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Dinamarca MC, Colombo L, Brykczynska U, Grimm A, Fruh I, Hossain I, Gabriel D, Eckert A, Müller M, Pecho-Vrieseling E. Transmission-selective muscle pathology induced by the active propagation of mutant huntingtin across the human neuromuscular synapse. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 16:1287510. [PMID: 38235149 PMCID: PMC10791992 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1287510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuron-to-neuron transmission of aggregation-prone, misfolded proteins may potentially explain the spatiotemporal accumulation of pathological lesions in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative protein-misfolding diseases (PMDs). However, little is known about protein transmission from the central nervous system to the periphery, or how this propagation contributes to PMD pathology. To deepen our understanding of these processes, we established two functional neuromuscular systems derived from human iPSCs. One was suitable for long-term high-throughput live-cell imaging and the other was adapted to a microfluidic system assuring that connectivity between motor neurons and muscle cells was restricted to the neuromuscular junction. We show that the Huntington's disease (HD)-associated mutant HTT exon 1 protein (mHTTEx1) is transmitted from neurons to muscle cells across the human neuromuscular junction. We found that transmission is an active and dynamic process that starts before aggregate formation and is regulated by synaptic activity. We further found that transmitted mHTTEx1 causes HD-relevant pathology at both molecular and functional levels in human muscle cells, even in the presence of the ubiquitous expression of mHTTEx1. In conclusion, we have uncovered a causal link between mHTTEx1 synaptic transmission and HD pathology, highlighting the therapeutic potential of blocking toxic protein transmission in PMDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita C. Dinamarca
- Neuronal Development and Degeneration Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Colombo
- Neuronal Development and Degeneration Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Urszula Brykczynska
- Neuronal Development and Degeneration Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Amandine Grimm
- Neurobiology Laboratory for Brain Aging and Mental Health, Transfaculty Research Platform, Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Fruh
- Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Novartis Campus, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Imtiaz Hossain
- Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Novartis Campus, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Gabriel
- Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Novartis Campus, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anne Eckert
- Neurobiology Laboratory for Brain Aging and Mental Health, Transfaculty Research Platform, Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Müller
- Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Novartis Campus, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eline Pecho-Vrieseling
- Neuronal Development and Degeneration Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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2
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DiFiglia M, Leavitt BR, Macdonald D, Thompson LM. Towards Standardizing Nomenclature in Huntington's Disease Research. J Huntingtons Dis 2024; 13:119-131. [PMID: 38968054 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-240044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The field of Huntington's disease research covers many different scientific disciplines, from molecular biology all the way through to clinical practice, and as our understanding of the disease has progressed over the decades, a great deal of different terminology has accrued. The field is also renowned for its collaborative spirit and use of standardized reagents, assays, datasets, models, and clinical measures, so the use of standardized terms is especially important. We have set out to determine, through a consensus exercise involving basic and clinical scientists working in the field, the most appropriate language to use across disciplines. Nominally, this article will serve as the style guide for the Journal of Huntington's Disease (JHD), the only journal devoted exclusively to HD, and we lay out the preferred and standardized terminology and nomenclature for use in JHD publications. However, we hope that this article will also serve as a useful resource to the HD research community at large and that these recommended naming conventions will be adopted widely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics and Departments of Medical Genetics and Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Douglas Macdonald
- CHDI Management, Inc., The Company that Manages the Scientific Activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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3
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Karayel-Basar M, Uras I, Kiris I, Baykal AT. Detection of proteomic alterations at different stages in a Huntington's disease mouse model via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) imaging. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:2985-3002. [PMID: 37525529 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative disease leading to the inability to carry out daily activities and for which no cure exists. The underlying mechanisms of the disease have not been fully elucidated yet. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) allows the spatial information of proteins to be obtained upon the tissue sections without homogenisation. In this study, we aimed to examine proteomic alterations in the brain tissue of an HD mouse model with MALDI-MSI coupled to LC-MS/MS system. We used 3-, 6- and 12-month-old YAC128 mice representing pre-stage, mild stage and pathological stage of the HD and their non-transgenic littermates, respectively. The intensity levels of 89 proteins were found to be significantly different in YAC128 in comparison to their control mice in the pre-stage, 83 proteins in the mild stage, and 82 proteins in the pathological stage. Among them, Tau, EF2, HSP70, and NogoA proteins were validated with western blot analysis. In conclusion, the results of this study have provided remarkable new information about the spatial proteomic alterations in the HD mouse model, and we suggest that MALDI-MSI is an excellent technique for identifying such regional proteomic changes and could offer new perspectives in examining complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Karayel-Basar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Irep Uras
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Irem Kiris
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Tarik Baykal
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
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4
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Beneficial behavioral effects of chronic cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF) infusion in the N171-82Q transgenic model of Huntington's disease. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2953. [PMID: 36807563 PMCID: PMC9941578 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28798-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive inherited neurological disease characterized by the degeneration of basal ganglia and the accumulation of mutant huntingtin (mHtt) aggregates in specific brain areas. Currently, there is no treatment for halting the progression of HD. Cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF) is a novel endoplasmic reticulum located protein with neurotrophic factor properties that protects and restores dopamine neurons in rodent and non-human primate models of Parkinson's disease. Our recent study showed that CDNF improves motor coordination and protects NeuN positive cells in a Quinolinic acid toxin rat model of HD. Here we have investigated the effect of chronic intrastriatal CDNF administration on behavior and mHtt aggregates in the N171-82Q mouse model of HD. Data showed that CDNF did not significantly decrease the number of mHtt aggregates in most brain regions studied. Notably, CDNF significantly delayed the onset of symptoms and improved motor coordination in N171-82Q mice. Furthermore, CDNF increased BDNF mRNA level in hippocampus in vivo in the N171-82Q model and BDNF protein level in cultured striatal neurons. Collectively our results indicate that CDNF might be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of HD.
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5
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Layburn FE, Tan AY, Mehrabi NF, Curtis MA, Tippett LJ, Turner CP, Riguet N, Aeschbach L, Lashuel HA, Dragunow M, Faull RL, Singh-Bains MK. N-terminal mutant huntingtin deposition correlates with CAG repeat length and symptom onset, but not neuronal loss in Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 174:105884. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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6
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Gu X, Richman J, Langfelder P, Wang N, Zhang S, Bañez-Coronel M, Wang HB, Yang L, Ramanathan L, Deng L, Park CS, Choi CR, Cantle JP, Gao F, Gray M, Coppola G, Bates GP, Ranum LPW, Horvath S, Colwell CS, Yang XW. Uninterrupted CAG repeat drives striatum-selective transcriptionopathy and nuclear pathogenesis in human Huntingtin BAC mice. Neuron 2022; 110:1173-1192.e7. [PMID: 35114102 PMCID: PMC9462388 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In Huntington's disease (HD), the uninterrupted CAG repeat length, but not the polyglutamine length, predicts disease onset. However, the underlying pathobiology remains unclear. Here, we developed bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice expressing human mutant huntingtin (mHTT) with uninterrupted, and somatically unstable, CAG repeats that exhibit progressive disease-related phenotypes. Unlike prior mHTT transgenic models with stable, CAA-interrupted, polyglutamine-encoding repeats, BAC-CAG mice show robust striatum-selective nuclear inclusions and transcriptional dysregulation resembling those in murine huntingtin knockin models and HD patients. Importantly, the striatal transcriptionopathy in HD models is significantly correlated with their uninterrupted CAG repeat length but not polyglutamine length. Finally, among the pathogenic entities originating from mHTT genomic transgenes and only present or enriched in the uninterrupted CAG repeat model, somatic CAG repeat instability and nuclear mHTT aggregation are best correlated with early-onset striatum-selective molecular pathogenesis and locomotor and sleep deficits, while repeat RNA-associated pathologies and repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation may play less selective or late pathogenic roles, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Gu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Richman
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peter Langfelder
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nan Wang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shasha Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Monica Bañez-Coronel
- Center for Neurogenetics, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute of Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Huei-Bin Wang
- Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lucia Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lalini Ramanathan
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Linna Deng
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chang Sin Park
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher R Choi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Cantle
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fuying Gao
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Gray
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura P W Ranum
- Center for Neurogenetics, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute of Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher S Colwell
- Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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7
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Bertoglio D, Bard J, Hessmann M, Liu L, Gärtner A, De Lombaerde S, Huscher B, Zajicek F, Miranda A, Peters F, Herrmann F, Schaertl S, Vasilkovska T, Brown CJ, Johnson PD, Prime ME, Mills MR, Van der Linden A, Mrzljak L, Khetarpal V, Wang Y, Marchionini DM, Skinbjerg M, Verhaeghe J, Dominguez C, Staelens S, Munoz-Sanjuan I. Development of a ligand for in vivo imaging of mutant huntingtin in Huntington's disease. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabm3682. [PMID: 35108063 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abm3682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that encodes the pathologic mutant HTT (mHTT) protein with an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract. Whereas several therapeutic programs targeting mHTT expression have advanced to clinical evaluation, methods to visualize mHTT protein species in the living brain are lacking. Here, we demonstrate the development and characterization of a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging radioligand with high affinity and selectivity for mHTT aggregates. This small molecule radiolabeled with 11C ([11C]CHDI-180R) allowed noninvasive monitoring of mHTT pathology in the brain and could track region- and time-dependent suppression of mHTT in response to therapeutic interventions targeting mHTT expression in a rodent model. We further showed that in these animals, therapeutic agents that lowered mHTT in the striatum had a functional restorative effect that could be measured by preservation of striatal imaging markers, enabling a translational path to assess the functional effect of mHTT lowering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Bertoglio
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Bard
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | | | - Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | | | - Stef De Lombaerde
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem 2650, Belgium
| | | | - Franziska Zajicek
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
| | - Alan Miranda
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yuchuan Wang
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | | | | | - Jeroen Verhaeghe
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
| | | | - Steven Staelens
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
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8
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Lange J, Wood-Kaczmar A, Ali A, Farag S, Ghosh R, Parker J, Casey C, Uno Y, Kunugi A, Ferretti P, Andre R, Tabrizi SJ. Mislocalization of Nucleocytoplasmic Transport Proteins in Human Huntington's Disease PSC-Derived Striatal Neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:742763. [PMID: 34658796 PMCID: PMC8519404 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.742763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Disease progression is characterized by the loss of vulnerable neuronal populations within the striatum. A consistent phenotype across HD models is disruption of nucleocytoplasmic transport and nuclear pore complex (NPC) function. Here we demonstrate that high content imaging is a suitable method for detecting mislocalization of lamin-B1, RAN and RANGAP1 in striatal neuronal cultures thus allowing a robust, unbiased, highly powered approach to assay nuclear pore deficits. Furthermore, nuclear pore deficits extended to the selectively vulnerable DARPP32 + subpopulation neurons, but not to astrocytes. Striatal neuron cultures are further affected by changes in gene and protein expression of RAN, RANGAP1 and lamin-B1. Lowering total HTT using HTT-targeted anti-sense oligonucleotides partially restored gene expression, as well as subtly reducing mislocalization of proteins involved in nucleocytoplasmic transport. This suggests that mislocalization of RAN, RANGAP1 and lamin-B1 cannot be normalized by simply reducing expression of CAG-expanded HTT in the absence of healthy HTT protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Lange
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Wood-Kaczmar
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aneesa Ali
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sahar Farag
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rhia Ghosh
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Parker
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Casey
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yumiko Uno
- Neuroscience Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kunugi
- Neuroscience Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Patrizia Ferretti
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ralph Andre
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah J. Tabrizi
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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9
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Herrmann F, Hessmann M, Schaertl S, Berg-Rosseburg K, Brown CJ, Bursow G, Chiki A, Ebneth A, Gehrmann M, Hoeschen N, Hotze M, Jahn S, Johnson PD, Khetarpal V, Kiselyov A, Kottig K, Ladewig S, Lashuel H, Letschert S, Mills MR, Petersen K, Prime ME, Scheich C, Schmiedel G, Wityak J, Liu L, Dominguez C, Muñoz-Sanjuán I, Bard JA. Pharmacological characterization of mutant huntingtin aggregate-directed PET imaging tracer candidates. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17977. [PMID: 34504195 PMCID: PMC8429736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97334-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the first exon of the huntingtin (HTT) gene coding for the huntingtin (HTT) protein. The misfolding and consequential aggregation of CAG-expanded mutant HTT (mHTT) underpin HD pathology. Our interest in the life cycle of HTT led us to consider the development of high-affinity small-molecule binders of HTT oligomerized/amyloid-containing species that could serve as either cellular and in vivo imaging tools or potential therapeutic agents. We recently reported the development of PET tracers CHDI-180 and CHDI-626 as suitable for imaging mHTT aggregates, and here we present an in-depth pharmacological investigation of their binding characteristics. We have implemented an array of in vitro and ex vivo radiometric binding assays using recombinant HTT, brain homogenate-derived HTT aggregates, and brain sections from mouse HD models and humans post-mortem to investigate binding affinities and selectivity against other pathological proteins from indications such as Alzheimer’s disease and spinocerebellar ataxia 1. Radioligand binding assays and autoradiography studies using brain homogenates and tissue sections from HD mouse models showed that CHDI-180 and CHDI-626 specifically bind mHTT aggregates that accumulate with age and disease progression. Finally, we characterized CHDI-180 and CHDI-626 regarding their off-target selectivity and binding affinity to beta amyloid plaques in brain sections and homogenates from Alzheimer’s disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Christopher J Brown
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RZ, UK
| | | | - Anass Chiki
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Madlen Hotze
- Evotec SE, Essener Bogen 7, 22419, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Peter D Johnson
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RZ, UK
| | - Vinod Khetarpal
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Alex Kiselyov
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | | | | | - Hilal Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Matthew R Mills
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RZ, UK
| | | | - Michael E Prime
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RZ, UK
| | | | | | - John Wityak
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuán
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Jonathan A Bard
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA.
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10
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Protein changes in synaptosomes of Huntington's disease knock-in mice are dependent on age and brain region. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 141:104950. [PMID: 32439598 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular changes at synapses are thought to underly the deficits in motor and cognitive dysfunction seen in Huntington's disease (HD). Previously we showed in synaptosome preparations age dependent changes in levels of selected proteins examined by western blot assay in the striatum of Q140/Q140 HD mice. To assess if CAG repeat length influenced protein changes at the synapse, we examined synaptosomes from 6-month old heterozygote HD mice with CAG repeat lengths ranging from 50 to 175. Analysis of 19 selected proteins showed that increasing CAG repeat length in huntingtin (HTT) increased the number of affected proteins in HD striatal synaptosomes. Moreover, SDS-soluble total HTT (WT plus mutant HTT) and pThr3 HTT were reduced with increasing CAG repeat length, and there was no pSer421 mutant HTT detected in any HD mice. A LC-MS/MS and bioinfomatics study of synaptosomes from 2 and 6-month old striatum and cortex of Q140/Q7 HD mice showed enrichment of synaptic proteins and an influence of age, gender and brain region on the number of protein changes. HD striatum at 6 months had the most protein changes that included many HTT protein interactors, followed by 2-month old HD striatum, 2-month old HD cortex and 6-month HD cortex. SDS-insoluble mutant HTT was detected in HD striatal synaptosomes consistent with the presence of aggregates. Proteins changed in cortex differed from those in striatum. Pathways affected in HD striatal synaptosomes that were not identified in whole striatal lysates of the same HD mouse model included axon guidance, focal adhesion, neurotrophin signaling, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, endocytosis, and synaptic vesicle cycle. Results suggest that synaptosomes prepared from HD mice are highly informative for monitoring protein changes at the synapse and may be preferred for assessing the effects of experimental therapies on synaptic function in HD.
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Demonstration of prion-like properties of mutant huntingtin fibrils in both in vitro and in vivo paradigms. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 137:981-1001. [PMID: 30788585 PMCID: PMC6531424 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-01973-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, evidence has accumulated to suggest that mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) can spread into healthy tissue in a prion-like fashion. This theory, however, remains controversial. To fully address this concept and to understand the possible consequences of mHTT spreading to Huntington’s disease pathology, we investigated the effects of exogenous human fibrillar mHTT (Q48) and huntingtin (HTT) (Q25) N-terminal fragments in three cellular models and three distinct animal paradigms. For in vitro experiments, human neuronal cells [induced pluripotent stem cell-derived GABA neurons (iGABA) and (SH-SY5Y)] as well as human THP1-derived macrophages, were incubated with recombinant mHTT fibrils. Recombinant mHTT and HTT fibrils were taken up by all cell types, inducing cell morphology changes and death. Variations in HTT aggregation were further observed following incubation with fibrils in both THP1 and SH-SY5Y cells. For in vivo experiments, adult wild-type (WT) mice received a unilateral intracerebral cortical injection and R6/2 and WT pups were administered fibrils via bilateral intraventricular injections. In both protocols, the injection of Q48 fibrils resulted in cognitive deficits and increased anxiety-like behavior. Post-mortem analysis of adult WT mice indicated that most fibrils had been degraded/cleared from the brain by 14 months post-surgery. Despite the absence of fibrils at these later time points, a change in the staining pattern of endogenous HTT was detected. A similar change was revealed in post-mortem analysis of the R6/2 mice. These effects were specific to central administration of fibrils, as mice receiving intravenous injections were not characterized by behavioral changes. In fact, peripheral administration resulted in an immune response mounting against the fibrils. Together, the in vitro and in vivo data indicate that exogenously administered mHTT is capable of both causing and exacerbating disease pathology.
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McWilliams TG, Barini E, Pohjolan-Pirhonen R, Brooks SP, Singh F, Burel S, Balk K, Kumar A, Montava-Garriga L, Prescott AR, Hassoun SM, Mouton-Liger F, Ball G, Hills R, Knebel A, Ulusoy A, Di Monte DA, Tamjar J, Antico O, Fears K, Smith L, Brambilla R, Palin E, Valori M, Eerola-Rautio J, Tienari P, Corti O, Dunnett SB, Ganley IG, Suomalainen A, Muqit MMK. Phosphorylation of Parkin at serine 65 is essential for its activation in vivo. Open Biol 2018; 8:rsob.180108. [PMID: 30404819 PMCID: PMC6282074 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in PINK1 and Parkin result in autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease (PD). Cell culture and in vitro studies have elaborated the PINK1-dependent regulation of Parkin and defined how this dyad orchestrates the elimination of damaged mitochondria via mitophagy. PINK1 phosphorylates ubiquitin at serine 65 (Ser65) and Parkin at an equivalent Ser65 residue located within its N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain, resulting in activation; however, the physiological significance of Parkin Ser65 phosphorylation in vivo in mammals remains unknown. To address this, we generated a Parkin Ser65Ala (S65A) knock-in mouse model. We observe endogenous Parkin Ser65 phosphorylation and activation in mature primary neurons following mitochondrial depolarization and reveal this is disrupted in Parkin S65A/S65A neurons. Phenotypically, Parkin S65A/S65A mice exhibit selective motor dysfunction in the absence of any overt neurodegeneration or alterations in nigrostriatal mitophagy. The clinical relevance of our findings is substantiated by the discovery of homozygous PARKIN (PARK2) p.S65N mutations in two unrelated patients with PD. Moreover, biochemical and structural analysis demonstrates that the ParkinS65N/S65N mutant is pathogenic and cannot be activated by PINK1. Our findings highlight the central role of Parkin Ser65 phosphorylation in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G McWilliams
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK .,Research Programs Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Erica Barini
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Risto Pohjolan-Pirhonen
- Research Programs Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Simon P Brooks
- The Brain Repair Group, Division of Neuroscience, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales CF10 3AX, UK
| | - François Singh
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Sophie Burel
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Kristin Balk
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Atul Kumar
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Lambert Montava-Garriga
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Alan R Prescott
- Dundee Imaging Facility, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | | | | | - Graeme Ball
- Dundee Imaging Facility, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Rachel Hills
- The Brain Repair Group, Division of Neuroscience, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Axel Knebel
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Ayse Ulusoy
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Jevgenia Tamjar
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Odetta Antico
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Kyle Fears
- The Brain Repair Group, Division of Neuroscience, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Laura Smith
- The Brain Repair Group, Division of Neuroscience, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Riccardo Brambilla
- Neuroscience & Mental Health Institute, Neuroscience Division, School of Biosciences, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Eino Palin
- Research Programs Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Miko Valori
- Research Programs Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johanna Eerola-Rautio
- Research Programs Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, Helsinki, FI 00290, Finland
| | - Pentti Tienari
- Research Programs Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Stephen B Dunnett
- The Brain Repair Group, Division of Neuroscience, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Ian G Ganley
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Anu Suomalainen
- Research Programs Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Miratul M K Muqit
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK .,School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant progressive neurological disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms that typically present later on in life, although juvenile cases do exist. The identification of the disease-causing mutation, a CAG triplet repeat expansion in the HTT gene, in 1993 generated numerous investigations into the cellular and molecular pathways underlying the disorder. HD mouse models have played a prominent role in these studies, and the use of these mouse models of HD in the development and evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies is reviewed in this chapter. As new interventions and therapeutic approaches are evaluated and implemented, genetic mouse models will continue to be used with the hope of developing effective treatments for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kosior
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and Department of Medical Genetics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and Department of Medical Genetics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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