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Gu Y, Pope A, Smith C, Carmona C, Johnstone A, Shi L, Chen X, Santos S, Bacon-Brenes CC, Shoff T, Kleczko KM, Frydman J, Thompson LM, Mobley WC, Wu C. BDNF and TRiC-inspired reagent rescue cortical synaptic deficits in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 195:106502. [PMID: 38608784 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106502] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Synaptic changes are early manifestations of neuronal dysfunction in Huntington's disease (HD). However, the mechanisms by which mutant HTT protein impacts synaptogenesis and function are not well understood. Herein we explored HD pathogenesis in the BACHD mouse model by examining synaptogenesis and function in long term primary cortical cultures. At DIV14 (days in vitro), BACHD cortical neurons showed no difference from WT neurons in synaptogenesis as revealed by colocalization of a pre-synaptic (Synapsin I) and a post-synaptic (PSD95) marker. From DIV21 to DIV35, BACHD neurons showed progressively reduced colocalization of Synapsin I and PSD95 relative to WT neurons. The deficits were effectively rescued by treatment of BACHD neurons with BDNF. The recombinant apical domain of CCT1 (ApiCCT1) yielded a partial rescuing effect. BACHD neurons also showed culture age-related significant functional deficits as revealed by multielectrode arrays (MEAs). These deficits were prevented by BDNF, whereas ApiCCT1 showed a less potent effect. These findings are evidence that deficits in BACHD synapse and function can be replicated in vitro and that BDNF or a TRiC-inspired reagent can potentially be protective against these changes in BACHD neurons. Our findings support the use of cellular models to further explicate HD pathogenesis and potential treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingli Gu
- Department of Neurology, The Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 150001, China; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Alexander Pope
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Charlene Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Christopher Carmona
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Aaron Johnstone
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Linda Shi
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Xuqiao Chen
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Sarai Santos
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | | | - Thomas Shoff
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Korbin M Kleczko
- Department of Biology and Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5430, United States of America
| | - Judith Frydman
- Department of Biology and Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5430, United States of America
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - William C Mobley
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America.
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America.
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Chen L, Qin Y, Guo T, Zhu W, Lin J, Xing T, Duan X, Zhang Y, Ruan E, Li X, Yin P, Li S, Li XJ, Yang S. HAP40 modulates mutant Huntingtin aggregation and toxicity in Huntington's disease mice. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:337. [PMID: 38744826 PMCID: PMC11094052 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06716-4] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disease, caused by the CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in exon 1 of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. The HTT gene encodes a large protein known to interact with many proteins. Huntingtin-associated protein 40 (HAP40) is one that shows high binding affinity with HTT and functions to maintain HTT conformation in vitro. However, the potential role of HAP40 in HD pathogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we found that the expression level of HAP40 is in parallel with HTT but inversely correlates with mutant HTT aggregates in mouse brains. Depletion of endogenous HAP40 in the striatum of HD140Q knock-in (KI) mice leads to enhanced mutant HTT aggregation and neuronal loss. Consistently, overexpression of HAP40 in the striatum of HD140Q KI mice reduced mutant HTT aggregation and ameliorated the behavioral deficits. Mechanistically, HAP40 preferentially binds to mutant HTT and promotes Lysine 48-linked ubiquitination of mutant HTT. Our results revealed that HAP40 is an important regulator of HTT protein homeostasis in vivo and hinted at HAP40 as a therapeutic target in HD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laiqiang Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiyang Qin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Guo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenzhen Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingpan Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Xing
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuezhi Duan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Eshu Ruan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Medical Genetics and Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Peng Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Su Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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Chiem E, Zhao K, Dell’Angelica D, Ghiani CA, Paul KN, Colwell CS. Scheduled feeding improves sleep in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.04.592428. [PMID: 38766112 PMCID: PMC11100594 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.04.592428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Sleep disturbances are common features of neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington's disease (HD). The sleep and circadian disruptions are recapitulated in animal models, and these models provide the opportunity to evaluate whether circadian interventions can be effective countermeasures for neurodegenerative disease. Time restricted feeding (TRF) interventions successfully improve activity rhythms, sleep behavior and motor performance in mouse models of HD. Seeking to determine if these benefits of scheduled feeding extend to physiological measures of sleep, electroencephalography (EEG) was used to measure sleep/wake states and polysomnographic patterns in adult mice (six mo-old) under TRF and ad lib feeding (ALF). With each diet, both male and female wild-type (WT) and bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic (BACHD) mice were evaluated. Our findings show that male, but not female, BACHD mice exhibited significant changes in the temporal patterning of wake and nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. The TRF intervention reduced the inappropriate early morning activity by increasing NREM sleep in the male BACHD mice. In addition, the scheduled feeding reduced sleep fragmentation (# bouts) in the male BACHD mice. The phase of the rhythm in rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep was significantly altered by the scheduled feeding. The treatment did impact the power spectral curves during the day in male but not female mice. Sleep homeostasis, as measured by the response to six hours of gentle handling, was not altered by the diet. Thus, TRF improves the temporal patterning and fragmentation of NREM sleep without impacting sleep homeostasis. This work adds critical support to the view that sleep is a modifiable risk factor in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Chiem
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles
- Molecular, Cellular, Integrative Physiology program, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Kevin Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Derek Dell’Angelica
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Cristina A. Ghiani
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Ketema N. Paul
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles
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Yusupov N, Roeh S, Sotillos Elliott L, Chang S, Loganathan S, Urbina-Treviño L, Fröhlich AS, Sauer S, Ködel M, Matosin N, Czamara D, Deussing JM, Binder EB. DNA methylation patterns of FKBP5 regulatory regions in brain and blood of humanized mice and humans. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1510-1520. [PMID: 38317011 PMCID: PMC11189813 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02430-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Humanized mouse models can be used to explore human gene regulatory elements (REs), which frequently lie in non-coding and less conserved genomic regions. Epigenetic modifications of gene REs, also in the context of gene x environment interactions, have not yet been explored in humanized mouse models. We applied high-accuracy measurement of DNA methylation (DNAm) via targeted bisulfite sequencing (HAM-TBS) to investigate DNAm in three tissues/brain regions (blood, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus) of mice carrying the human FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) gene, an important candidate gene associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders. We explored DNAm in three functional intronic glucocorticoid-responsive elements (at introns 2, 5, and 7) of FKBP5 at baseline, in cases of differing genotype (rs1360780 single nucleotide polymorphism), and following application of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. We compared DNAm patterns in the humanized mouse (N = 58) to those in human peripheral blood (N = 447 and N = 89) and human postmortem brain prefrontal cortex (N = 86). Overall, DNAm patterns in the humanized mouse model seem to recapitulate DNAm patterns observed in human tissue. At baseline, this was to a higher extent in brain tissue. The animal model also recapitulated effects of dexamethasone on DNAm, especially in peripheral blood and to a lesser extent effects of genotype on DNAm. The humanized mouse model could thus assist in reverse translation of human findings in psychiatry that involve genetic and epigenetic regulation in non-coding elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natan Yusupov
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Roeh
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Sotillos Elliott
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Chang
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Srivaishnavi Loganathan
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Anna S Fröhlich
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Susann Sauer
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Maik Ködel
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Natalie Matosin
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
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5
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Burtscher J, Strasser B, Pepe G, Burtscher M, Kopp M, Di Pardo A, Maglione V, Khamoui AV. Brain-Periphery Interactions in Huntington's Disease: Mediators and Lifestyle Interventions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4696. [PMID: 38731912 PMCID: PMC11083237 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094696] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Prominent pathological features of Huntington's disease (HD) are aggregations of mutated Huntingtin protein (mHtt) in the brain and neurodegeneration, which causes characteristic motor (such as chorea and dystonia) and non-motor symptoms. However, the numerous systemic and peripheral deficits in HD have gained increasing attention recently, since those factors likely modulate disease progression, including brain pathology. While whole-body metabolic abnormalities and organ-specific pathologies in HD have been relatively well described, the potential mediators of compromised inter-organ communication in HD have been insufficiently characterized. Therefore, we applied an exploratory literature search to identify such mediators. Unsurprisingly, dysregulation of inflammatory factors, circulating mHtt, and many other messenger molecules (hormones, lipids, RNAs) were found that suggest impaired inter-organ communication, including of the gut-brain and muscle-brain axis. Based on these findings, we aimed to assess the risks and potentials of lifestyle interventions that are thought to improve communication across these axes: dietary strategies and exercise. We conclude that appropriate lifestyle interventions have great potential to reduce symptoms and potentially modify disease progression (possibly via improving inter-organ signaling) in HD. However, impaired systemic metabolism and peripheral symptoms warrant particular care in the design of dietary and exercise programs for people with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Burtscher
- Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Strasser
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, 1100 Vienna, Austria;
- Faculty of Medicine, Sigmund Freud Private University, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Giuseppe Pepe
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (G.P.); (A.D.P.); (V.M.)
| | - Martin Burtscher
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Martin Kopp
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Alba Di Pardo
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (G.P.); (A.D.P.); (V.M.)
| | | | - Andy V. Khamoui
- Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33458, USA;
- Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
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6
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Han B, Liang W, Li XJ, Li S, Yan S, Tu Z. Large animal models for Huntington's disease research. Zool Res 2024; 45:275-283. [PMID: 38485497 PMCID: PMC11017086 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.199] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no effective treatment available. Consequently, the development of appropriate disease models is critical to thoroughly investigate disease progression. The genetic basis of HD involves the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin ( HTT) gene, leading to the expansion of a polyglutamine repeat in the HTT protein. Mutant HTT carrying the expanded polyglutamine repeat undergoes misfolding and forms aggregates in the brain, which precipitate selective neuronal loss in specific brain regions. Animal models play an important role in elucidating the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as HD and in identifying potential therapeutic targets. Due to the marked species differences between rodents and larger animals, substantial efforts have been directed toward establishing large animal models for HD research. These models are pivotal for advancing the discovery of novel therapeutic targets, enhancing effective drug delivery methods, and improving treatment outcomes. We have explored the advantages of utilizing large animal models, particularly pigs, in previous reviews. Since then, however, significant progress has been made in developing more sophisticated animal models that faithfully replicate the typical pathology of HD. In the current review, we provide a comprehensive overview of large animal models of HD, incorporating recent findings regarding the establishment of HD knock-in (KI) pigs and their genetic therapy. We also explore the utilization of large animal models in HD research, with a focus on sheep, non-human primates (NHPs), and pigs. Our objective is to provide valuable insights into the application of these large animal models for the investigation and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bofeng Han
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau CNS Regeneration Institute of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Jinan University)-Ministry of Education, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Weien Liang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau CNS Regeneration Institute of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Jinan University)-Ministry of Education, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau CNS Regeneration Institute of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Jinan University)-Ministry of Education, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau CNS Regeneration Institute of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Jinan University)-Ministry of Education, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Sen Yan
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau CNS Regeneration Institute of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Jinan University)-Ministry of Education, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China. E-mail:
| | - Zhuchi Tu
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau CNS Regeneration Institute of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Jinan University)-Ministry of Education, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China. E-mail:
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7
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Moceri S, Bäuerle N, Habermeyer J, Ratz-Wirsching V, Harrer J, Distler J, Schulze-Krebs A, Timotius IK, Bluhm A, Hartlage-Rübsamen M, Roßner S, Winkler J, Xiang W, Hörsten SV. Young human alpha synuclein transgenic (BAC-SNCA) mice display sex- and gene-dose-dependent phenotypic disturbances. Behav Brain Res 2024; 460:114781. [PMID: 38043677 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114781] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative movement disorder, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the accumulation of aggregated alpha synuclein (aSyn). The disease often presents with early prodromal non-motor symptoms and later motor symptoms. Diagnosing PD based purely on motor symptoms is often too late for successful intervention, as a significant neuronal loss has already occurred. Furthermore, the lower prevalence of PD in females is not well understood, highlighting the need for a better understanding of the interaction between sex and aSyn, the crucial protein for PD pathogenesis. Here, we conducted a comprehensive phenotyping study in 1- to 5-month-old mice overexpressing human aSyn gene (SNCA) in a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC-SNCA). We demonstrate a SNCA gene-dose-dependent increase of human aSyn and phosphorylated aSyn, as well as a decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase expression in BAC-SNCA mice, with more pronounced effects in male mice. Phosphorylated aSyn was already found in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve of 2-month-old mice. This was time-wise associated with significant gait altrations in BAC-SNCA mice as early as 1 and 3 months of age using CatWalk gait analysis. Furthermore, anxiety-related behavioral tests revealed an increase in anxiety levels in male BAC-SNCA mice. Finally, 5-month-old male BAC-SNCA mice exhibited a SNCA gene-dose-dependent elevation in energy expenditure in automated home-cage monitoring. For the first time, these findings describe early-onset, sex- and gene-dose-dependent, aSyn-mediated disturbances in BAC-SNCA mice, providing a model for sex-differences, early-onset neuropathology, and prodromal symptoms of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Moceri
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Natascha Bäuerle
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johanna Habermeyer
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Veronika Ratz-Wirsching
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Julia Harrer
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jörg Distler
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anja Schulze-Krebs
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ivanna K Timotius
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany; Department of Electronic Engineering, Satya Wacana Christian University, 50711 Salatiga, Indonesia
| | - Alexandra Bluhm
- Paul-Flechsig-Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Steffen Roßner
- Paul-Flechsig-Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jürgen Winkler
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Wei Xiang
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Stephan von Hörsten
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
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8
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Caron NS, Aly AEE, Findlay Black H, Martin DDO, Schmidt ME, Ko S, Anderson C, Harvey EM, Casal LL, Anderson LM, Rahavi SMR, Reid GSD, Oda MN, Stanimirovic D, Abulrob A, McBride JL, Leavitt BR, Hayden MR. Systemic delivery of mutant huntingtin lowering antisense oligonucleotides to the brain using apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks for Huntington disease. J Control Release 2024; 367:27-44. [PMID: 38215984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.011] [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: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Efficient delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS) remains a major challenge for the treatment of neurological diseases. Huntington disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion mutation in the HTT gene which codes for a toxic mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein. Pharmacological reduction of mHTT in the CNS using antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) ameliorates HD-like phenotypes in rodent models of HD, with such therapies being investigated in clinical trials for HD. In this study, we report the optimization of apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks (apoA-I NDs) as vehicles for delivery of a HTT-targeted ASO (HTT ASO) to the brain and peripheral organs for HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I wild type (WT) and the apoA-I K133C mutant incubated with a synthetic lipid, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, can self-assemble into monodisperse discoidal particles with diameters <20 nm that transmigrate across an in vitro blood-brain barrier model of HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I NDs are well tolerated in vivo, and that apoA-I K133C NDs show enhanced distribution to the CNS and peripheral organs compared to apoA-I WT NDs following systemic administration. ApoA-I K133C conjugated with HTT ASO forms NDs (HTT ASO NDs) that induce significant mHTT lowering in the liver, skeletal muscle and heart as well as in the brain when delivered intravenously in the BACHD mouse model of HD. Furthermore, HTT ASO NDs increase the magnitude of mHTT lowering in the striatum and cortex compared to HTT ASO alone following intracerebroventricular administration. These findings demonstrate the potential utility of apoA-I NDs as biocompatible vehicles for enhancing delivery of mutant HTT lowering ASOs to the CNS and peripheral organs for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amirah E-E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emily M Harvey
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lorenzo L Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa M Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seyed M R Rahavi
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gregor S D Reid
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Danica Stanimirovic
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abedelnasser Abulrob
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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9
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Ekwudo MN, Gubert C, Hannan AJ. The microbiota-gut-brain axis in Huntington's disease: pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic targets. FEBS J 2024. [PMID: 38426291 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17102] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a currently incurable neurogenerative disorder and is typically characterized by progressive movement disorder (including chorea), cognitive deficits (culminating in dementia), psychiatric abnormalities (the most common of which is depression), and peripheral symptoms (including gastrointestinal dysfunction). There are currently no approved disease-modifying therapies available for HD, with death usually occurring approximately 10-25 years after onset, but some therapies hold promising potential. HD subjects are often burdened by chronic diarrhea, constipation, esophageal and gastric inflammation, and a susceptibility to diabetes. Our understanding of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in HD is in its infancy and growing evidence from preclinical and clinical studies suggests a role of gut microbial population imbalance (gut dysbiosis) in HD pathophysiology. The gut and the brain can communicate through the enteric nervous system, immune system, vagus nerve, and microbiota-derived-metabolites including short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and branched-chain amino acids. This review summarizes supporting evidence demonstrating the alterations in bacterial and fungal composition that may be associated with HD. We focus on mechanisms through which gut dysbiosis may compromise brain and gut health, thus triggering neuroinflammatory responses, and further highlight outcomes of attempts to modulate the gut microbiota as promising therapeutic strategies for HD. Ultimately, we discuss the dearth of data and the need for more longitudinal and translational studies in this nascent field. We suggest future directions to improve our understanding of the association between gut microbes and the pathogenesis of HD, and other 'brain and body disorders'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millicent N Ekwudo
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Carolina Gubert
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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10
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Bahat A, Itzhaki E, Weiss B, Tolmasov M, Tsoory M, Kuperman Y, Brandis A, Shurrush KA, Dikstein R. Lowering mutant huntingtin by small molecules relieves Huntington's disease symptoms and progression. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:523-546. [PMID: 38374466 PMCID: PMC10940305 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-023-00020-y] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable inherited disorder caused by a repeated expansion of glutamines in the huntingtin gene (Htt). The mutant protein causes neuronal degeneration leading to severe motor and psychological symptoms. Selective downregulation of the mutant Htt gene expression is considered the most promising therapeutic approach for HD. We report the identification of small molecule inhibitors of Spt5-Pol II, SPI-24 and SPI-77, which selectively lower mutant Htt mRNA and protein levels in HD cells. In the BACHD mouse model, their direct delivery to the striatum diminished mutant Htt levels, ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction, restored BDNF expression, and improved motor and anxiety-like phenotypes. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that these SPIs pass the blood-brain-barrier. Prolonged subcutaneous injection or oral administration to early-stage mice significantly delayed disease deterioration. SPI-24 long-term treatment had no side effects or global changes in gene expression. Thus, lowering mutant Htt levels by small molecules can be an effective therapeutic strategy for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anat Bahat
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
| | - Elad Itzhaki
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Michael Tolmasov
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life-Sciences and The Leslie & Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Michael Tsoory
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yael Kuperman
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Alexander Brandis
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Khriesto A Shurrush
- The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Rivka Dikstein
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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11
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Barber S, Gomez-Godinez V, Young J, Wei A, Chen S, Snissarenko A, Chan SS, Wu C, Shi L. Impacts of H 2O 2, SARM1 inhibition, and high NAm concentrations on Huntington's disease laser-induced degeneration. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2024; 17:e202300370. [PMID: 38185916 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202300370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Axonal degeneration is a key component of neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease (HD), Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nicotinamide, an NAD+ precursor, has long since been implicated in axonal protection and reduction of degeneration. However, studies on nicotinamide (NAm) supplementation in humans indicate that NAm has no protective effect. Sterile alpha and toll/interleukin receptor motif-containing protein 1 (SARM1) regulates several cell responses to axonal damage and has been implicated in promoting neuronal degeneration. SARM1 inhibition seems to result in protection from neuronal degeneration while hydrogen peroxide has been implicated in oxidative stress and axonal degeneration. The effects of laser-induced axonal damage in wild-type and HD dorsal root ganglion cells treated with NAm, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and SARM1 inhibitor DSRM-3716 were investigated and the cell body width, axon width, axonal strength, and axon shrinkage post laser-induced injury were measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Barber
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Veronica Gomez-Godinez
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Joy Young
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Abigail Wei
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sarah Chen
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Anna Snissarenko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sze Sze Chan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Linda Shi
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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12
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Wu J, Ren J, Cui H, Xie Y, Tang Y. Rapid and high-purity differentiation of human medium spiny neurons reveals LMNB1 hypofunction and subtype necessity in modeling Huntington's disease. Inflamm Regen 2024; 44:7. [PMID: 38360694 PMCID: PMC10870681 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-024-00320-x] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Different neural subtypes are selectively lost in diverse neurodegenerative diseases. Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor abnormalities that primarily affect the striatum. The Huntingtin (HTT) mutation involves an expanded CAG repeat, leading to insoluble polyQ, which renders GABA+ medium spiny neurons (MSN) more venerable to cell death. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) technology allows for the construction of disease-specific models, providing valuable cellular models for studying pathogenesis, drug screening, and high-throughput analysis. METHODS In this study, we established a method that allows for rapid and efficient generation of MSNs (> 90%) within 21 days from hPSC-derived neural progenitor cells, by introducing a specific combination of transcription factors. RESULTS We efficiently induced several neural subtypes, in parallel, based on the same cell source, and revealed that, compared to other neural subtypes, MSNs exhibited higher polyQ aggregation propensity and overexpression toxicity, more severe dysfunction in BDNF/TrkB signaling, greater susceptibility to BDNF withdrawal, and more severe disturbances in nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT). We further found that the nuclear lamina protein LMNB1 was greatly reduced in HD neurons and mislocalized to the cytoplasm and axons. Knockdown of HTT or treatment with KPT335, an orally selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE), effectively attenuated the pathological phenotypes and alleviated neuronal death caused by BDNF withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS This study thus establishes an effective method for obtaining MSNs and underscores the necessity of using high-purity MSNs to study HD pathogenesis, especially the MSN-selective vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjiao Wu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Provincial Clinical Research Center for Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jie Ren
- Department of Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Hongfei Cui
- Department of Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yali Xie
- Department of Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yu Tang
- Department of Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
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13
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Verdoodt D, van Wijk E, Broekman S, Venselaar H, Aben F, Sels L, De Backer E, Gommeren H, Szewczyk K, Van Camp G, Ponsaerts P, Van Rompaey V, de Vrieze E. Rational design of a genomically humanized mouse model for dominantly inherited hearing loss, DFNA9. Hear Res 2024; 442:108947. [PMID: 38218018 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
DFNA9 is a dominantly inherited form of adult-onset progressive hearing impairment caused by mutations in the COCH gene. COCH encodes cochlin, a crucial extracellular matrix protein. We established a genomically humanized mouse model for the Dutch/Belgian c.151C>T founder mutation in COCH. Considering upcoming sequence-specific genetic therapies, we exchanged the genomic murine Coch exons 3-6 for the corresponding human sequence. Introducing human-specific genetic information into mouse exons can be risky. To mitigate unforeseen consequences on cochlin function resulting from the introduction of the human COCH protein-coding sequence, we converted all human-specific amino acids to mouse equivalents. We furthermore optimized the recognition of the human COCH exons by the murine splicing machinery during pre-mRNA splicing. Subsequent observations in mouse embryonic stem cells revealed correct splicing of the hybrid Coch transcript. The inner ear of the established humanized Coch mice displays correctly-spliced wild-type and mutant humanized Coch alleles. For a comprehensive study of auditory function, mice were crossbred with C57BL/6 Cdh23753A>G mice to remove the Cdh23ahl allele from the genetic background of the mice. At 9 months, all humanized Coch genotypes showed hearing thresholds comparable to wild-type C57BL/6 Cdh23753A>G mice. This indicates that both the introduction of human wildtype COCH, and correction of Cdh23ahl in the humanized Coch lines was successful. Overall, our approach proved beneficial in eliminating potential adverse events of genomic humanization of mouse genes, and provides us with a model in which sequence-specific therapies directed against the human mutant COCH alle can be investigated. With the hearing and balance defects anticipated to occur late in the second year of life, a long-term follow-up study is ongoing to fully characterize the humanized Coch mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorien Verdoodt
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (Vaxinfectio), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Erwin van Wijk
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hearing and Genes, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, GA 6525, the Netherlands
| | - Sanne Broekman
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hearing and Genes, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, GA 6525, the Netherlands
| | - Hanka Venselaar
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, GA 6525, the Netherlands
| | - Fien Aben
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hearing and Genes, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, GA 6525, the Netherlands
| | - Lize Sels
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Evi De Backer
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hanne Gommeren
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Krystyna Szewczyk
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Guy Van Camp
- Center for Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp 2000, Belgium
| | - Peter Ponsaerts
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (Vaxinfectio), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Vincent Van Rompaey
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Erik de Vrieze
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hearing and Genes, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, GA 6525, the Netherlands.
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14
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Subramaniam S, Boregowda S. Curbing Rhes Actions: Mechanism-based Molecular Target for Huntington's Disease and Tauopathies. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2024; 23:21-29. [PMID: 36959146 DOI: 10.2174/1871527322666230320103518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
A highly interconnected network of diverse brain regions is necessary for the precise execution of human behaviors, including cognitive, psychiatric, and motor functions. Unfortunately, degeneration of specific brain regions causes several neurodegenerative disorders, but the mechanisms that elicit selective neuronal vulnerability remain unclear. This knowledge gap greatly hinders the development of effective mechanism-based therapies, despite the desperate need for new treatments. Here, we emphasize the importance of the Rhes (Ras homolog-enriched in the striatum) protein as an emerging therapeutic target. Rhes, an atypical small GTPase with a SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) E3-ligase activity, modulates biological processes such as dopaminergic transmission, alters gene expression, and acts as an inhibitor of motor stimuli in the brain striatum. Mutations in the Rhes gene have also been identified in selected patients with autism and schizophrenia. Moreover, Rhes SUMOylates pathogenic form of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) and tau, enhancing their solubility and cell toxicity in Huntington's disease and tauopathy models. Notably, Rhes uses membrane projections resembling tunneling nanotubes to transport mHTT between cells and Rhes deletion diminishes mHTT spread in the brain. Thus, we predict that effective strategies aimed at diminishing brain Rhes levels will prevent or minimize the abnormalities that occur in HD and tauopathies and potentially in other brain disorders. We review the emerging technologies that enable specific targeting of Rhes in the brain to develop effective disease-modifying therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivasa Subramaniam
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, 130 Scripps Way, C323, Florida, Jupiter, 33458, USA
| | - Siddaraju Boregowda
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, 130 Scripps Way, C323, Florida, Jupiter, 33458, USA
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15
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Chiem E, Zhao K, Stark G, Ghiani CA, Colwell CS, Paul KN. Sex differences in sleep architecture in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25290. [PMID: 38284849 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25290] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are common features of Huntington's disease (HD). HD is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder that affects men and women in equal numbers, but some epidemiological studies as well as preclinical work indicate there may be sex differences in disease presentation and progression. Since sex differences in HD could provide important insights to understand cellular and molecular mechanism(s), we used the bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic mouse model of HD (BACHD) to examine whether sex differences in sleep/wake cycles are detectable in an animal model of the disease. Electroencephalography/electromyography (EEG/EMG) was used to measure sleep/wake states and polysomnographic patterns in young adult (12-week-old) male and female wild-type and BACHD mice. Our findings show that male, but not female, BACHD mice exhibited increased variation in phases of the rhythms as compared to age- and sex-matched wild-types. For both rapid-eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, genotypic and sex differences were detected. In particular, the BACHD males spent less time in NREM sleep and exhibited a more fragmented sleep than the other groups. Finally, in response to 6 h of sleep deprivation, both genotypes and sexes displayed the predicted homeostatic responses to sleep loss. These findings suggest that females are relatively protected early in disease progression in this HD model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Chiem
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, Integrative Physiology Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Kevin Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gemma Stark
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Cristina A Ghiani
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Christopher S Colwell
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ketema N Paul
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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16
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Nittari G, Roy P, Martinelli I, Bellitto V, Tomassoni D, Traini E, Tayebati SK, Amenta F. Rodent Models of Huntington's Disease: An Overview. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3331. [PMID: 38137552 PMCID: PMC10741199 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123331] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant inherited neurological disorder caused by a genetic mutation in the IT15 gene. This neurodegenerative disorder is caused by a polyglutamine repeat expansion mutation in the widely expressed huntingtin (HTT) protein. HD is characterized by the degeneration of basal ganglia neurons and progressive cell death in intrinsic neurons of the striatum, accompanied by dementia and involuntary abnormal choreiform movements. Animal models have been extensively studied and have proven to be extremely valuable for therapeutic target evaluations. They reveal the hallmark of the age-dependent formation of aggregates or inclusions consisting of misfolded proteins. Animal models of HD have provided a therapeutic strategy to treat HD by suppressing mutant HTT (mHTT). Transgenic animal models have significantly increased our understanding of the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Since effective therapies to cure or interrupt the course of the disease are not yet available, clinical research will have to make use of reliable animal models. This paper reviews the main studies of rodents as HD animal models, highlighting the neurological and behavioral differences between them. The choice of an animal model depends on the specific aspect of the disease to be investigated. Toxin-based models can still be useful, but most experimental hypotheses depend on success in a genetic model, whose choice is determined by the experimental question. There are many animal models showing similar HD symptoms or pathologies. They include chemical-induced HDs and genetic HDs, where cell-free and cell culture, lower organisms (such as yeast, Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish), rodents (mice, rats), and non-human primates are involved. These models provide accessible systems to study molecular pathogenesis and test potential treatments. For developing more effective pharmacological treatments, better animal models must be available and used to evaluate the efficacy of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Nittari
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Proshanta Roy
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Ilenia Martinelli
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Vincenzo Bellitto
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Daniele Tomassoni
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, Italy;
| | - Enea Traini
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Seyed Khosrow Tayebati
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Francesco Amenta
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
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17
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Wilton DK, Mastro K, Heller MD, Gergits FW, Willing CR, Fahey JB, Frouin A, Daggett A, Gu X, Kim YA, Faull RLM, Jayadev S, Yednock T, Yang XW, Stevens B. Microglia and complement mediate early corticostriatal synapse loss and cognitive dysfunction in Huntington's disease. Nat Med 2023; 29:2866-2884. [PMID: 37814059 PMCID: PMC10667107 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02566-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating monogenic neurodegenerative disease characterized by early, selective pathology in the basal ganglia despite the ubiquitous expression of mutant huntingtin. The molecular mechanisms underlying this region-specific neuronal degeneration and how these relate to the development of early cognitive phenotypes are poorly understood. Here we show that there is selective loss of synaptic connections between the cortex and striatum in postmortem tissue from patients with HD that is associated with the increased activation and localization of complement proteins, innate immune molecules, to these synaptic elements. We also found that levels of these secreted innate immune molecules are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of premanifest HD patients and correlate with established measures of disease burden.In preclinical genetic models of HD, we show that complement proteins mediate the selective elimination of corticostriatal synapses at an early stage in disease pathogenesis, marking them for removal by microglia, the brain's resident macrophage population. This process requires mutant huntingtin to be expressed in both cortical and striatal neurons. Inhibition of this complement-dependent elimination mechanism through administration of a therapeutically relevant C1q function-blocking antibody or genetic ablation of a complement receptor on microglia prevented synapse loss, increased excitatory input to the striatum and rescued the early development of visual discrimination learning and cognitive flexibility deficits in these models. Together, our findings implicate microglia and the complement cascade in the selective, early degeneration of corticostriatal synapses and the development of cognitive deficits in presymptomatic HD; they also provide new preclinical data to support complement as a therapeutic target for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel K Wilton
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US.
| | - Kevin Mastro
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Molly D Heller
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Frederick W Gergits
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Carly Rose Willing
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Jaclyn B Fahey
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Arnaud Frouin
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Anthony Daggett
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Gu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yejin A Kim
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
| | - Richard L M Faull
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ted Yednock
- Annexon Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Beth Stevens
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US.
- Stanley Center, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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18
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Liu L, Malagu K, Haughan AF, Khetarpal V, Stott AJ, Esmieu W, Vater HD, Webster SJ, Van de Poël AJ, Clissold C, Cosgrove B, Sutton B, Spencer JA, Breccia P, Gancia E, Bonomo S, Ladduwahetty T, Lazari O, Patel H, Atton HC, Clifton S, Mota DM, Magnani D, O'Neill A, Stebbeds M, Macabuag N, Todd D, Herva ME, Mitchell P, Visser M, Compte Sancerni S, Grand Moursel L, da Silva M, Kritikou E, Heikkinen TT, Bolkvadze T, Fodale V, Spadafora D, Daldin M, Bresciani A, Mangette JE, Doherty EM, Lee MR, Herbst T, Monteagudo E, Macdonald D, Plotnikov NV, Chambers M, McAllister G, Muňoz-Sanjuan I, Dominguez C. Identification and Optimization of RNA-Splicing Modulators as Huntingtin Protein-Lowering Agents for the Treatment of Huntington's Disease. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13205-13246. [PMID: 37712656 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded CAG trinucleotide repeat in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. We report the design of a series of HTT pre-mRNA splicing modulators that lower huntingtin (HTT) protein, including the toxic mutant huntingtin (mHTT), by promoting insertion of a pseudoexon containing a premature termination codon at the exon 49-50 junction. The resulting transcript undergoes nonsense-mediated decay, leading to a reduction of HTT mRNA transcripts and protein levels. The starting benzamide core was modified to pyrazine amide and further optimized to give a potent, CNS-penetrant, and orally bioavailable HTT-splicing modulator 27. This compound reduced canonical splicing of the HTT RNA exon 49-50 and demonstrated significant HTT-lowering in both human HD stem cells and mouse BACHD models. Compound 27 is a structurally diverse HTT-splicing modulator that may help understand the mechanism of adverse effects such as peripheral neuropathy associated with branaplam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Karine Malagu
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Alan F Haughan
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Vinod Khetarpal
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Andrew J Stott
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - William Esmieu
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Huw D Vater
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Stephen J Webster
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Amanda J Van de Poël
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Cole Clissold
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Brett Cosgrove
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Benjamin Sutton
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Jonathan A Spencer
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Perla Breccia
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Emanuela Gancia
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Silvia Bonomo
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Tammy Ladduwahetty
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Ovadia Lazari
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Hiral Patel
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Helen C Atton
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Steve Clifton
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Daniel M Mota
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Dario Magnani
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Amy O'Neill
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Marta Stebbeds
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Natsuko Macabuag
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Daniel Todd
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Maria E Herva
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Philip Mitchell
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Mijke Visser
- Charles River, Darwinweg 24, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Marta da Silva
- Charles River, Darwinweg 24, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eva Kritikou
- Charles River, Darwinweg 24, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Elizabeth M Doherty
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Matthew R Lee
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Todd Herbst
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Edith Monteagudo
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Douglas Macdonald
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Nikolay V Plotnikov
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Mark Chambers
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - George McAllister
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Ignacio Muňoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
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19
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Duarte F, Vachey G, Caron NS, Sipion M, Rey M, Perrier AL, Hayden MR, Déglon N. Limitations of Dual-Single Guide RNA CRISPR Strategies for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Genetic Disorders. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:958-974. [PMID: 37658843 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.109] [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: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a toxic gain-of-function CAG expansion in the first exon of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The monogenic nature of HD makes mutant HTT (mHTT) inactivation a promising therapeutic strategy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms frequently associated with CAG expansion have been explored to selectively inactivate mHTT allele using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. One of such allele-selective approaches consists of excising a region flanking the first exon of mHTT by inducing simultaneous double-strand breaks at upstream and downstream positions of the mHTT exon 1. The removal of the first exon of mHTT deletes the CAG expansion and important transcription regulatory sites, leading to mHTT inactivation. However, the frequency of deletion events is yet to be quantified either in vitro or in vivo. Here, we developed accurate quantitative digital polymerase chain reaction-based assays to assess HTT exon 1 deletion in vitro and in fully humanized HU97/18 mice. Our results demonstrate that dual-single guide RNA (sgRNA) strategies are efficient and that 67% of HTT editing events are leading to exon 1 deletion in HEK293T cells. In contrast, these sgRNA actively cleaved HTT in HU97/18 mice, but most editing events do not lead to exon 1 deletion (10% exon 1 deletion). We also showed that the in vivo editing pattern is not affected by CAG expansion but may potentially be due to the presence of multiple copies of wildtype (wt)/mHTT genes HU97/18 mice as well as the slow kinetics of AAV-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio Duarte
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Vachey
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital and Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melanie Sipion
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maria Rey
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital and Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicole Déglon
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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20
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Jiang A, Handley RR, Lehnert K, Snell RG. From Pathogenesis to Therapeutics: A Review of 150 Years of Huntington's Disease Research. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13021. [PMID: 37629202 PMCID: PMC10455900 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241613021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative genetic disorder caused by an expanded polyglutamine-coding (CAG) trinucleotide repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. HD behaves as a highly penetrant dominant disorder likely acting through a toxic gain of function by the mutant huntingtin protein. Widespread cellular degeneration of the medium spiny neurons of the caudate nucleus and putamen are responsible for the onset of symptomology that encompasses motor, cognitive, and behavioural abnormalities. Over the past 150 years of HD research since George Huntington published his description, a plethora of pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed with key themes including excitotoxicity, dopaminergic imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic defects, disruption of proteostasis, transcriptional dysregulation, and neuroinflammation. Despite the identification and characterisation of the causative gene and mutation and significant advances in our understanding of the cellular pathology in recent years, a disease-modifying intervention has not yet been clinically approved. This review includes an overview of Huntington's disease, from its genetic aetiology to clinical presentation and its pathogenic manifestation. An updated view of molecular mechanisms and the latest therapeutic developments will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Jiang
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, Centre for Brain Research, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (R.R.H.); (K.L.); (R.G.S.)
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21
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Aly AEE, Caron NS, Black HF, Schmidt ME, Anderson C, Ko S, Baddeley HJE, Anderson L, Casal LL, Rahavi RSM, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Delivery of mutant huntingtin-lowering antisense oligonucleotides to the brain by intranasally administered apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks. J Control Release 2023; 360:913-927. [PMID: 37468110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.07.027] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Lowering mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in the central nervous system (CNS) using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) is a promising approach currently being evaluated in clinical trials for Huntington disease (HD). However, the therapeutic potential of ASOs in HD patients is limited by their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In non-human primates, intrathecal infusion of ASOs results in limited brain distribution, with higher ASO concentrations in superficial regions and lower concentrations in deeper regions, such as the basal ganglia. To address the need for improved delivery of ASOs to the brain, we are evaluating the therapeutic potential of apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks (apoA-I NDs) as novel delivery vehicles for mHTT-lowering ASOs to the CNS after intranasal administration. Here, we have demonstrated the ability of apoA-I nanodisks to bypass the BBB after intranasal delivery in the BACHD model of HD. Following intranasal administration of apoA-I NDs, apoA-I protein levels were elevated along the rostral-caudal brain axis, with highest levels in the most rostral brain regions including the olfactory bulb and frontal cortex. Double-label immunohistochemistry indicates that both the apoA-I and ASO deposit in neurons. Most importantly, a single intranasal dose of apoA-I ASO-NDs significantly reduces mHTT levels in the brain regions most affected in HD, namely the cortex and striatum. This approach represents a novel non-invasive means for improving delivery and brain distribution of oligonucleotide therapies and enhancing likelihood of efficacy. Improved ASO delivery to the brain has widespread application for treatment of many other CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirah E-E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Helen J E Baddeley
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lisa Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lorenzo L Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Reza S M Rahavi
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, British Columbia Children's a Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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22
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Thomson SB, Stam A, Brouwers C, Fodale V, Bresciani A, Vermeulen M, Mostafavi S, Petkau TL, Hill A, Yung A, Russell-Schulz B, Kozlowski P, MacKay A, Ma D, Beg MF, Evers MM, Vallès A, Leavitt BR. AAV5-miHTT-mediated huntingtin lowering improves brain health in a Huntington's disease mouse model. Brain 2023; 146:2298-2315. [PMID: 36508327 PMCID: PMC10232253 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntingtin (HTT)-lowering therapies show great promise in treating Huntington's disease. We have developed a microRNA targeting human HTT that is delivered in an adeno-associated serotype 5 viral vector (AAV5-miHTT), and here use animal behaviour, MRI, non-invasive proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and striatal RNA sequencing as outcome measures in preclinical mouse studies of AAV5-miHTT. The effects of AAV5-miHTT treatment were evaluated in homozygous Q175FDN mice, a mouse model of Huntington's disease with severe neuropathological and behavioural phenotypes. Homozygous mice were used instead of the more commonly used heterozygous strain, which exhibit milder phenotypes. Three-month-old homozygous Q175FDN mice, which had developed acute phenotypes by the time of treatment, were injected bilaterally into the striatum with either formulation buffer (phosphate-buffered saline + 5% sucrose), low dose (5.2 × 109 genome copies/mouse) or high dose (1.3 × 1011 genome copies/mouse) AAV5-miHTT. Wild-type mice injected with formulation buffer served as controls. Behavioural assessments of cognition, T1-weighted structural MRI and striatal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed 3 months after injection, and shortly afterwards the animals were sacrificed to collect brain tissue for protein and RNA analysis. Motor coordination was assessed at 1-month intervals beginning at 2 months of age until sacrifice. Dose-dependent changes in AAV5 vector DNA level, miHTT expression and mutant HTT were observed in striatum and cortex of AAV5-miHTT-treated Huntington's disease model mice. This pattern of microRNA expression and mutant HTT lowering rescued weight loss in homozygous Q175FDN mice but did not affect motor or cognitive phenotypes. MRI volumetric analysis detected atrophy in four brain regions in homozygous Q175FDN mice, and treatment with high dose AAV5-miHTT rescued this effect in the hippocampus. Like previous magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies in Huntington's disease patients, decreased total N-acetyl aspartate and increased myo-inositol levels were found in the striatum of homozygous Q175FDN mice. These neurochemical findings were partially reversed with AAV5-miHTT treatment. Striatal transcriptional analysis using RNA sequencing revealed mutant HTT-induced changes that were partially reversed by HTT lowering with AAV5-miHTT. Striatal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis suggests a restoration of neuronal function, and striatal RNA sequencing analysis shows a reversal of transcriptional dysregulation following AAV5-miHTT in a homozygous Huntington's disease mouse model with severe pathology. The results of this study support the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in HTT-lowering clinical trials and strengthen the therapeutic potential of AAV5-miHTT in reversing severe striatal dysfunction in Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Thomson
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Anouk Stam
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cynthia Brouwers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Valentina Fodale
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia 00071, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia 00071, Italy
| | - Michael Vermeulen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Terri L Petkau
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Austin Hill
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Andrew Yung
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Bretta Russell-Schulz
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Piotr Kozlowski
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Alex MacKay
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Da Ma
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Mirza Faisal Beg
- School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A0A7, Canada
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
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23
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Chiem E, Zhao K, Stark G, Ghiani CA, Colwell CS, Paul KN. Sex Differences in Sleep Phenotypes in the BACHD Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.28.538324. [PMID: 37162913 PMCID: PMC10168394 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are common features of Huntington's disease (HD). HD is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder that affects men and women in equal numbers, but some epidemiological studies as well as preclinical work indicate there may be sex differences in disease progression. Since sex differences in HD could provide important insights to understand cellular and molecular mechanism(s), we used the bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic mouse model of HD (BACHD) to examine whether sex differences in sleep/wake cycles are detectable in an animal model of the disease. Electroencephalography/electromyography (EEG/EMG) was used to measure sleep/wake states and polysomnographic patterns in young adult (12 week-old) male and female wild-type and BACHD mice. Our findings show that male, but not female, BACHD mice exhibited increased variation in phases of the rhythms as compared to age and sex matched wild-types. For both Rapid-eye movement (REM) and Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, genotypic and sex differences were detected. In particular, the BACHD males spent less time in NREM and exhibited a more fragmented sleep than the other groups. Both male and female BACHD mice exhibited significant changes in delta but not in gamma power compared to wild-type mice. Finally, in response to a 6-hrs sleep deprivation, both genotypes and sexes displayed predicted homeostatic responses to sleep loss. These findings suggest that females are relatively protected early in disease progression in this HD model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Chiem
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles
- Molecular, Cellular, Integrative Physiology program, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Kevin Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Gemma Stark
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Cristina A. Ghiani
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles
| | | | - Ketema N. Paul
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles
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24
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Song S, Su Z, Kon N, Chu B, Li H, Jiang X, Luo J, Stockwell BR, Gu W. ALOX5-mediated ferroptosis acts as a distinct cell death pathway upon oxidative stress in Huntington's disease. Genes Dev 2023; 37:204-217. [PMID: 36921996 PMCID: PMC10111862 DOI: 10.1101/gad.350211.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Although it is well established that Huntington's disease (HD) is mainly caused by polyglutamine-expanded mutant huntingtin (mHTT), the molecular mechanism of mHTT-mediated actions is not fully understood. Here, we showed that expression of the N-terminal fragment containing the expanded polyglutamine (HTTQ94) of mHTT is able to promote both the ACSL4-dependent and the ACSL4-independent ferroptosis. Surprisingly, inactivation of the ACSL4-dependent ferroptosis fails to show any effect on the life span of Huntington's disease mice. Moreover, by using RNAi-mediated screening, we identified ALOX5 as a major factor required for the ACSL4-independent ferroptosis induced by HTTQ94. Although ALOX5 is not required for the ferroptotic responses triggered by common ferroptosis inducers such as erastin, loss of ALOX5 expression abolishes HTTQ94-mediated ferroptosis upon reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced stress. Interestingly, ALOX5 is also required for HTTQ94-mediated ferroptosis in neuronal cells upon high levels of glutamate. Mechanistically, HTTQ94 activates ALOX5-mediated ferroptosis by stabilizing FLAP, an essential cofactor of ALOX5-mediated lipoxygenase activity. Notably, inactivation of the Alox5 gene abrogates the ferroptosis activity in the striatal neurons from the HD mice; more importantly, loss of ALOX5 significantly ameliorates the pathological phenotypes and extends the life spans of these HD mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ALOX5 is critical for mHTT-mediated ferroptosis and suggest that ALOX5 is a potential new target for Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujuan Song
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhenyi Su
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Ning Kon
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Bo Chu
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Huan Li
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Xuejun Jiang
- Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Jianyuan Luo
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Brent R Stockwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Wei Gu
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA;
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25
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Wu GH, Smith-Geater C, Galaz-Montoya JG, Gu Y, Gupte SR, Aviner R, Mitchell PG, Hsu J, Miramontes R, Wang KQ, Geller NR, Hou C, Danita C, Joubert LM, Schmid MF, Yeung S, Frydman J, Mobley W, Wu C, Thompson LM, Chiu W. CryoET reveals organelle phenotypes in huntington disease patient iPSC-derived and mouse primary neurons. Nat Commun 2023; 14:692. [PMID: 36754966 PMCID: PMC9908936 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36096-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene, yielding a Huntingtin protein with an expanded polyglutamine tract. While experiments with patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can help understand disease, defining pathological biomarkers remains challenging. Here, we used cryogenic electron tomography to visualize neurites in HD patient iPSC-derived neurons with varying CAG repeats, and primary cortical neurons from BACHD, deltaN17-BACHD, and wild-type mice. In HD models, we discovered sheet aggregates in double membrane-bound organelles, and mitochondria with distorted cristae and enlarged granules, likely mitochondrial RNA granules. We used artificial intelligence to quantify mitochondrial granules, and proteomics experiments reveal differential protein content in isolated HD mitochondria. Knockdown of Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT1 ameliorated aberrant phenotypes in iPSC- and BACHD neurons. We show that integrated ultrastructural and proteomic approaches may uncover early HD phenotypes to accelerate diagnostics and the development of targeted therapeutics for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gong-Her Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Charlene Smith-Geater
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Jesús G Galaz-Montoya
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Yingli Gu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037-0662, USA
| | - Sanket R Gupte
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ranen Aviner
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Patrick G Mitchell
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Joy Hsu
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ricardo Miramontes
- Department of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Keona Q Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 96267, USA
| | - Nicolette R Geller
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 96267, USA
| | - Cathy Hou
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Cristina Danita
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Lydia-Marie Joubert
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Michael F Schmid
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Serena Yeung
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Judith Frydman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - William Mobley
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037-0662, USA
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037-0662, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. .,Department of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. .,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 96267, USA. .,Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 96267, USA. .,Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92617, USA.
| | - Wah Chiu
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA. .,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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26
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Sapp E, Boudi A, Reid SJ, Trombetta BA, Kivisäkk P, Taghian T, Arnold SE, Howland D, Gray-Edwards H, Kegel-Gleason KB, DiFiglia M. Levels of Synaptic Proteins in Brain and Neurofilament Light Chain in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Plasma of OVT73 Huntington's Disease Sheep Support a Prodromal Disease State. J Huntingtons Dis 2023; 12:201-213. [PMID: 37661892 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-230590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synaptic changes occur early in patients with Huntington's disease (HD) and in mouse models of HD. An analysis of synaptic changes in HD transgenic sheep (OVT73) is fitting since they have been shown to have some phenotypes. They also have larger brains, longer lifespan, and greater motor and cognitive capacities more aligned with humans, and can provide abundant biofluids for in vivo monitoring of therapeutic interventions. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine if there were differences between 5- and 10-year-old OVT73 and wild-type (WT) sheep in levels of synaptic proteins in brain and in neurofilament light chain (NfL) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma. METHODS Mutant huntingtin (mHTT) and other proteins were measured by western blot assay in synaptosomes prepared from caudate, motor, and piriform cortex in 5-year-old and caudate, putamen, motor; and piriform cortex in 10-year-old WT and OVT73 sheep. Levels of NfL, a biomarker for neuronal damage increased in many neurological disorders including HD, were examined in CSF and plasma samples from 10-year-old WT and OVT73 sheep using the Simoa NfL Advantage kit. RESULTS Western blot analysis showed mHTT protein expression in synaptosomes from OVT73 sheep was 23% of endogenous sheep HTT levels at both ages. Significant changes were detected in brain levels of PDE10A, SCN4B, DARPP32, calmodulin, SNAP25, PSD95, VGLUT 1, VAMP1, and Na+/K+-ATPase, which depended on age and brain region. There was no difference in NfL levels in CSF and plasma in OVT73 sheep compared to age-matched WT sheep. CONCLUSIONS These results show that synaptic changes occur in brain of 5- and 10-year-old OVT73 sheep, but levels of NfL in biofluids are unaffected. Altogether, the data support a prodromal disease state in OVT73 sheep that involves the caudate, putamen and cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Suzanne J Reid
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bianca A Trombetta
- Department of Neurology, Alzheimer's Clinical and Translational Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pia Kivisäkk
- Department of Neurology, Alzheimer's Clinical and Translational Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Toloo Taghian
- Department of Radiology and Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Steven E Arnold
- Department of Neurology, Alzheimer's Clinical and Translational Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Heather Gray-Edwards
- Department of Radiology and Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Kimberly B Kegel-Gleason
- Department of Neurology, Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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27
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Kim H, Gomez-Pastor R. HSF1 and Its Role in Huntington's Disease Pathology. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1410:35-95. [PMID: 36396925 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2022_742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is the master transcriptional regulator of the heat shock response (HSR) in mammalian cells and is a critical element in maintaining protein homeostasis. HSF1 functions at the center of many physiological processes like embryogenesis, metabolism, immune response, aging, cancer, and neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms that allow HSF1 to control these different biological and pathophysiological processes are not fully understood. This review focuses on Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disease characterized by severe protein aggregation of the huntingtin (HTT) protein. The aggregation of HTT, in turn, leads to a halt in the function of HSF1. Understanding the pathways that regulate HSF1 in different contexts like HD may hold the key to understanding the pathomechanisms underlying other proteinopathies. We provide the most current information on HSF1 structure, function, and regulation, emphasizing HD, and discussing its potential as a biological target for therapy. DATA SOURCES We performed PubMed search to find established and recent reports in HSF1, heat shock proteins (Hsp), HD, Hsp inhibitors, HSF1 activators, and HSF1 in aging, inflammation, cancer, brain development, mitochondria, synaptic plasticity, polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, and HD. STUDY SELECTIONS Research and review articles that described the mechanisms of action of HSF1 were selected based on terms used in PubMed search. RESULTS HSF1 plays a crucial role in the progression of HD and other protein-misfolding related neurodegenerative diseases. Different animal models of HD, as well as postmortem brains of patients with HD, reveal a connection between the levels of HSF1 and HSF1 dysfunction to mutant HTT (mHTT)-induced toxicity and protein aggregation, dysregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disruption of the structural and functional integrity of synaptic connections, which eventually leads to neuronal loss. These features are shared with other neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Currently, several inhibitors against negative regulators of HSF1, as well as HSF1 activators, are developed and hold promise to prevent neurodegeneration in HD and other NDs. CONCLUSION Understanding the role of HSF1 during protein aggregation and neurodegeneration in HD may help to develop therapeutic strategies that could be effective across different NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuck Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Rocio Gomez-Pastor
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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28
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Jia Q, Li S, Li XJ, Yin P. Neuroinflammation in Huntington's disease: From animal models to clinical therapeutics. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1088124. [PMID: 36618375 PMCID: PMC9815700 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1088124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by preferential loss of neurons in the striatum in patients, which leads to motor and cognitive impairments and death that often occurs 10-15 years after the onset of symptoms. The expansion of a glutamine repeat (>36 glutamines) in the N-terminal region of huntingtin (HTT) has been defined as the cause of HD, but the mechanism underlying neuronal death remains unclear. Multiple mechanisms, including inflammation, may jointly contribute to HD pathogenesis. Altered inflammation response is evident even before the onset of classical symptoms of HD. In this review, we summarize the current evidence on immune and inflammatory changes, from HD animal models to clinical phenomenon of patients with HD. The understanding of the impact of inflammation on HD would help develop novel strategies to treat HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Peng Yin
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Jiang Li, ; Peng Yin,
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29
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Fienko S, Landles C, Sathasivam K, McAteer SJ, Milton RE, Osborne GF, Smith EJ, Jones ST, Bondulich MK, Danby ECE, Phillips J, Taxy BA, Kordasiewicz HB, Bates GP. Alternative processing of human HTT mRNA with implications for Huntington's disease therapeutics. Brain 2022; 145:4409-4424. [PMID: 35793238 PMCID: PMC9762945 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene (HTT) that is translated into a polyglutamine stretch in the huntingtin protein (HTT). We previously showed that HTT mRNA carrying an expanded CAG repeat was incompletely spliced to generate HTT1a, an exon 1 only transcript, which was translated to produce the highly aggregation-prone and pathogenic exon 1 HTT protein. This occurred in all knock-in mouse models of Huntington's disease and could be detected in patient cell lines and post-mortem brains. To extend these findings to a model system expressing human HTT, we took advantage of YAC128 mice that are transgenic for a yeast artificial chromosome carrying human HTT with an expanded CAG repeat. We discovered that the HTT1a transcript could be detected throughout the brains of YAC128 mice. We implemented RNAscope to visualize HTT transcripts at the single molecule level and found that full-length HTT and HTT1a were retained together in large nuclear RNA clusters, as well as being present as single transcripts in the cytoplasm. Homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence analysis demonstrated that the HTT1a transcript had been translated to produce the exon 1 HTT protein. The levels of exon 1 HTT in YAC128 mice, correlated with HTT aggregation, supportive of the hypothesis that exon 1 HTT initiates the aggregation process. Huntingtin-lowering strategies are a major focus of therapeutic development for Huntington's disease. These approaches often target full-length HTT alone and would not be expected to reduce pathogenic exon 1 HTT levels. We have established YAC128 mouse embryonic fibroblast lines and shown that, together with our QuantiGene multiplex assay, these provide an effective screening tool for agents that target HTT transcripts. The effects of current targeting strategies on nuclear RNA clusters are unknown, structures that may have a pathogenic role or alternatively could be protective by retaining HTT1a in the nucleus and preventing it from being translated. In light of recently halted antisense oligonucleotide trials, it is vital that agents targeting HTT1a are developed, and that the effects of HTT-lowering strategies on the subcellular levels of all HTT transcripts and their various HTT protein isoforms are understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Fienko
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Christian Landles
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Kirupa Sathasivam
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sean J McAteer
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rebecca E Milton
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Georgina F Osborne
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Edward J Smith
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Samuel T Jones
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Marie K Bondulich
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Emily C E Danby
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jemima Phillips
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Bridget A Taxy
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | - Gillian P Bates
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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Wu J, Möhle L, Brüning T, Eiriz I, Rafehi M, Stefan K, Stefan SM, Pahnke J. A Novel Huntington's Disease Assessment Platform to Support Future Drug Discovery and Development. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314763. [PMID: 36499090 PMCID: PMC9740291 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a lethal neurodegenerative disorder without efficient therapeutic options. The inefficient translation from preclinical and clinical research into clinical use is mainly attributed to the lack of (i) understanding of disease initiation, progression, and involved molecular mechanisms; (ii) knowledge of the possible HD target space and general data awareness; (iii) detailed characterizations of available disease models; (iv) better suitable models; and (v) reliable and sensitive biomarkers. To generate robust HD-like symptoms in a mouse model, the neomycin resistance cassette was excised from zQ175 mice, generating a new line: zQ175Δneo. We entirely describe the dynamics of behavioral, neuropathological, and immunohistological changes from 15-57 weeks of age. Specifically, zQ175Δneo mice showed early astrogliosis from 15 weeks; growth retardation, body weight loss, and anxiety-like behaviors from 29 weeks; motor deficits and reduced muscular strength from 36 weeks; and finally slight microgliosis at 57 weeks of age. Additionally, we collected the entire bioactivity network of small-molecule HD modulators in a multitarget dataset (HD_MDS). Hereby, we uncovered 358 unique compounds addressing over 80 different pharmacological targets and pathways. Our data will support future drug discovery approaches and may serve as useful assessment platform for drug discovery and development against HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyun Wu
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Luisa Möhle
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Thomas Brüning
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Iván Eiriz
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Muhammad Rafehi
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katja Stefan
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Sven Marcel Stefan
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
- Pahnke Lab (Drug Development and Chemical Biology), Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.P.); (S.M.S.); Tel.: +47-23-071-466 (J.P.)
| | - Jens Pahnke
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
- Pahnke Lab (Drug Development and Chemical Biology), Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia, Jelgavas iela 4, 1004 Rīga, Latvia
- Department of Neurobiology, The Georg S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Correspondence: (J.P.); (S.M.S.); Tel.: +47-23-071-466 (J.P.)
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Evidences for Mutant Huntingtin Inducing Musculoskeletal and Brain Growth Impairments via Disturbing Testosterone Biosynthesis in Male Huntington Disease Animals. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233779. [PMID: 36497038 PMCID: PMC9737670 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233779] [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: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Body weight (BW) loss and reduced body mass index (BMI) are the most common peripheral alterations in Huntington disease (HD) and have been found in HD mutation carriers and HD animal models before the manifestation of neurological symptoms. This suggests that, at least in the early disease stage, these changes could be due to abnormal tissue growth rather than tissue atrophy. Moreover, BW and BMI are reported to be more affected in males than females in HD animal models and patients. Here, we confirmed sex-dependent growth alterations in the BACHD rat model for HD and investigated the associated contributing factors. Our results showed growth abnormalities along with decreased plasma testosterone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels only in males. Moreover, we demonstrated correlations between growth parameters, IGF-1, and testosterone. Our analyses further revealed an aberrant transcription of testosterone biosynthesis-related genes in the testes of BACHD rats with undisturbed luteinizing hormone (LH)/cAMP/PKA signaling, which plays a key role in regulating the transcription process of some of these genes. In line with the findings in BACHD rats, analyses in the R6/2 mouse model of HD showed similar results. Our findings support the view that mutant huntingtin may induce abnormal growth in males via the dysregulation of gene transcription in the testis, which in turn can affect testosterone biosynthesis.
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Barry J, Peng A, Levine MS, Cepeda C. Calcium imaging: A versatile tool to examine Huntington's disease mechanisms and progression. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1040113. [PMID: 36408400 PMCID: PMC9669372 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1040113] [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: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal, hereditary neurodegenerative disorder that causes chorea, cognitive deficits, and psychiatric symptoms. It is characterized by accumulation of mutant Htt protein, which primarily impacts striatal medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs), as well as cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs), causing synapse loss and eventually cell death. Perturbed Ca2+ homeostasis is believed to play a major role in HD, as altered Ca2+ homeostasis often precedes striatal dysfunction and manifestation of HD symptoms. In addition, dysregulation of Ca2+ can cause morphological and functional changes in MSNs and CPNs. Therefore, Ca2+ imaging techniques have the potential of visualizing changes in Ca2+ dynamics and neuronal activity in HD animal models. This minireview focuses on studies using diverse Ca2+ imaging techniques, including two-photon microscopy, fiber photometry, and miniscopes, in combination of Ca2+ indicators to monitor activity of neurons in HD models as the disease progresses. We then discuss the future applications of Ca2+ imaging to visualize disease mechanisms and alterations associated with HD, as well as studies showing how, as a proof-of-concept, Ca2+imaging using miniscopes in freely-behaving animals can help elucidate the differential role of direct and indirect pathway MSNs in HD symptoms.
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Whittaker DS, Tamai TK, Bains RS, Villanueva SAM, Luk SHC, Dell’Angelica D, Block GD, Ghiani CA, Colwell CS. Dietary ketosis improves circadian dysfunction as well as motor symptoms in the BACHD mouse model of Huntington's disease. Front Nutr 2022; 9:1034743. [PMID: 36407529 PMCID: PMC9669764 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1034743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Disturbances in sleep/wake cycles are common among patients with neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington's disease (HD) and represent an appealing target for chrono-nutrition-based interventions. In the present work, we sought to determine whether a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet would ameliorate the symptoms and delay disease progression in the BACHD mouse model of HD. Adult WT and BACHD male mice were fed a normal or a ketogenic diet (KD) for 3 months. The KD evoked a robust rhythm in serum levels of β-hydroxybutyrate and dramatic changes in the microbiome of male WT and BACHD mice. NanoString analysis revealed transcriptional changes driven by the KD in the striatum of both WT and BACHD mice. Disturbances in sleep/wake cycles have been reported in mouse models of HD and are common among HD patients. Having established that the KD had effects on both the WT and mutant mice, we examined its impact on sleep/wake cycles. KD increased daytime sleep and improved the timing of sleep onset, while other sleep parameters were not altered. In addition, KD improved activity rhythms, including rhythmic power, and reduced inappropriate daytime activity and onset variability. Importantly, KD improved motor performance on the rotarod and challenging beam tests. It is worth emphasizing that HD is a genetically caused disease with no known cure. Life-style changes that not only improve the quality of life but also delay disease progression for HD patients are greatly needed. Our study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of diet-based treatment strategies in a pre-clinical model of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Whittaker
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - T. Katherine Tamai
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Raj S. Bains
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sophia Anne Marie Villanueva
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Shu Hon Christopher Luk
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Derek Dell’Angelica
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Gene D. Block
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Cristina A. Ghiani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Christopher S. Colwell
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Dickson E, Dwijesha AS, Andersson N, Lundh S, Björkqvist M, Petersén Å, Soylu-Kucharz R. Microarray profiling of hypothalamic gene expression changes in Huntington’s disease mouse models. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1027269. [DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1027269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural changes and neuropathology in the hypothalamus have been suggested to contribute to the non-motor manifestations of Huntington’s disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. In this study, we investigated whether hypothalamic HTT expression causes transcriptional changes. Hypothalamic RNA was isolated from two different HD mouse models and their littermate controls; BACHD mice with ubiquitous expression of full-length mutant HTT (mHTT) and wild-type mice with targeted hypothalamic overexpression of either wild-type HTT (wtHTT) or mHTT fragments. The mHTT and wtHTT groups showed the highest number of differentially expressed genes compared to the BACHD mouse model. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) with leading-edge analysis showed that suppressed sterol- and cholesterol metabolism were shared between hypothalamic wtHTT and mHTT overexpression. Most distinctive for mHTT overexpression was the suppression of neuroendocrine networks, in which qRT-PCR validation confirmed significant downregulation of neuropeptides with roles in feeding behavior; hypocretin neuropeptide precursor (Hcrt), tachykinin receptor 3 (Tacr3), cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (Cart) and catecholamine-related biological processes; dopa decarboxylase (Ddc), histidine decarboxylase (Hdc), tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (Vip). In BACHD mice, few hypothalamic genes were differentially expressed compared to age-matched WT controls. However, GSEA indicated an enrichment of inflammatory- and gonadotropin-related processes at 10 months. In conclusion, we show that both wtHTT and mHTT overexpression change hypothalamic transcriptome profile, specifically mHTT, altering neuroendocrine circuits. In contrast, the ubiquitous expression of full-length mHTT in the BACHD hypothalamus moderately affects the transcriptomic profile.
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Sun Y, Tong H, Yang T, Liu L, Li XJ, Li S. Insights into White Matter Defect in Huntington's Disease. Cells 2022; 11:3381. [PMID: 36359783 PMCID: PMC9656068 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene that is translated to an expanded polyglutamine (PolyQ) repeat in huntingtin protein. HD is characterized by mood swings, involuntary movement, and cognitive decline in the late disease stage. HD patients often die 15-20 years after disease onset. Currently, there is no cure for HD. Due to the striking neuronal loss in HD, most studies focused on the investigation of the predominantly neuronal degeneration in specific brain regions. However, the pathology of the white matter area in the brains of HD patients was also reported by clinical imaging studies, which showed white matter abnormalities even before the clinical onset of HD. Since oligodendrocytes form myelin sheaths around the axons in the brain, white matter lesions are likely attributed to alterations in myelin and oligodendrocyte-associated changes in HD. In this review, we summarized the evidence for white matter, myelin, and oligodendrocytes alterations that were previously observed in HD patients and animal models. We also discussed potential mechanisms for white matter changes and possible treatment to prevent glial dysfunction in HD.
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Wang N, Langfelder P, Stricos M, Ramanathan L, Richman JB, Vaca R, Plascencia M, Gu X, Zhang S, Tamai TK, Zhang L, Gao F, Ouk K, Lu X, Ivanov LV, Vogt TF, Lu QR, Morton AJ, Colwell CS, Aaronson JS, Rosinski J, Horvath S, Yang XW. Mapping brain gene coexpression in daytime transcriptomes unveils diurnal molecular networks and deciphers perturbation gene signatures. Neuron 2022; 110:3318-3338.e9. [PMID: 36265442 PMCID: PMC9665885 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Brain tissue transcriptomes may be organized into gene coexpression networks, but their underlying biological drivers remain incompletely understood. Here, we undertook a large-scale transcriptomic study using 508 wild-type mouse striatal tissue samples dissected exclusively in the afternoons to define 38 highly reproducible gene coexpression modules. We found that 13 and 11 modules are enriched in cell-type and molecular complex markers, respectively. Importantly, 18 modules are highly enriched in daily rhythmically expressed genes that peak or trough with distinct temporal kinetics, revealing the underlying biology of striatal diurnal gene networks. Moreover, the diurnal coexpression networks are a dominant feature of daytime transcriptomes in the mouse cortex. We next employed the striatal coexpression modules to decipher the striatal transcriptomic signatures from Huntington's disease models and heterozygous null mice for 52 genes, uncovering novel functions for Prkcq and Kdm4b in oligodendrocyte differentiation and bipolar disorder-associated Trank1 in regulating anxiety-like behaviors and nocturnal locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Wang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peter Langfelder
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Stricos
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lalini Ramanathan
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey B Richman
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Raymond Vaca
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mary Plascencia
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Gu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shasha Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T Katherine Tamai
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Liguo Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Brain Tumor Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Fuying Gao
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Koliane Ouk
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xiang Lu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Thomas F Vogt
- CHDI Management /CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Qing Richard Lu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Brain Tumor Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - A Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christopher S Colwell
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Jim Rosinski
- CHDI Management /CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Ly S, Didiot MC, Ferguson CM, Coles AH, Miller R, Chase K, Echeverria D, Wang F, Sadri-Vakili G, Aronin N, Khvorova A. Mutant huntingtin messenger RNA forms neuronal nuclear clusters in rodent and human brains. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac248. [PMID: 36458209 PMCID: PMC9707646 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac248] [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: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutant messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein contribute to the clinical manifestation of many repeat-associated neurological disorders, with the presence of nuclear RNA clusters being a common pathological feature. Yet, investigations into Huntington's disease-caused by a CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene-have primarily focused on toxic protein gain-of-function as the primary disease-causing feature. To date, mutant HTT mRNA has not been identified as an in vivo hallmark of Huntington's disease. Here, we report that, in two Huntington's disease mouse models (YAC128 and BACHD-97Q-ΔN17), mutant HTT mRNA is retained in the nucleus. Widespread formation of large mRNA clusters (∼0.6-5 µm3) occurred in 50-75% of striatal and cortical neurons. Cluster formation was independent of age and driven by expanded repeats. Clusters associate with chromosomal transcriptional sites and quantitatively co-localize with the aberrantly processed N-terminal exon 1-intron 1 mRNA isoform, HTT1a. HTT1a mRNA clusters are observed in a subset of neurons from human Huntington's disease post-mortem brain and are likely caused by somatic expansion of repeats. In YAC128 mice, clusters, but not individual HTT mRNA, are resistant to antisense oligonucleotide treatment. Our findings identify mutant HTT/HTT1a mRNA clustering as an early, robust molecular signature of Huntington's disease, providing in vivo evidence that Huntington's disease is a repeat expansion disease with mRNA involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Andrew H Coles
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Rachael Miller
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Kathryn Chase
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Feng Wang
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Ghazaleh Sadri-Vakili
- Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Neil Aronin
- Correspondence may also be addressed to: Neil Aronin 368 Plantation Street, Albert Sherman Center Worcester, MA 01655, USA. E-mail:
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- Correspondence to: Anastasia Khvorova 368 Plantation Street, Albert Sherman Center Worcester, MA 01655, USA E-mail:
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Conroy F, Miller R, Alterman JF, Hassler MR, Echeverria D, Godinho BMDC, Knox EG, Sapp E, Sousa J, Yamada K, Mahmood F, Boudi A, Kegel-Gleason K, DiFiglia M, Aronin N, Khvorova A, Pfister EL. Chemical engineering of therapeutic siRNAs for allele-specific gene silencing in Huntington's disease models. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5802. [PMID: 36192390 PMCID: PMC9530163 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33061-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Small interfering RNAs are a new class of drugs, exhibiting sequence-driven, potent, and sustained silencing of gene expression in vivo. We recently demonstrated that siRNA chemical architectures can be optimized to provide efficient delivery to the CNS, enabling development of CNS-targeted therapeutics. Many genetically-defined neurodegenerative disorders are dominant, favoring selective silencing of the mutant allele. In some cases, successfully targeting the mutant allele requires targeting single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) heterozygosities. Here, we use Huntington’s disease (HD) as a model. The optimized compound exhibits selective silencing of mutant huntingtin protein in patient-derived cells and throughout the HD mouse brain, demonstrating SNP-based allele-specific RNAi silencing of gene expression in vivo in the CNS. Targeting a disease-causing allele using RNAi-based therapies could be helpful in a range of dominant CNS disorders where maintaining wild-type expression is essential. Chemically modified siRNAs distinguish between mutant and normal huntingtin based on a single nucleotide difference and lower mutant huntingtin specifically in patient derived cells and in a mouse model of Huntington’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith Conroy
- Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Rachael Miller
- Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Julia F Alterman
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Matthew R Hassler
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Bruno M D C Godinho
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Emily G Knox
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Jaquelyn Sousa
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Ken Yamada
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Farah Mahmood
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Kimberly Kegel-Gleason
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Neil Aronin
- Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.,RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
| | - Edith L Pfister
- Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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van der Bent ML, Evers MM, Vallès A. Emerging Therapies for Huntington's Disease - Focus on N-Terminal Huntingtin and Huntingtin Exon 1. Biologics 2022; 16:141-160. [PMID: 36213816 PMCID: PMC9532260 DOI: 10.2147/btt.s270657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a devastating heritable neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the presence of a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene, leading to a polyglutamine tract in the protein. Various mechanisms lead to the production of N-terminal Huntingtin protein fragments, which are reportedly more toxic than the full-length protein. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the production and toxicity of N-terminal Huntingtin protein fragments. Further, we expand on various therapeutic strategies targeting N-terminal Huntingtin on the protein, RNA and DNA level. Finally, we compare the therapeutic approaches that are clinically most advanced, including those that do not target N-terminal Huntingtin, discussing differences in mode of action and translational applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melvin M Evers
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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40
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de Oliveira Furlam T, Roque IG, Machado da Silva EW, Vianna PP, Costa Valadão PA, Guatimosim C, Teixeira AL, de Miranda AS. Inflammasome activation and assembly in Huntington's disease. Mol Immunol 2022; 151:134-142. [PMID: 36126501 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2022.09.002] [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: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes capable of sensing pathogen-associated and damage-associated molecular patterns, triggering innate immune pathways. Activation of inflammasomes results in a pro-inflammatory cascade involving, among other molecules, caspases and interleukins. NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-repeat containing family, pyrin domain-containing 3) is the most studied inflammasome complex, and its activation results in caspase-1 mediated cleavage of the pro-interleukins IL-1β and IL-18 into their mature forms, also inducing a gasdermin D mediated form of pro-inflammatory cell death, i.e. pyroptosis. Accumulating evidence has implicated NLRP3 inflammasome complex in neurodegenerative diseases. The evidence in HD is still scant and mostly derived from pre-clinical studies. This review aims to present the available evidence on NLRP3 inflammasome activation in HD and to discuss whether targeting this innate immune system complex might be a promising therapeutic strategy to alleviate its symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pedro Parenti Vianna
- School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Cristina Guatimosim
- Department of Morphology - Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Antônio Lúcio Teixeira
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Faculdade Santa Casa BH, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Aline Silva de Miranda
- Department of Morphology - Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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Tanaka M, Szabó Á, Spekker E, Polyák H, Tóth F, Vécsei L. Mitochondrial Impairment: A Common Motif in Neuropsychiatric Presentation? The Link to the Tryptophan-Kynurenine Metabolic System. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162607. [PMID: 36010683 PMCID: PMC9406499 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly half a century has passed since the discovery of cytoplasmic inheritance of human chloramphenicol resistance. The inheritance was then revealed to take place maternally by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Later, a number of mutations in mtDNA were identified as a cause of severe inheritable metabolic diseases with neurological manifestation, and the impairment of mitochondrial functions has been probed in the pathogenesis of a wide range of illnesses including neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, a growing number of preclinical studies have revealed that animal behaviors are influenced by the impairment of mitochondrial functions and possibly by the loss of mitochondrial stress resilience. Indeed, as high as 54% of patients with one of the most common primary mitochondrial diseases, mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome, present psychiatric symptoms including cognitive impairment, mood disorder, anxiety, and psychosis. Mitochondria are multifunctional organelles which produce cellular energy and play a major role in other cellular functions including homeostasis, cellular signaling, and gene expression, among others. Mitochondrial functions are observed to be compromised and to become less resilient under continuous stress. Meanwhile, stress and inflammation have been linked to the activation of the tryptophan (Trp)-kynurenine (KYN) metabolic system, which observably contributes to the development of pathological conditions including neurological and psychiatric disorders. This review discusses the functions of mitochondria and the Trp-KYN system, the interaction of the Trp-KYN system with mitochondria, and the current understanding of the involvement of mitochondria and the Trp-KYN system in preclinical and clinical studies of major neurological and psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Tanaka
- ELKH-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, University of Szeged (ELKH-SZTE), Tisza Lajos krt. 113, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Szabó
- Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Eleonóra Spekker
- ELKH-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, University of Szeged (ELKH-SZTE), Tisza Lajos krt. 113, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Helga Polyák
- Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Fanni Tóth
- ELKH-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, University of Szeged (ELKH-SZTE), Tisza Lajos krt. 113, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Vécsei
- ELKH-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, University of Szeged (ELKH-SZTE), Tisza Lajos krt. 113, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-62-545-351
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Kangussu LM, Rocha NP, Valadão PAC, Machado TCG, Soares KB, Joviano-Santos JV, Latham LB, Colpo GD, Almeida-Santos AF, Furr Stimming E, Simões e Silva AC, Teixeira AL, Miranda AS, Guatimosim C. Renin-Angiotensin System in Huntington′s Disease: Evidence from Animal Models and Human Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147686. [PMID: 35887034 PMCID: PMC9316902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is expressed in the central nervous system and has important functions that go beyond blood pressure regulation. Clinical and experimental studies have suggested that alterations in the brain RAS contribute to the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is limited information regarding the involvement of RAS components in Huntington’s disease (HD). Herein, we used the HD murine model, (BACHD), as well as samples from patients with HD to investigate the role of both the classical and alternative axes of RAS in HD pathophysiology. BACHD mice displayed worse motor performance in different behavioral tests alongside a decrease in the levels and activity of the components of the RAS alternative axis ACE2, Ang-(1-7), and Mas receptors in the striatum, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. BACHD mice also displayed a significant increase in mRNA expression of the AT1 receptor, a component of the RAS classical arm, in these key brain regions. Moreover, patients with manifest HD presented higher plasma levels of Ang-(1-7). No significant changes were found in the levels of ACE, ACE2, and Ang II. Our findings provided the first evidence that an imbalance in the RAS classical and counter-regulatory arms may play a role in HD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas M. Kangussu
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Natalia P. Rocha
- Department of Neurology, The Mitchell Center for Alzheimer′s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- McGovern Medical School, HDSA Center of Excellence at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.B.L.); (E.F.S.)
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77054, USA;
| | - Priscila A. C. Valadão
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Thatiane C. G. Machado
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Kívia B. Soares
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Julliane V. Joviano-Santos
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
- Center for Mathematics, Computing, and Cognition (CMCC), Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo 09612-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Leigh B. Latham
- McGovern Medical School, HDSA Center of Excellence at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.B.L.); (E.F.S.)
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Gabriela D. Colpo
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77054, USA;
| | - Ana Flávia Almeida-Santos
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Erin Furr Stimming
- McGovern Medical School, HDSA Center of Excellence at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.B.L.); (E.F.S.)
| | - Ana Cristina Simões e Silva
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, MG, Brazil;
| | - Antônio L. Teixeira
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77054, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Aline Silva Miranda
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Cristina Guatimosim
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
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Differential Cellular Balance of Olfactory and Vomeronasal Epithelia in a Transgenic BACHD Rat Model of Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147625. [PMID: 35886975 PMCID: PMC9316117 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. For neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease (HD), early diagnosis is essential to treat patients and delay symptoms. Impaired olfaction, as observed as an early symptom in Parkinson´s disease, may also constitute a key symptom in HD. However, there are few reports on olfactory deficits in HD. Therefore, we aimed to investigate, in a transgenic rat model of HD: (1) whether general olfactory impairment exists and (2) whether there are disease-specific dynamics of olfactory dysfunction when the vomeronasal (VNE) and main olfactory epithelium (MOE) are compared. Methods. We used male rats of transgenic line 22 (TG22) of the bacterial artificial chromosome Huntington disease model (BACHD), aged 3 days or 6 months. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and macrophage activity were examined with immunohistochemistry in the VNE and MOE. Results. No differences were observed in cellular parameters in the VNE between the groups. However, the MOE of the 6-month-old HD animals showed a significantly increased number of mature olfactory receptor neurons. Other cellular parameters were not affected. Conclusions. The results obtained in the TG22 line suggest a relative stability in the VNE, whereas the MOE seems at least temporarily affected.
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Molecular Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Huntington's Disease. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061432. [PMID: 35740453 PMCID: PMC9219859 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disease described 150 years ago by George Huntington. The genetic defect was identified in 1993 to be an expanded CAG repeat on exon 1 of the huntingtin gene located on chromosome 4. In the following almost 30 years, a considerable amount of research, using mainly animal models or in vitro experiments, has tried to unravel the complex molecular cascades through which the transcription of the mutant protein leads to neuronal loss, especially in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum, and identified excitotoxicity, transcriptional dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, impaired proteostasis, altered axonal trafficking and reduced availability of trophic factors to be crucial contributors. This review discusses the pathogenic cascades described in the literature through which mutant huntingtin leads to neuronal demise. However, due to the ubiquitous presence of huntingtin, astrocytes are also dysfunctional, and neuroinflammation may additionally contribute to Huntington’s disease pathology. The quest for therapies to delay the onset and reduce the rate of Huntington’s disease progression is ongoing, but is based on findings from basic research.
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Temporal Characterization of Behavioral and Hippocampal Dysfunction in the YAC128 Mouse Model of Huntington’s Disease. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061433. [PMID: 35740454 PMCID: PMC9219853 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061433] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor, psychiatric, and cognitive symptoms. Emerging evidence suggests that emotional and cognitive deficits seen in HD may be related to hippocampal dysfunction. We used the YAC128 HD mouse model to perform a temporal characterization of the behavioral and hippocampal dysfunctions. Early and late symptomatic YAC128 mice exhibited depressive-like behavior, as demonstrated by increased immobility times in the Tail Suspension Test. In addition, YAC128 mice exhibited cognitive deficits in the Swimming T-maze Test during the late symptomatic stage. Except for a reduction in basal mitochondrial respiration, no significant deficits in the mitochondrial respiratory rates were observed in the hippocampus of late symptomatic YAC128 mice. In agreement, YAC128 animals did not present robust alterations in mitochondrial ultrastructural morphology. However, light and electron microscopy analysis revealed the presence of dark neurons characterized by the intense staining of granule cell bodies and shrunken nuclei and cytoplasm in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) of late symptomatic YAC128 mice. Furthermore, structural alterations in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus were detected in the hippocampal DG of YAC128 mice by electron microscopy. These results clearly show a degenerative process in the hippocampal DG in late symptomatic YAC128 animals.
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A New Perspective on Huntington’s Disease: How a Neurological Disorder Influences the Peripheral Tissues. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116089. [PMID: 35682773 PMCID: PMC9181740 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a toxic, aggregation-prone expansion of CAG repeats in the HTT gene with an age-dependent progression that leads to behavioral, cognitive and motor symptoms. Principally affecting the frontal cortex and the striatum, mHTT disrupts many cellular functions. In fact, increasing evidence shows that peripheral tissues are affected by neurodegenerative diseases. It establishes an active crosstalk between peripheral tissues and the brain in different neurodegenerative diseases. This review focuses on the current knowledge of peripheral tissue effects in HD animal and cell experimental models and identifies biomarkers and mechanisms involved or affected in the progression of the disease as new therapeutic or early diagnostic options. The particular changes in serum/plasma, blood cells such as lymphocytes, immune blood cells, the pancreas, the heart, the retina, the liver, the kidney and pericytes as a part of the blood–brain barrier are described. It is important to note that several changes in different mouse models of HD present differences between them and between the different ages analyzed. The understanding of the impact of peripheral organ inflammation in HD may open new avenues for the development of novel therapeutic targets.
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de Souza JM, Ferreira-Vieira TH, Maciel EMA, Silva NC, Lima IBQ, Doria JG, Olmo IG, Ribeiro FM. mGluR5 ablation leads to age-related synaptic plasticity impairments and does not improve Huntington’s disease phenotype. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8982. [PMID: 35643779 PMCID: PMC9148310 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13029-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate receptors, including mGluR5, are involved in learning and memory impairments triggered by aging and neurological diseases. However, each condition involves distinct molecular mechanisms. It is still unclear whether the mGluR5 cell signaling pathways involved in normal brain aging differ from those altered due to neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we employed wild type (WT), mGluR5−/−, BACHD, which is a mouse model of Huntington’s Disease (HD), and mGluR5−/−/BACHD mice, at the ages of 2, 6 and 12 months, to distinguish the mGluR5-dependent cell signaling pathways involved in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. We demonstrated that the memory impairment exhibited by mGluR5−/− mice is accompanied by massive neuronal loss and decreased dendritic spine density in the hippocampus, similarly to BACHD and BACHD/mGluR5−/− mice. Moreover, mGluR5 ablation worsens some of the HD-related alterations. We also show that mGluR5−/− and BACHD/mGluR5−/− mice have decreased levels of PSD95, BDNF, and Arc/Arg3.1, whereas BACHD mice are mostly spared. PSD95 expression was affected exclusively by mGluR5 ablation in the aging context, making it a potential target to treat age-related alterations. Taken together, we reaffirm the relevance of mGluR5 for memory and distinguish the mGluR5 cell signaling pathways involved in normal brain aging from those implicated in HD.
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Ferguson MW, Kennedy CJ, Palpagama TH, Waldvogel HJ, Faull RLM, Kwakowsky A. Current and Possible Future Therapeutic Options for Huntington’s Disease. J Cent Nerv Syst Dis 2022; 14:11795735221092517. [PMID: 35615642 PMCID: PMC9125092 DOI: 10.1177/11795735221092517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by an excessive number of CAG trinucleotide repeats within the huntingtin gene ( HTT). HD patients can present with a variety of symptoms including chorea, behavioural and psychiatric abnormalities and cognitive decline. Each patient has a unique combination of symptoms, and although these can be managed using a range of medications and non-drug treatments there is currently no cure for the disease. Current therapies prescribed for HD can be categorized by the symptom they treat. These categories include chorea medication, antipsychotic medication, antidepressants, mood stabilizing medication as well as non-drug therapies. Fortunately, there are also many new HD therapeutics currently undergoing clinical trials that target the disease at its origin; lowering the levels of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT). Currently, much attention is being directed to antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies, which bind to pre-RNA or mRNA and can alter protein expression via RNA degradation, blocking translation or splice modulation. Other potential therapies in clinical development include RNA interference (RNAi) therapies, RNA targeting small molecule therapies, stem cell therapies, antibody therapies, non-RNA targeting small molecule therapies and neuroinflammation targeted therapies. Potential therapies in pre-clinical development include Zinc-Finger Protein (ZFP) therapies, transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) therapies and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated system (Cas) therapies. This comprehensive review aims to discuss the efficacy of current HD treatments and explore the clinical trial progress of emerging potential HD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie W. Ferguson
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Connor J. Kennedy
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thulani H. Palpagama
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Henry J. Waldvogel
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard L. M. Faull
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrea Kwakowsky
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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Saba J, Couselo FL, Bruno J, Carniglia L, Durand D, Lasaga M, Caruso C. Neuroinflammation in Huntington's Disease: A Starring Role for Astrocyte and Microglia. Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:1116-1143. [PMID: 34852742 PMCID: PMC9886821 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666211201094608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene. HD causes motor, cognitive, and behavioral dysfunction. Since no existing treatment affects the course of this disease, new treatments are needed. Inflammation is frequently observed in HD patients before symptom onset. Neuroinflammation, characterized by the presence of reactive microglia, astrocytes and inflammatory factors within the brain, is also detected early. However, in comparison to other neurodegenerative diseases, the role of neuroinflammation in HD is much less known. Work has been dedicated to altered microglial and astrocytic functions in the context of HD, but less attention has been given to glial participation in neuroinflammation. This review describes evidence of inflammation in HD patients and animal models. It also discusses recent knowledge on neuroinflammation in HD, highlighting astrocyte and microglia involvement in the disease and considering anti-inflammatory therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta Saba
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), UBA-CONICET, Paraguay 2155, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Federico López Couselo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), UBA-CONICET, Paraguay 2155, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julieta Bruno
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), UBA-CONICET, Paraguay 2155, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lila Carniglia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), UBA-CONICET, Paraguay 2155, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniela Durand
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), UBA-CONICET, Paraguay 2155, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mercedes Lasaga
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), UBA-CONICET, Paraguay 2155, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carla Caruso
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), UBA-CONICET, Paraguay 2155, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Address correspondence to this author at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), UBA-CONICET, Paraguay 2155 Piso 10, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tel: +54 11 5285 3380; E-mail:
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50
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St-Cyr S, Smith AR, Davidson BL. Temporal Phenotypic Changes in Huntington's Disease Models for Preclinical Studies. J Huntingtons Dis 2022; 11:35-57. [PMID: 35213386 PMCID: PMC9028736 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-210515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Mouse models bearing genetic disease mutations are instrumental in the development of therapies for genetic disorders. Huntington’s disease (HD) is a late-onset lethal dominant genetic disorder due to a CAG repeat within exon 1 of the Huntingtin (Htt) gene. Several mice were developed to model HD through the expression of a transgenic fragment (exon 1 of the human HTT), the knock-in mutation of the CAG repeat in the context of the mouse Htt gene, or the full-length HTT human gene. The different mouse models present distinct onset, symptoms, and progression of the disease. Objective: The objective of this study is to advise on the best behavioral tests to assess disease progression in three HD mouse models. Methods: We tested N171-82Q transgenic mice, zQ175 knock-in mice, and BACHD full-length mice in a comprehensive behavior test battery in early, mid-, and late disease stages. Results: We contrast and compare the models and the emerging phenotypes with the available literature. These results suggest the most effective behavioral tests and appropriate sample sizes to detect treatment efficacy in each model at the different ages. We provide options for early detection of motor deficits while minimizing testing time and training. Conclusion: This information will inform researchers in the HD field as to which mouse model, tests and sample sizes can accurately and sensitively detect treatment efficacy in preclinical HD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie St-Cyr
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alicia R Smith
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Beverly L Davidson
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, The Perelman School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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