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Longobardi A, Catania M, Geviti A, Salvi E, Vecchi ER, Bellini S, Saraceno C, Nicsanu R, Squitti R, Binetti G, Di Fede G, Ghidoni R. Autophagy Markers Are Altered in Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Frontotemporal Dementia. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1125. [PMID: 38256197 PMCID: PMC10816165 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021125] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of protein aggregates defines distinct, yet overlapping pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In this study, we investigated ATG5, UBQLN2, ULK1, and LC3 concentrations in 66 brain specimens and 120 plasma samples from AD, DLB, FTD, and control subjects (CTRL). Protein concentration was measured with ELISA kits in temporal, frontal, and occipital cortex specimens of 32 AD, 10 DLB, 10 FTD, and 14 CTRL, and in plasma samples of 30 AD, 30 DLB, 30 FTD, and 30 CTRL. We found alterations in ATG5, UBQLN2, ULK1, and LC3 levels in patients; ATG5 and UBQLN2 levels were decreased in both brain specimens and plasma samples of patients compared to those of the CTRL, while LC3 levels were increased in the frontal cortex of DLB and FTD patients. In this study, we demonstrate alterations in different steps related to ATG5, UBQLN2, and LC3 autophagy pathways in DLB and FTD patients. Molecular alterations in the autophagic processes could play a role in a shared pathway involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration, supporting the hypothesis of a common molecular mechanism underlying major neurodegenerative dementias and suggesting different potential therapeutic targets in the autophagy pathway for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Longobardi
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (C.S.); (R.N.); (R.S.); (R.G.)
| | - Marcella Catania
- Neurology 5/Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.C.); (E.R.V.); (G.D.F.)
| | - Andrea Geviti
- Service of Statistics, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Erika Salvi
- Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy;
- Data Science Center, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Rita Vecchi
- Neurology 5/Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.C.); (E.R.V.); (G.D.F.)
| | - Sonia Bellini
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (C.S.); (R.N.); (R.S.); (R.G.)
| | - Claudia Saraceno
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (C.S.); (R.N.); (R.S.); (R.G.)
| | - Roland Nicsanu
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (C.S.); (R.N.); (R.S.); (R.G.)
| | - Rosanna Squitti
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (C.S.); (R.N.); (R.S.); (R.G.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio, Ospedale Isola Tiberina-Gemelli Isola, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuliano Binetti
- MAC-Memory Clinic and Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Di Fede
- Neurology 5/Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.C.); (E.R.V.); (G.D.F.)
| | - Roberta Ghidoni
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (C.S.); (R.N.); (R.S.); (R.G.)
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Götzl JK, Lang CM, Haass C, Capell A. Impaired protein degradation in FTLD and related disorders. Ageing Res Rev 2016; 32:122-139. [PMID: 27166223 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Impaired protein degradation has been discussed as a cause or consequence of various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. More recently, evidence accumulated that dysfunctional protein degradation may play a role in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Since in almost all neurodegenerative diseases, protein aggregates are disease-defining hallmarks, it is most likely that impaired protein degradation contributes to disease onset and progression. In the majority of FTD cases, the pathological protein aggregates contain either microtubuleassociated protein tau or TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP)-43. Aggregates are also positive for ubiquitin and p62/sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1) indicating that these aggregates are targeted for degradation. FTD-linked mutations in genes encoding three autophagy adaptor proteins, p62/SQSTM1, ubiquilin 2 and optineurin, indicate that impaired autophagy might cause FTD. Furthermore, the strongest evidence for lysosomal impairment in FTD is provided by the progranulin (GRN) gene, which is linked to FTD and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. In this review, we summarize the observations that have been made during the last years linking the accumulation of disease-associated proteins in FTD to impaired protein degradation pathways. In addition, we take resent findings for nucleocytoplasmic transport defects of TDP-43, as discussed for hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72 into account and provide a hypothesis how the interplay of altered nuclear transport and protein degradation leads to the accumulation of protein deposits.
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Zeng L, Wang B, Merillat SA, Minakawa EN, Perkins MD, Ramani B, Tallaksen-Greene SJ, Costa MDC, Albin RL, Paulson HL. Differential recruitment of UBQLN2 to nuclear inclusions in the polyglutamine diseases HD and SCA3. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 82:281-288. [PMID: 26141599 PMCID: PMC4642276 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of mutant polyglutamine proteins in intraneuronal inclusions is a hallmark of polyglutamine diseases. Impairment of protein clearance systems and sequestration of clearance-related proteins into inclusions occur in many protein folding diseases, including polyglutamine diseases. The ubiquitin-binding and proteasome adaptor protein UBQLN2 participates in protein homeostasis and localizes to inclusions in various neurodegenerative diseases. Employing mouse models and human brain tissue of Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), we show that UBQLN2 is selectively recruited to inclusions in HD but not SCA3. Consistent with this result, in a cell-based system mutant HTT interacts with UBQLN2 through the UBA domain while the SCA3 disease protein ATXN3, a deubiquitinating enzyme, does not interact with UBQLN2. Differential recruitment of UBQLN2 to aggregates in HD and SCA3 underscores the heterogeneity of inclusions in polyglutamine diseases and suggests that components of neuronal protein quality control may be differentially perturbed in distinct polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zeng
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sean A Merillat
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Eiko N Minakawa
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | - Roger L Albin
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, VAAAHS, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Ceballos-Diaz C, Rosario AM, Park HJ, Chakrabarty P, Sacino A, Cruz PE, Siemienski Z, Lara N, Moran C, Ravelo N, Golde TE, McFarland NR. Viral expression of ALS-linked ubiquilin-2 mutants causes inclusion pathology and behavioral deficits in mice. Mol Neurodegener 2015; 10:25. [PMID: 26152284 PMCID: PMC4495639 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-015-0026-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background UBQLN2 mutations have recently been associated with familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and ALS-dementia. UBQLN2 encodes for ubiquilin-2, a member of the ubiquitin-like protein family which facilitates delivery of ubiquitinated proteins to the proteasome for degradation. To study the potential role of ubiquilin-2 in ALS, we used recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors to express UBQLN2 and three of the identified ALS-linked mutants (P497H, P497S, and P506T) in primary neuroglial cultures and in developing neonatal mouse brains. Results In primary cultures rAAV2/8-mediated expression of UBQLN2 mutants resulted in inclusion bodies and insoluble aggregates. Intracerebroventricular injection of FVB mice at post-natal day 0 with rAAV2/8 expressing wild type or mutant UBQLN2 resulted in widespread, sustained expression of ubiquilin-2 in brain. In contrast to wild type, mutant UBQLN2 expression induced significant pathology with large neuronal, cytoplasmic inclusions and ubiquilin-2-positive aggregates in surrounding neuropil. Ubiquilin-2 inclusions co-localized with ubiquitin, p62/SQSTM, optineurin, and occasionally TDP-43, but were negative for α-synuclein, neurofilament, tau, and FUS. Mutant UBLQN2 expression also resulted in Thioflavin-S-positive inclusions/aggregates. Mice expressing mutant forms of UBQLN2 variably developed a motor phenotype at 3–4 months, including nonspecific clasping and rotarod deficits. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that UBQLN2 mutants (P497H, P497S, and P506T) induce proteinopathy and cause behavioral deficits, supporting a “toxic” gain-of-function, which may contribute to ALS pathology. These data establish also that our rAAV model can be used to rapidly assess the pathological consequences of various UBQLN2 mutations and provides an agile system to further interrogate the molecular mechanisms of ubiquilins in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Ceballos-Diaz
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Awilda M Rosario
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Hyo-Jin Park
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.,Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1149 S Newell Dr, L3-100, PO Box 100236, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Paramita Chakrabarty
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Amanda Sacino
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Pedro E Cruz
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Zoe Siemienski
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Nicolas Lara
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Corey Moran
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Natalia Ravelo
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.,Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1149 S Newell Dr, L3-100, PO Box 100236, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Todd E Golde
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Nikolaus R McFarland
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, PO Box 100159, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA. .,Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1149 S Newell Dr, L3-100, PO Box 100236, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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