) produced by the transsulfuration pathway (TSP) is an important biological mediator, involved in many physiological and pathological processes in multiple higher organisms, including humans. Cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) enzymes play a central role in H2S production and metabolism. Here, we investigated the role of H2S in learning and memory processes by exploring several Drosophila melanogaster strains with single and double deletions of CBS and CSE developed by the CRISPR/Cas9 technique. We monitored the learning and memory parameters of these strains using the mating rejection courtship paradigm and demonstrated that the deletion of the CBS gene, which is expressed predominantly in the central nervous system, and double deletions completely block short- and long-term memory formation in fruit flies. On the other hand, the flies with CSE deletion preserve short- and long-term memory but fail to exhibit long-term memory retention. Transcriptome profiling of the heads of the males from the strains with deletions in Gene Ontology terms revealed a strong down-regulation of many genes involved in learning and memory, reproductive behavior, cognition, and the oxidation–reduction process in all strains with CBS deletion, indicating an important role of the hydrogen sulfide production in these vital processes.
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32
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Suzuki M, Sango K, Nagai Y. Roles of α-Synuclein and Disease-Associated Factors in Drosophila Models of Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031519. [PMID: 35163450 PMCID: PMC8835920 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (αSyn) plays a major role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), which is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. The accumulation of αSyn is a pathological hallmark of PD, and mutations in the SNCA gene encoding αSyn cause familial forms of PD. Moreover, the ectopic expression of αSyn has been demonstrated to mimic several key aspects of PD in experimental model systems. Among the various model systems, Drosophila melanogaster has several advantages for modeling human neurodegenerative diseases. Drosophila has a well-defined nervous system, and numerous tools have been established for its genetic analyses. The rapid generation cycle and short lifespan of Drosophila renders them suitable for high-throughput analyses. PD model flies expressing αSyn have contributed to our understanding of the roles of various disease-associated factors, including genetic and nongenetic factors, in the pathogenesis of PD. In this review, we summarize the molecular pathomechanisms revealed to date using αSyn-expressing Drosophila models of PD, and discuss the possibilities of using these models to demonstrate the biological significance of disease-associated factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari Suzuki
- Diabetic Neuropathy Project, Department of Diseases and Infection, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan;
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Correspondence: (M.S.); (Y.N.); Tel.: +81-5316-3100 (M.S.); +81-72-366-0221 (Y.N.)
| | - Kazunori Sango
- Diabetic Neuropathy Project, Department of Diseases and Infection, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan;
| | - Yoshitaka Nagai
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, Osaka-Sayama 589-8511, Japan
- Correspondence: (M.S.); (Y.N.); Tel.: +81-5316-3100 (M.S.); +81-72-366-0221 (Y.N.)
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33
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Estes RE, Lin B, Khera A, Davis MY. Lipid Metabolism Influence on Neurodegenerative Disease Progression: Is the Vehicle as Important as the Cargo? Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 14:788695. [PMID: 34987360 PMCID: PMC8721228 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.788695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by abnormal protein aggregates, including the two most common neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). In the global search to prevent and treat diseases, most research has been focused on the early stages of the diseases, including how these pathogenic protein aggregates are initially formed. We argue, however, that an equally important aspect of disease etiology is the characteristic spread of protein aggregates throughout the nervous system, a key process in disease progression. Growing evidence suggests that both alterations in lipid metabolism and dysregulation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) accelerate the spread of protein aggregation and progression of neurodegeneration, both in neurons and potentially in surrounding glia. We will review how these two pathways are intertwined and accelerate the progression of AD and PD. Understanding how lipid metabolism, EV biogenesis, and EV uptake regulate the spread of pathogenic protein aggregation could reveal novel therapeutic targets to slow or halt neurodegenerative disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bernice Lin
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Arnav Khera
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Marie Ynez Davis
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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34
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Shola-Dare O, Bailess S, Flores CC, Vanderheyden WM, Gerstner JR. Glitazone Treatment Rescues Phenotypic Deficits in a Fly Model of Gaucher/Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312740. [PMID: 34884544 PMCID: PMC8657993 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder, and the strongest genetic risk factor for PD is mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA). Mutations in GBA also lead to the development of Gaucher Disease (GD), the most common type of lysosomal storage disorder. Current therapeutic approaches fail to address neurological GD symptoms. Therefore, identifying therapeutic strategies that improve the phenotypic traits associated with GD/PD in animal models may provide an opportunity for treating neurological manifestations of GD/PD. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs, also called glitazones) are a class of compounds targeted for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and have also shown promise for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease, including PD. Here, we tested the efficacy of glitazone administration during development in a fly GD model with deletions in the GBA homolog, dGBA1b (GBA1ΔTT/ΔTT). We observed an optimal dose of pioglitazone (PGZ) at a concentration of 1 μM that reduced sleep deficits, locomotor impairments, climbing defects, and restoration of normal protein levels of Ref(2)P, a marker of autophagic flux, in GBA1ΔTT/ΔTT mutant flies, compared to GBA1+/+ control flies. These data suggest that PGZ may represent a potential compound with which to treat GD/PD by improving function of lysosomal-autophagy pathways, a cellular process that removes misfolded or aggregated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwanifemi Shola-Dare
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA; (O.S.-D.); (S.B.); (C.C.F.); (W.M.V.)
| | - Shelby Bailess
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA; (O.S.-D.); (S.B.); (C.C.F.); (W.M.V.)
| | - Carlos C. Flores
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA; (O.S.-D.); (S.B.); (C.C.F.); (W.M.V.)
| | - William M. Vanderheyden
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA; (O.S.-D.); (S.B.); (C.C.F.); (W.M.V.)
| | - Jason R. Gerstner
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA; (O.S.-D.); (S.B.); (C.C.F.); (W.M.V.)
- Steve Gleason Institute for Neuroscience, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
- Correspondence:
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Ma Y, Wolf S, Lohmann JU. Casting the Net-Connecting Auxin Signaling to the Plant Genome. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2021; 13:a040006. [PMID: 33903151 PMCID: PMC8559546 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a040006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Auxin represents one of the most potent and most versatile hormonal signals in the plant kingdom. Built on a simple core of only a few dedicated components, the auxin signaling system plays important roles for diverse aspects of plant development, physiology, and defense. Key to the diversity of context-dependent functional outputs generated by cells in response to this small molecule are gene duplication events and sub-functionalization of signaling components on the one hand, and a deep embedding of the auxin signaling system into complex regulatory networks on the other hand. Together, these evolutionary innovations provide the mechanisms to allow each cell to display a highly specific auxin response that suits its individual requirements. In this review, we discuss the regulatory networks connecting auxin with a large number of diverse pathways at all relevant levels of the signaling system ranging from biosynthesis to transcriptional response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Ma
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wolf
- Cell Wall Signalling Group, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan U Lohmann
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Gegg ME, Verona G, Schapira AHV. Glucocerebrosidase deficiency promotes release of α-synuclein fibrils from cultured neurons. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:1716-1728. [PMID: 32391886 PMCID: PMC7322566 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the GBA gene, which encodes the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), are the most important genetic risk factor for Parkinson disease (PD). GCase activity is also decreased in sporadic PD brains and with normal ageing. Loss of GCase activity impairs the autophagy lysosomal pathway resulting in increased α-synuclein (α-syn) levels. Furthermore, elevated α-syn results in decreased GCase activity. Although the role of α-syn in PD remains unclear, evidence indicates that aggregated α-syn fibrils are a pathogenic species in PD, passing between neurons and inducing endogenous native α-syn to aggregate; spreading pathology through the brain. We have investigated if preformed α-syn fibrils (PFFs) impair GCase activity in mouse cortical neurons and differentiated dopaminergic cells, and whether GCase deficiency in these models increased the transfer of α-syn pathology to naïve cells. Neurons treated with PFFs induced endogenous α-syn to become insoluble and phosphorylated at Ser129 to a greater extent than monomeric α-syn-treatment. PFFs, but not monomeric α-syn, inhibited lysosomal GCase activity in these cells and induced the unfolded protein response. Neurons in which GCase was inhibited by conduritol β-epoxide did not increase the amount of insoluble monomeric α-syn or its phosphorylation status. Instead the release of α-syn fibrils from GCase deficient cells was significantly increased. Co-culture studies showed that the transfer of α-syn pathology to naïve cells was greater from GCase deficient cells. This study suggests that GCase deficiency increases the spread of α-syn pathology and likely contributes to the earlier age of onset and increased cognitive decline associated with GBA-PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Gegg
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Guglielmo Verona
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine, University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Anthony H V Schapira
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK
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The Uncovered Function of the Drosophila GBA1a-Encoded Protein. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030630. [PMID: 33809074 PMCID: PMC8000066 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human GBA1 encodes lysosomal acid β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase), which hydrolyzes cleavage of the beta-glucosidic linkage of glucosylceramide (GlcCer). Mutations in this gene lead to reduced GCase activity, accumulation of glucosylceramide and glucosylsphingosine, and development of Gaucher disease (GD). Drosophila melanogaster has two GBA1 orthologs. Thus far, GBA1b was documented as a bone fide GCase-encoding gene, while the role of GBA1a encoded protein remained unclear. In the present study, we characterized a mutant variant of the fly GBA1a, which underwent ERAD and mildly activated the UPR machinery. RNA-seq analyses of homozygous mutant flies revealed upregulation of inflammation-associated as well as of cell-cycle related genes and reduction in programmed cell death (PCD)-associated genes, which was confirmed by qRT-PCR. We also observed compromised cell death in the midgut of homozygous larvae and a reduction in pupation. Our results strongly indicated that GBA1a-encoded protein plays a role in midgut maturation during larvae development.
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Rigon L, De Filippis C, Napoli B, Tomanin R, Orso G. Exploiting the Potential of Drosophila Models in Lysosomal Storage Disorders: Pathological Mechanisms and Drug Discovery. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9030268. [PMID: 33800050 PMCID: PMC8000850 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9030268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) represent a complex and heterogeneous group of rare genetic diseases due to mutations in genes coding for lysosomal enzymes, membrane proteins or transporters. This leads to the accumulation of undegraded materials within lysosomes and a broad range of severe clinical features, often including the impairment of central nervous system (CNS). When available, enzyme replacement therapy slows the disease progression although it is not curative; also, most recombinant enzymes cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, leaving the CNS untreated. The inefficient degradative capability of the lysosomes has a negative impact on the flux through the endolysosomal and autophagic pathways; therefore, dysregulation of these pathways is increasingly emerging as a relevant disease mechanism in LSDs. In the last twenty years, different LSD Drosophila models have been generated, mainly for diseases presenting with neurological involvement. The fruit fly provides a large selection of tools to investigate lysosomes, autophagy and endocytic pathways in vivo, as well as to analyse neuronal and glial cells. The possibility to use Drosophila in drug repurposing and discovery makes it an attractive model for LSDs lacking effective therapies. Here, ee describe the major cellular pathways implicated in LSDs pathogenesis, the approaches available for their study and the Drosophila models developed for these diseases. Finally, we highlight a possible use of LSDs Drosophila models for drug screening studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rigon
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica “Città della Speranza”, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy; (C.D.F.); (R.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Concetta De Filippis
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica “Città della Speranza”, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy; (C.D.F.); (R.T.)
- Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Lysosomal Disorders, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Barbara Napoli
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Via Don Luigi Monza 20, Bosisio Parini, 23842 Lecco, Italy;
| | - Rosella Tomanin
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica “Città della Speranza”, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy; (C.D.F.); (R.T.)
- Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Lysosomal Disorders, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Genny Orso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy;
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Vos M, Klein C. The Importance of Drosophila melanogaster Research to UnCover Cellular Pathways Underlying Parkinson's Disease. Cells 2021; 10:579. [PMID: 33800736 PMCID: PMC7998316 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that is currently incurable. As a consequence of an incomplete understanding of the etiology of the disease, therapeutic strategies mainly focus on symptomatic treatment. Even though the majority of PD cases remain idiopathic (~90%), several genes have been identified to be causative for PD, facilitating the generation of animal models that are a good alternative to study disease pathways and to increase our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of PD. Drosophila melanogaster has proven to be an excellent model in these studies. In this review, we will discuss the different PD models in flies and key findings identified in flies in different affected pathways in PD. Several molecular changes have been identified, of which mitochondrial dysfunction and a defective endo-lysosomal pathway emerge to be the most relevant for PD pathogenesis. Studies in flies have significantly contributed to our knowledge of how disease genes affect and interact in these pathways enabling a better understanding of the disease etiology and providing possible therapeutic targets for the treatment of PD, some of which have already resulted in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Vos
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Building 67, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Building 67, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
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Jewett KA, Thomas RE, Phan CQ, Lin B, Milstein G, Yu S, Bettcher LF, Neto FC, Djukovic D, Raftery D, Pallanck LJ, Davis MY. Glucocerebrosidase reduces the spread of protein aggregation in a Drosophila melanogaster model of neurodegeneration by regulating proteins trafficked by extracellular vesicles. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1008859. [PMID: 33539341 PMCID: PMC7888665 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal protein aggregation within neurons is a key pathologic feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). The spread of brain protein aggregates is associated with clinical disease progression, but how this occurs remains unclear. Mutations in glucosidase, beta acid 1 (GBA), which encodes glucocerebrosidase (GCase), are the most penetrant common genetic risk factor for PD and dementia with Lewy bodies and associate with faster disease progression. To explore how GBA mutations influence pathogenesis, we previously created a Drosophila model of GBA deficiency (Gba1b) that manifests neurodegeneration and accelerated protein aggregation. Proteomic analysis of Gba1b mutants revealed dysregulation of proteins involved in extracellular vesicle (EV) biology, and we found altered protein composition of EVs from Gba1b mutants. Accordingly, we hypothesized that GBA may influence pathogenic protein aggregate spread via EVs. We found that accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins and Ref(2)P, Drosophila homologue of mammalian p62, were reduced in muscle and brain tissue of Gba1b flies by ectopic expression of wildtype GCase in muscle. Neuronal GCase expression also rescued protein aggregation both cell-autonomously in brain and non-cell-autonomously in muscle. Muscle-specific GBA expression reduced the elevated levels of EV-intrinsic proteins and Ref(2)P found in EVs from Gba1b flies. Perturbing EV biogenesis through neutral sphingomyelinase (nSMase), an enzyme important for EV release and ceramide metabolism, enhanced protein aggregation when knocked down in muscle, but did not modify Gba1b mutant protein aggregation when knocked down in neurons. Lipidomic analysis of nSMase knockdown on ceramide and glucosylceramide levels suggested that Gba1b mutant protein aggregation may depend on relative depletion of specific ceramide species often enriched in EVs. Finally, we identified ectopically expressed GCase within isolated EVs. Together, our findings suggest that GCase deficiency promotes accelerated protein aggregate spread between cells and tissues via dysregulated EVs, and EV-mediated trafficking of GCase may partially account for the reduction in aggregate spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A. Jewett
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ruth E. Thomas
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Chi Q. Phan
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Bernice Lin
- VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Gillian Milstein
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Selina Yu
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Lisa F. Bettcher
- Northwest Metabolomics Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Fausto Carnevale Neto
- Northwest Metabolomics Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Danijel Djukovic
- Northwest Metabolomics Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Daniel Raftery
- Northwest Metabolomics Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Leo J. Pallanck
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Marie Y. Davis
- VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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41
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Tallo CA, Duncan LH, Yamamoto AH, Slaydon JD, Arya GH, Turlapati L, Mackay TFC, Carbone MA. Heat shock proteins and small nucleolar RNAs are dysregulated in a Drosophila model for feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkaa014. [PMID: 33561224 PMCID: PMC7849908 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
In cats, mutations in myosin binding protein C (encoded by the MYBPC3 gene) have been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, the molecular mechanisms linking these mutations to HCM remain unknown. Here, we establish Drosophila melanogaster as a model to understand this connection by generating flies harboring MYBPC3 missense mutations (A31P and R820W) associated with feline HCM. The A31P and R820W flies displayed cardiovascular defects in their heart rates and exercise endurance. We used RNA-seq to determine which processes are misregulated in the presence of mutant MYBPC3 alleles. Transcriptome analysis revealed significant downregulation of genes encoding small nucleolar RNA (snoRNAs) in exercised female flies harboring the mutant alleles compared to flies that harbor the wild-type allele. Other processes that were affected included the unfolded protein response and immune/defense responses. These data show that mutant MYBPC3 proteins have widespread effects on the transcriptome of co-regulated genes. Transcriptionally differentially expressed genes are also candidate genes for future evaluation as genetic modifiers of HCM as well as candidate genes for genotype by exercise environment interaction effects on the manifestation of HCM; in cats as well as humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian A Tallo
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Laura H Duncan
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Akihiko H Yamamoto
- The Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7613, USA
| | - Joshua D Slaydon
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Gunjan H Arya
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Lavanya Turlapati
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Trudy F C Mackay
- The Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Greenwood, SC 29646, USA
| | - Mary A Carbone
- The Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- The Center for Integrated Fungal Research and Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695-7244, USA
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Tallo CA, Duncan LH, Yamamoto AH, Slaydon JD, Arya GH, Turlapati L, Mackay TFC, Carbone MA. Heat shock proteins and small nucleolar RNAs are dysregulated in a Drosophila model for feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021. [PMID: 33561224 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa014.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In cats, mutations in myosin binding protein C (encoded by the MYBPC3 gene) have been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, the molecular mechanisms linking these mutations to HCM remain unknown. Here, we establish Drosophila melanogaster as a model to understand this connection by generating flies harboring MYBPC3 missense mutations (A31P and R820W) associated with feline HCM. The A31P and R820W flies displayed cardiovascular defects in their heart rates and exercise endurance. We used RNA-seq to determine which processes are misregulated in the presence of mutant MYBPC3 alleles. Transcriptome analysis revealed significant downregulation of genes encoding small nucleolar RNA (snoRNAs) in exercised female flies harboring the mutant alleles compared to flies that harbor the wild-type allele. Other processes that were affected included the unfolded protein response and immune/defense responses. These data show that mutant MYBPC3 proteins have widespread effects on the transcriptome of co-regulated genes. Transcriptionally differentially expressed genes are also candidate genes for future evaluation as genetic modifiers of HCM as well as candidate genes for genotype by exercise environment interaction effects on the manifestation of HCM; in cats as well as humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian A Tallo
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Laura H Duncan
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Akihiko H Yamamoto
- The Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7613, USA
| | - Joshua D Slaydon
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Gunjan H Arya
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Lavanya Turlapati
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Trudy F C Mackay
- The Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Greenwood, SC 29646, USA
| | - Mary A Carbone
- The Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.,The Center for Integrated Fungal Research and Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695-7244, USA
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Rougée M, Quadrana L, Zervudacki J, Hure V, Colot V, Navarro L, Deleris A. Polycomb mutant partially suppresses DNA hypomethylation-associated phenotypes in Arabidopsis. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 4:4/2/e202000848. [PMID: 33443101 PMCID: PMC7756957 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A mutation in Arabidopsis polycomb repressive complex 2 partially suppresses the transposon activity observed in a DNA methylation mutant, challenging expectations. In plants and mammals, DNA methylation and histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), which is deposited by the polycomb repressive complex 2, are considered as two specialized systems for the epigenetic silencing of transposable element (TE) and genes, respectively. Nevertheless, many TE sequences acquire H3K27me3 when DNA methylation is lost. Here, we show in Arabidopsis thaliana that the gain of H3K27me3 observed at hundreds of TEs in the ddm1 mutant defective in the maintenance of DNA methylation, essentially depends on CURLY LEAF (CLF), one of two partially redundant H3K27 methyltransferases active in vegetative tissues. Surprisingly, the complete loss of H3K27me3 in ddm1 clf double mutant plants was not associated with further reactivation of TE expression nor with a burst of transposition. Instead, ddm1 clf plants exhibited less activated TEs, and a chromatin recompaction as well as hypermethylation of linker DNA compared with ddm1. Thus, a mutation in polycomb repressive complex 2 does not aggravate the molecular phenotypes linked to ddm1 but instead partially suppresses them, challenging our assumptions of the relationship between two conserved epigenetic silencing pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Rougée
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Leandro Quadrana
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, Sciences and Lettres (PSL) Research University, Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Zervudacki
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, Sciences and Lettres (PSL) Research University, Paris, France
| | - Valentin Hure
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Vincent Colot
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, Sciences and Lettres (PSL) Research University, Paris, France
| | - Lionel Navarro
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, Sciences and Lettres (PSL) Research University, Paris, France
| | - Angélique Deleris
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Pareek G, Pallanck LJ. Inactivation of the mitochondrial protease Afg3l2 results in severely diminished respiratory chain activity and widespread defects in mitochondrial gene expression. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009118. [PMID: 33075064 PMCID: PMC7595625 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The m-AAA proteases play a critical role in the proteostasis of inner mitochondrial membrane proteins, and mutations in the genes encoding these proteases cause severe incurable neurological diseases. To further explore the biological role of the m-AAA proteases and the pathological consequences of their deficiency, we used a genetic approach in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to inactivate the ATPase family gene 3-like 2 (AFG3L2) gene, which encodes a critical component of the m-AAA proteases. We found that null alleles of Drosophila AFG3L2 die early in development, but partial inactivation of AFG3L2 using RNAi allowed survival to the late pupal and adult stages of development. Flies with partial inactivation of AFG3L2 exhibited behavioral defects, neurodegeneration, accumulation of unfolded mitochondrial proteins, and diminished respiratory chain (RC) activity. Further work revealed that the reduced RC activity was primarily a consequence of severely diminished mitochondrial transcription and translation. These defects were accompanied by activation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mito-UPR) and autophagy. Overexpression of mito-UPR components partially rescued the AFG3L2-deficient phenotypes, indicating that protein aggregation partly accounts for the defects of AFG3L2-deficient animals. Our work suggests that strategies designed to activate mitochondrial stress pathways and mitochondrial gene expression could be therapeutic in the diseases caused by mutations in AFG3L2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautam Pareek
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Leo J. Pallanck
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Blosser JA, Podolsky E, Lee D. L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia in a Genetic Drosophila Model of Parkinson's Disease. Exp Neurobiol 2020; 29:273-284. [PMID: 32921640 PMCID: PMC7492844 DOI: 10.5607/en20028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are directly related to the reduction of a neurotransmitter dopamine. Therefore, its precursor L-DOPA became the gold standard for PD treatment. However, chronic use of L-DOPA causes uncontrollable, involuntary movements, called L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID) in the majority of PD patients. LID is complicated and very difficult to manage. Current rodent and non-human primate models have been developed to study LID mainly using neurotoxins. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a LID animal model with defects in genetic factors causing PD in order to study the relation between LID and PD genes such as α-synuclein. In this study, we first showed that a low concentration of L-DOPA (100 µM) rescues locomotion defects (i.e., speed, angular velocity, pause time) in Drosophila larvae expressing human mutant α-synuclein (A53T). This A53T larval model of PD was used to further examine dyskinetic behaviors. High concentrations of L-DOPA (5 or 10 mM) causes hyperactivity such as body bending behavior (BBB) in A53T larva, which resembles axial dyskinesia in rodents. Using ImageJ plugins and other third party software, dyskinetic BBB has been accurately and efficiently quantified. Further, we showed that a dopamine agonist pramipexole (PRX) partially rescues BBB caused by high L-DOPA. Our Drosophila genetic LID model will provide an important experimental platform to examine molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying LID, to study the role of PD causing genes in the development of LID, and to identify potential targets to slow/reverse LID pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A Blosser
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Eric Podolsky
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Daewoo Lee
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
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Prieto C, Kharas MG. RNA Regulators in Leukemia and Lymphoma. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2020; 10:cshperspect.a034967. [PMID: 31615866 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a034967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Posttranscriptional regulation of mRNA is a powerful and tightly controlled process in which cells command the integrity, diversity, and abundance of their protein products. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are the principal players that control many intermediary steps of posttranscriptional regulation. Recent advances in this field have discovered the importance of RBPs in hematological diseases. Herein we will review a number of RBPs that have been determined to play critical functions in leukemia and lymphoma. Furthermore, we will discuss the potential therapeutic strategies that are currently being studied to specifically target RBPs in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Prieto
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Michael G Kharas
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
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Ye H, Ojelade SA, Li-Kroeger D, Zuo Z, Wang L, Li Y, Gu JYJ, Tepass U, Rodal AA, Bellen HJ, Shulman JM. Retromer subunit, VPS29, regulates synaptic transmission and is required for endolysosomal function in the aging brain. eLife 2020; 9:e51977. [PMID: 32286230 PMCID: PMC7182434 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Retromer, including Vps35, Vps26, and Vps29, is a protein complex responsible for recycling proteins within the endolysosomal pathway. Although implicated in both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, our understanding of retromer function in the adult brain remains limited, in part because Vps35 and Vps26 are essential for development. In Drosophila, we find that Vps29 is dispensable for embryogenesis but required for retromer function in aging adults, including for synaptic transmission, survival, and locomotion. Unexpectedly, in Vps29 mutants, Vps35 and Vps26 proteins are normally expressed and associated, but retromer is mislocalized from neuropil to soma with the Rab7 GTPase. Further, Vps29 phenotypes are suppressed by reducing Rab7 or overexpressing the GTPase activating protein, TBC1D5. With aging, retromer insufficiency triggers progressive endolysosomal dysfunction, with ultrastructural evidence of impaired substrate clearance and lysosomal stress. Our results reveal the role of Vps29 in retromer localization and function, highlighting requirements for brain homeostasis in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ye
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | | | - David Li-Kroeger
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Zhongyuan Zuo
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Liping Wang
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Yarong Li
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Jessica YJ Gu
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of TorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Ulrich Tepass
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of TorontoOntarioCanada
| | | | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Joshua M Shulman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
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Drosophila melanogaster Mutated in its GBA1b Ortholog Recapitulates Neuronopathic Gaucher Disease. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8091420. [PMID: 31505865 PMCID: PMC6780790 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8091420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Gaucher disease (GD) results from mutations in the GBA1 gene, which encodes lysosomal glucocerebrosidase (GCase). The large number of mutations known to date in the gene lead to a heterogeneous disorder, which is divided into a non-neuronopathic, type 1 GD, and two neurological, type 2 and type 3, forms. We studied the two fly GBA1 orthologs, GBA1a and GBA1b. Each contains a Minos element insertion, which truncates its coding sequence. In the GBA1am/m flies, which express a mutant protein, missing 33 C-terminal amino acids, there was no decrease in GCase activity or substrate accumulation. However, GBA1bm/m mutant flies presented a significant decrease in GCase activity with concomitant substrate accumulation, which included C14:1 glucosylceramide and C14:0 glucosylsphingosine. GBA1bm/m mutant flies showed activation of the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) and presented inflammation and neuroinflammation that culminated in development of a neuronopathic disease. Treatment with ambroxol did not rescue GCase activity or reduce substrate accumulation; however, it ameliorated UPR, inflammation and neuroinflammation, and increased life span. Our results highlight the resemblance between the phenotype of the GBA1bm/m mutant fly and neuronopathic GD and underlie its relevance in further GD studies as well as a model to test possible therapeutic modalities.
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Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by selective and progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Genetic and environmental risk factors are associated with this disease. The genetic factors are composed of approximately 20 genes, such as SNCA, parkin, PTEN-induced kinase1 (pink1), leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), ATP13A2, MAPT, VPS35, and DJ-1, whereas the environmental factors consist of oxidative stress-induced toxins such as 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), rotenone, and paraquat. The analyses of their functions and mechanisms have provided important insights into the disease process, which has demonstrated that these factors cause oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction. The most invaluable studies have been performed using disease model organisms, such as mice, fruit flies, and worms. Among them, Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as an excellent model organism to study both environmental and genetic factors and provide insights to the pathways relevant for PD pathogenesis, facilitating development of therapeutic strategies. In this review, we have focused on the fly model organism to summarize recent progress, including pathogenesis, neuro-protective compounds, and newer approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binod Aryal
- Department of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, BK21 PLUS Project, Seoul 02707, Korea
| | - Youngseok Lee
- Department of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, BK21 PLUS Project, Seoul 02707, Korea
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Alterations in Organismal Physiology, Impaired Stress Resistance, and Accelerated Aging in Drosophila Flies Adapted to Multigenerational Proteome Instability. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2019; 2019:7823285. [PMID: 31320986 PMCID: PMC6610734 DOI: 10.1155/2019/7823285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Being an assembly of highly sophisticated protein machines, cells depend heavily on proteostatic modules functionality and on adequate supply of energetic molecules for maintaining proteome stability. Yet, our understanding of the adaptations induced by multigenerational proteotoxic stress is limited. We report here that multigenerational (>80 generations) proteotoxic stress in OregonR flies induced by constant exposure to developmentally nonlethal doses of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (BTZ) (G80-BTZ flies) increased proteome instability and redox imbalance, reduced fecundity and body size, and caused neuromuscular defects; it also accelerated aging. G80-BTZ flies were mildly resistant to increased doses of BTZ and showed no age-related loss of proteasome activity; these adaptations correlated with sustained upregulation of proteostatic modules, which however occurred at the cost of minimal responses to increased BTZ doses and increased susceptibility to various types of additional proteotoxic stress, namely, autophagy inhibition or thermal stress. Multigenerational proteome instability and redox imbalance also caused metabolic reprogramming being evidenced by altered mitochondrial biogenesis and suppressed insulin/IGF-like signaling (IIS) in G80-BTZ flies. The toxic effects of multigenerational proteome instability could be partially mitigated by a low-protein diet that extended G80-BTZ flies' longevity. Overall, persistent proteotoxic stress triggers a highly conserved adaptive metabolic response mediated by the IIS pathway, which reallocates resources from growth and longevity to somatic preservation and stress tolerance. Yet, these trade-off adaptations occur at the cost of accelerated aging and/or reduced tolerance to additional stress, illustrating the limited buffering capacity of survival pathways.
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