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Koch ET, Cheng J, Ramandi D, Sepers MD, Hsu A, Fong T, Murphy TH, Yttri E, Raymond LA. Deep behavioural phenotyping of the Q175 Huntington disease mouse model: effects of age, sex, and weight. BMC Biol 2024; 22:121. [PMID: 38783261 PMCID: PMC11119712 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01919-9] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with complex motor and behavioural manifestations. The Q175 knock-in mouse model of HD has gained recent popularity as a genetically accurate model of the human disease. However, behavioural phenotypes are often subtle and progress slowly in this model. Here, we have implemented machine-learning algorithms to investigate behaviour in the Q175 model and compare differences between sexes and disease stages. We explore distinct behavioural patterns and motor functions in open field, rotarod, water T-maze, and home cage lever-pulling tasks. RESULTS In the open field, we observed habituation deficits in two versions of the Q175 model (zQ175dn and Q175FDN, on two different background strains), and using B-SOiD, an advanced machine learning approach, we found altered performance of rearing in male manifest zQ175dn mice. Notably, we found that weight had a considerable effect on performance of accelerating rotarod and water T-maze tasks and controlled for this by normalizing for weight. Manifest zQ175dn mice displayed a deficit in accelerating rotarod (after weight normalization), as well as changes to paw kinematics specific to males. Our water T-maze experiments revealed response learning deficits in manifest zQ175dn mice and reversal learning deficits in premanifest male zQ175dn mice; further analysis using PyMouseTracks software allowed us to characterize new behavioural features in this task, including time at decision point and number of accelerations. In a home cage-based lever-pulling assessment, we found significant learning deficits in male manifest zQ175dn mice. A subset of mice also underwent electrophysiology slice experiments, revealing a reduced spontaneous excitatory event frequency in male manifest zQ175dn mice. CONCLUSIONS Our study uncovered several behavioural changes in Q175 mice that differed by sex, age, and strain. Our results highlight the impact of weight and experimental protocol on behavioural results, and the utility of machine learning tools to examine behaviour in more detailed ways than was previously possible. Specifically, this work provides the field with an updated overview of behavioural impairments in this model of HD, as well as novel techniques for dissecting behaviour in the open field, accelerating rotarod, and T-maze tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen T Koch
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Present Address: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 2T9, Canada.
| | - Judy Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Ramandi
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marja D Sepers
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alex Hsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tony Fong
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Timothy H Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Eric Yttri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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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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3
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Xiong H, Tang F, Guo Y, Xu R, Lei P. Neural Circuit Changes in Neurological Disorders: Evidence from in vivo Two-photon Imaging. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 87:101933. [PMID: 37061201 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Neural circuits, such as synaptic plasticity and neural activity, are critical components of healthy brain function. The consequent dynamic remodeling of neural circuits is an ongoing procedure affecting neuronal activities. Disruption of this essential process results in diseases. Advanced microscopic applications such as two-photon laser scanning microscopy have recently been applied to understand neural circuit changes during disease since it can visualize fine structural and functional cellular activation in living animals. In this review, we have summarized the latest work assessing the dynamic rewiring of postsynaptic dendritic spines and modulation of calcium transients in neurons of the intact living brain, focusing on their potential roles in neurological disorders (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and epilepsy). Understanding the fine changes that occurred in the brain during disease is crucial for future clinical intervention developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Xiong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China; Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, 610072, China; Department of Neurology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Fei Tang
- Department of Neurology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yujie Guo
- Department of Neurology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ruxiang Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China; Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Peng Lei
- Department of Neurology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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4
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Benyair R, Giridharan SSP, Rivero-Ríos P, Hasegawa J, Bristow E, Eskelinen EL, Shmueli MD, Fishbain-Yoskovitz V, Merbl Y, Sharkey LM, Paulson HL, Hanson PI, Patnaik S, Al-Ramahi I, Botas J, Marugan J, Weisman LS. Upregulation of the ESCRT pathway and multivesicular bodies accelerates degradation of proteins associated with neurodegeneration. AUTOPHAGY REPORTS 2023; 2:2166722. [PMID: 37064812 PMCID: PMC10101321 DOI: 10.1080/27694127.2023.2166722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), occur due to an accumulation of aggregation-prone proteins, which results in neuronal death. Studies in animal and cell models show that reducing the levels of these proteins mitigates disease phenotypes. We previously reported a small molecule, NCT-504, which reduces cellular levels of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in patient fibroblasts as well as mouse striatal and cortical neurons from an HdhQ111 mutant mouse. Here, we show that NCT-504 has a broader potential, and in addition reduces levels of Tau, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, as well as other tauopathies. We find that in untreated cells, Tau and mHTT are degraded via autophagy. Notably, treatment with NCT-504 diverts these proteins to multivesicular bodies (MVB) and the ESCRT pathway. Specifically, NCT-504 causes a proliferation of endolysosomal organelles including MVB, and an enhanced association of mHTT and Tau with endosomes and MVB. Importantly, depletion of proteins that act late in the ESCRT pathway blocked NCT-504 dependent degradation of Tau. Moreover, NCT-504-mediated degradation of Tau occurred in cells where Atg7 is depleted, which indicates that this pathway is independent of canonical autophagy. Together, these studies reveal that upregulation of traffic through an ESCRT-dependent MVB pathway may provide a therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Benyair
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Sai Srinivas Panapakkam Giridharan
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Pilar Rivero-Ríos
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Junya Hasegawa
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Emily Bristow
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | | | - Merav D Shmueli
- Department of Systems Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Yifat Merbl
- Department of Systems Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lisa M Sharkey
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Phyllis I Hanson
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1150 W. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Samarjit Patnaik
- Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Juan Botas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Juan Marugan
- Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Lois S Weisman
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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5
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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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6
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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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7
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Keller CG, Shin Y, Monteys AM, Renaud N, Beibel M, Teider N, Peters T, Faller T, St-Cyr S, Knehr J, Roma G, Reyes A, Hild M, Lukashev D, Theil D, Dales N, Cha JH, Borowsky B, Dolmetsch R, Davidson BL, Sivasankaran R. An orally available, brain penetrant, small molecule lowers huntingtin levels by enhancing pseudoexon inclusion. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1150. [PMID: 35241644 PMCID: PMC8894458 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28653-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG trinucleotide repeat expansions in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The mutant HTT (mHTT) protein causes neuronal dysfunction, causing progressive motor, cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. Current treatments for HD only alleviate symptoms, but cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) or central nervous system (CNS) delivery of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) or virus vectors expressing RNA-induced silencing (RNAi) moieties designed to induce mHTT mRNA lowering have progressed to clinical trials. Here, we present an alternative disease modifying therapy the orally available, brain penetrant small molecule branaplam. By promoting inclusion of a pseudoexon in the primary transcript, branaplam lowers mHTT protein levels in HD patient cells, in an HD mouse model and in blood samples from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type I patients dosed orally for SMA (NCT02268552). Our work paves the way for evaluating branaplam's utility as an HD therapy, leveraging small molecule splicing modulators to reduce expression of dominant disease genes by driving pseudoexon inclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Youngah Shin
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alex Mas Monteys
- The Raymond G Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Perelman School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicole Renaud
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Martin Beibel
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Teider
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Peters
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Faller
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sophie St-Cyr
- The Raymond G Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Judith Knehr
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Guglielmo Roma
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alejandro Reyes
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Hild
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Diethilde Theil
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Natalie Dales
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jang-Ho Cha
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Beverly L Davidson
- The Raymond G Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Perelman School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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8
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Rebec GV, Koceja DM, Bunner KD. Measuring Movement in Health and Disease. Brain Res Bull 2022; 181:167-174. [PMID: 35122899 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Evaluating and quantifying the many aspects of movement -- from open-field locomotion and stepping patterns in rodent models to stride trajectory and postural sway in human patients -- are key to understanding brain function. Various experimental approaches have been used in applying these lines of research to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disease. Although valuable, data on movement are often limited by the shortcomings inherent in the data collection process itself. Steve Fowler and his research group have been instrumental in pioneering a technology that both minimizes these pitfalls in studies of rodent behavior and has applications to research on human patients. At the center of this technology is the force-plate actometer, developed by the Fowler group to assess multiple aspects of movement in rodent models. Our review highlights how use of the actometer and related behavioral measurements provides valuable insight into Huntington's disease (HD), an autosomal dominant condition of progressively deteriorating behavioral control. HD typically emerges in mid-life and has been replicated in multiple genetically engineered mouse models. The actometer also can be a valuable addition to cutting-edge neuronal and synaptic technologies that are now increasingly applied to studies of behaving animals. In short, the impact of the Fowler contribution to the neuroscience of movement is both meaningful and ongoing.
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Affiliation(s)
- George V Rebec
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States.
| | - David M Koceja
- Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Kendra D Bunner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
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9
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Shenoy SA, Zheng S, Liu W, Dai Y, Liu Y, Hou Z, Mori S, Tang Y, Cheng J, Duan W, Li C. A novel and accurate full-length HTT mouse model for Huntington's disease. eLife 2022; 11:e70217. [PMID: 35023827 PMCID: PMC8758142 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we report the generation and characterization of a novel Huntington's disease (HD) mouse model BAC226Q by using a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) system, expressing full-length human HTT with ~226 CAG-CAA repeats and containing endogenous human HTT promoter and regulatory elements. BAC226Q recapitulated a full-spectrum of age-dependent and progressive HD-like phenotypes without unwanted and erroneous phenotypes. BAC226Q mice developed normally, and gradually exhibited HD-like psychiatric and cognitive phenotypes at 2 months. From 3 to 4 months, BAC226Q mice showed robust progressive motor deficits. At 11 months, BAC226Q mice showed significant reduced life span, gradual weight loss and exhibited neuropathology including significant brain atrophy specific to striatum and cortex, striatal neuronal death, widespread huntingtin inclusions, and reactive pathology. Therefore, the novel BAC226Q mouse accurately recapitulating robust, age-dependent, progressive HD-like phenotypes will be a valuable tool for studying disease mechanisms, identifying biomarkers, and testing gene-targeting therapeutic approaches for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushila A Shenoy
- Department of Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew YorkUnited States
| | - Sushuang Zheng
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Wencheng Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew YorkUnited States
| | - Yuanyi Dai
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yuanxiu Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Zhipeng Hou
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Susumu Mori
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Yi Tang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological DisordersBeijingChina
| | - Jerry Cheng
- Department of Computer Science, New York Institute of TechnologyNew YorkUnited States
| | - Wenzhen Duan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Solomon H.Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of medicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Chenjian Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
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10
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Kluever V, Fornasiero EF. Principles of brain aging: Status and challenges of modeling human molecular changes in mice. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 72:101465. [PMID: 34555542 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Due to the extension of human life expectancy, the prevalence of cognitive impairment is rising in the older portion of society. Developing new strategies to delay or attenuate cognitive decline is vital. For this purpose, it is imperative to understand the cellular and molecular events at the basis of brain aging. While several organs are directly accessible to molecular analysis through biopsies, the brain constitutes a notable exception. Most of the molecular studies are performed on postmortem tissues, where cell death and tissue damage have already occurred. Hence, the study of the molecular aspects of cognitive decline largely relies on animal models and in particular on small mammals such as mice. What have we learned from these models? Do these animals recapitulate the changes observed in humans? What should we expect from future mouse studies? In this review we answer these questions by summarizing the state of the research that has addressed cognitive decline in mice from several perspectives, including genetic manipulation and omics strategies. We conclude that, while extremely valuable, mouse models have limitations that can be addressed by the optimal design of future studies and by ensuring that results are cross-validated in the human context.
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11
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C57BL/6 Background Attenuates mHTT Toxicity in the Striatum of YAC128 Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312664. [PMID: 34884469 PMCID: PMC8657915 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312664] [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: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse models are frequently used to study Huntington’s disease (HD). The onset and severity of neuronal and behavioral pathologies vary greatly between HD mouse models, which results from different huntingtin expression levels and different CAG repeat length. HD pathology appears to depend also on the strain background of mouse models. Thus, behavioral deficits of HD mice are more severe in the FVB than in the C57BL/6 background. Alterations in medium spiny neuron (MSN) morphology and function have been well documented in young YAC128 mice in the FVB background. Here, we tested the relevance of strain background for mutant huntingtin (mHTT) toxicity on the cellular level by investigating HD pathologies in YAC128 mice in the C57BL/6 background (YAC128/BL6). Morphology, spine density, synapse function and membrane properties were not or only subtly altered in MSNs of 12-month-old YAC128/BL6 mice. Despite the mild cellular phenotype, YAC128/BL6 mice showed deficits in motor performance. More pronounced alterations in MSN function were found in the HdhQ150 mouse model in the C57BL/6 background (HdhQ150/BL6). Consistent with the differences in HD pathology, the number of inclusion bodies was considerably lower in YAC128/BL6 mice than HdhQ150/BL6 mice. This study highlights the relevance of strain background for mHTT toxicity in HD mouse models.
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12
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Kaye J, Reisine T, Finkbeiner S. Huntington's disease mouse models: unraveling the pathology caused by CAG repeat expansion. Fac Rev 2021; 10:77. [PMID: 34746930 PMCID: PMC8546598 DOI: 10.12703/r/10-77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease that results in motor and cognitive dysfunction, leading to early death. HD is caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Here, we review the mouse models of HD. They have been used extensively to better understand the molecular and cellular basis of disease pathogenesis as well as to provide non-human subjects to test the efficacy of potential therapeutics. The first and best-studied in vivo rodent model of HD is the R6/2 mouse, in which a transgene containing the promoter and exon 1 fragment of human HTT with 150 CAG repeats was inserted into the mouse genome. R6/2 mice express rapid, robust behavioral pathologies and display a number of degenerative abnormalities in neuronal populations most vulnerable in HD. The first conditional full-length mutant huntingtin (mHTT) mouse model of HD was the bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse model of HD (BACHD), which expresses human full-length mHTT with a mixture of 97 CAG-CAA repeats under the control of endogenous HTT regulatory machinery. It has been useful in identifying the role of mHTT in specific neuronal populations in degenerative processes. In the knock-in (KI) model of HD, the expanded human CAG repeats and human exon 1 are inserted into the mouse Htt locus, so a chimera of the full-length mouse protein with the N-terminal human portion is expressed. Many of aspects of the pathology and behavioral deficits in the KI model better mimic disease characteristics found in HD patients than other models. Accordingly, some have proposed that these mice may be preferable models of the disease over others. Indeed, as our understanding of HD advances, so will the design of animal models to test and develop HD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kaye
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Terry Reisine
- Independent Scientific Consultant, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Steve Finkbeiner
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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13
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Martinez B, Peplow PV. Altered microRNA expression in animal models of Huntington's disease and potential therapeutic strategies. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:2159-2169. [PMID: 33818488 PMCID: PMC8354140 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.310673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A review of recent animal models of Huntington's disease showed many microRNAs had altered expression levels in the striatum and cerebral cortex, and which were mostly downregulated. Among the altered microRNAs were miR-9/9*, miR-29b, miR-124a, miR-132, miR-128, miR-139, miR-122, miR-138, miR-23b, miR-135b, miR-181 (all downregulated) and miR-448 (upregulated), and similar changes had been previously found in Huntington's disease patients. In the animal cell studies, the altered microRNAs included miR-9, miR-9*, miR-135b, miR-222 (all downregulated) and miR-214 (upregulated). In the animal models, overexpression of miR-155 and miR-196a caused a decrease in mutant huntingtin mRNA and protein level, lowered the mutant huntingtin aggregates in striatum and cortex, and improved performance in behavioral tests. Improved performance in behavioral tests also occurred with overexpression of miR-132 and miR-124. In the animal cell models, overexpression of miR-22 increased the viability of rat primary cortical and striatal neurons infected with mutant huntingtin and decreased huntingtin -enriched foci of ≥ 2 µm. Also, overexpression of miR-22 enhanced the survival of rat primary striatal neurons treated with 3-nitropropionic acid. Exogenous expression of miR-214, miR-146a, miR-150, and miR-125b decreased endogenous expression of huntingtin mRNA and protein in HdhQ111/HdhQ111 cells. Further studies with animal models of Huntington's disease are warranted to validate these findings and identify specific microRNAs whose overexpression inhibits the production of mutant huntingtin protein and other harmful processes and may provide a more effective means of treating Huntington's disease in patients and slowing its progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Martinez
- Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
- Department of Medicine, St. Georges University School of Medicine, Grenada
| | - Philip V. Peplow
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Correspondence to: Philip V. Peplow, .
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14
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Schindler F, Praedel N, Neuendorf N, Kunz S, Schnoegl S, Mason MA, Taxy BA, Bates GP, Khoshnan A, Priller J, Grimm J, Maier M, Boeddrich A, Wanker EE. Small, Seeding-Competent Huntingtin Fibrils Are Prominent Aggregate Species in Brains of zQ175 Huntington's Disease Knock-in Mice. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:682172. [PMID: 34239412 PMCID: PMC8257939 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.682172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The deposition of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein aggregates in neurons of patients is a pathological hallmark of Huntington’s disease (HD). Previous investigations in cell-free and cell-based disease models showed mHTT exon-1 (mHTTex1) fragments with pathogenic polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts (>40 glutamines) to self-assemble into highly stable, β-sheet-rich protein aggregates with a fibrillar morphology. HD knock-in mouse models have not been extensively studied with regard to mHTT aggregation. They endogenously produce full-length mHTT with a pathogenic polyQ tract as well as mHTTex1 fragments. Here, we demonstrate that seeding-competent, fibrillar mHTT aggregates can be readily detected in brains of zQ175 knock-in HD mice. To do this, we applied a highly sensitive FRET-based protein amplification assay that is capable of detecting seeding-competent mHTT aggregate species down to the femtomolar range. Furthermore, we show that fibrillar structures with an average length of ∼200 nm can be enriched with aggregate-specific mouse and human antibodies from zQ175 mouse brain extracts through immunoprecipitations, confirming that such structures are formed in vivo. Together these studies indicate that small, fibrillar, seeding-competent mHTT structures are prominent aggregate species in brains of zQ175 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Schindler
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicole Praedel
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nancy Neuendorf
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Severine Kunz
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sigrid Schnoegl
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael A Mason
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UK Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bridget A Taxy
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UK Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UK Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ali Khoshnan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Josef Priller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and DZNE, Berlin, Germany.,The University of Edinburgh, UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Grimm
- Neurimmune AG, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | | | - Annett Boeddrich
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erich E Wanker
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Deng Y, Wang H, Joni M, Sekhri R, Reiner A. Progression of basal ganglia pathology in heterozygous Q175 knock-in Huntington's disease mice. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:1327-1371. [PMID: 32869871 PMCID: PMC8049038 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We used behavioral testing and morphological methods to detail the progression of basal ganglia neuron type-specific pathology and the deficits stemming from them in male heterozygous Q175 mice, compared to age-matched WT males. A rotarod deficit was not present in Q175 mice until 18 months, but increased open field turn rate (reflecting hyperkinesia) and open field anxiety were evident at 6 months. No loss of striatal neurons was seen out to 18 months, but ENK+ and DARPP32+ striatal perikarya were fewer by 6 months, due to diminished expression, with further decline by 18 months. No reduction in SP+ striatal perikarya or striatal interneurons was seen in Q175 mice at 18 months, but cholinergic interneurons showed dendrite attenuation by 6 months. Despite reduced ENK expression in indirect pathway striatal perikarya, ENK-immunostained terminals in globus pallidus externus (GPe) were more abundant at 6 months and remained so out to 18 months. Similarly, SP-immunostained terminals from striatal direct pathway neurons were more abundant in globus pallidus internus and substantia nigra at 6 months and remained so at 18 months. FoxP2+ arkypallidal GPe neurons and subthalamic nucleus neurons were lost by 18 months but not prototypical PARV+ GPe neurons or dopaminergic nigral neurons. Our results show that striatal projection neuron abnormalities and behavioral abnormalities reflecting them develop between 2 and 6 months of age in Q175 male heterozygotes, indicating early effects of the HD mutation. The striatal pathologies resemble those in human HD, but are less severe at 18 months than even in premanifest HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunping Deng
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Hongbing Wang
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Marion Joni
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Radhika Sekhri
- Department of PathologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Anton Reiner
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
- Department of OphthalmologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
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16
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Valadão PAC, de Aragão BC, Andrade JN, Magalhães-Gomes MPS, Foureaux G, Joviano-Santos JV, Nogueira JC, Machado TCG, de Jesus ICG, Nogueira JM, de Paula RS, Peixoto L, Ribeiro FM, Tapia JC, Jorge ÉC, Guatimosim S, Guatimosim C. Abnormalities in the Motor Unit of a Fast-Twitch Lower Limb Skeletal Muscle in Huntington's Disease. ASN Neuro 2020; 11:1759091419886212. [PMID: 31818120 PMCID: PMC6904785 DOI: 10.1177/1759091419886212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a disorder characterized by chronic
involuntary movements, dementia, and psychiatric symptoms. It is
caused by a mutation in the gene that encodes for huntingtin protein
(HTT), leading to the formation of mutant proteins expressed in
various tissues. Although brain pathology has become the hallmark for
HD, recent studies suggest that damage of peripheral structures also
contributes to HD progression. We previously identified severe
alterations in the motor units that innervate cervical muscles in
12-month-old BACHD (Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Huntington’s
Disease) mice, a well-established mouse model for HD. Here, we studied
lumbar motoneurons and their projections onto hind limb fast-twitch
skeletal muscles (tibialis anterior), which control balance and gait
in HD patients. We found that lumbar motoneurons were altered in the
HD mouse model; the number and size of lumbar motoneurons were reduced
in BACHD. Structural alterations were also present in the sciatic
nerve and neuromuscular junctions. Acetylcholine receptors were
organized in several small patches (acetylcholine receptor
fragmentation), many of which were partially innervated. In BACHD
mice, we observed atrophy of tibialis anterior muscles, decreased
expression of glycolytic fast Type IIB fibers, and at the
ultrastructural level, alterations of sarcomeres and mitochondria.
Corroborating all these findings, BACHD animals performed worse on
motor behavior tests. Our results provide additional evidences that
nerve–muscle communication is impaired in HD and that motoneurons from
distinct spinal cord locations are similarly affected in the
disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jéssica Neves Andrade
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Giselle Foureaux
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - José Carlos Nogueira
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Rayan Silva de Paula
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luisa Peixoto
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Fabíola Mara Ribeiro
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - ÉriKa Cristina Jorge
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Silvia Guatimosim
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Cristina Guatimosim
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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17
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Ponzi A, Barton SJ, Bunner KD, Rangel-Barajas C, Zhang ES, Miller BR, Rebec GV, Kozloski J. Striatal network modeling in Huntington's Disease. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007648. [PMID: 32302302 PMCID: PMC7197869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) comprise over 90% of cells in the striatum. In vivo MSNs display coherent burst firing cell assembly activity patterns, even though isolated MSNs do not burst fire intrinsically. This activity is important for the learning and execution of action sequences and is characteristically dysregulated in Huntington's Disease (HD). However, how dysregulation is caused by the various neural pathologies affecting MSNs in HD is unknown. Previous modeling work using simple cell models has shown that cell assembly activity patterns can emerge as a result of MSN inhibitory network interactions. Here, by directly estimating MSN network model parameters from single unit spiking data, we show that a network composed of much more physiologically detailed MSNs provides an excellent quantitative fit to wild type (WT) mouse spiking data, but only when network parameters are appropriate for the striatum. We find the WT MSN network is situated in a regime close to a transition from stable to strongly fluctuating network dynamics. This regime facilitates the generation of low-dimensional slowly varying coherent activity patterns and confers high sensitivity to variations in cortical driving. By re-estimating the model on HD spiking data we discover network parameter modifications are consistent across three very different types of HD mutant mouse models (YAC128, Q175, R6/2). In striking agreement with the known pathophysiology we find feedforward excitatory drive is reduced in HD compared to WT mice, while recurrent inhibition also shows phenotype dependency. We show that these modifications shift the HD MSN network to a sub-optimal regime where higher dimensional incoherent rapidly fluctuating activity predominates. Our results provide insight into a diverse range of experimental findings in HD, including cognitive and motor symptoms, and may suggest new avenues for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Ponzi
- IBM Research, Computational Biology Center, Thomas J. Watson Research Laboratories, Yorktown Heights, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Scott J. Barton
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Kendra D. Bunner
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Claudia Rangel-Barajas
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Emily S. Zhang
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Benjamin R. Miller
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - George V. Rebec
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - James Kozloski
- IBM Research, Computational Biology Center, Thomas J. Watson Research Laboratories, Yorktown Heights, New York, United States of America
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18
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Ardan T, Baxa M, Levinská B, Sedláčková M, Nguyen TD, Klíma J, Juhás Š, Juhásová J, Šmatlíková P, Vochozková P, Motlík J, Ellederová Z. Transgenic minipig model of Huntington's disease exhibiting gradually progressing neurodegeneration. Dis Model Mech 2019; 13:dmm.041319. [PMID: 31645369 PMCID: PMC6918760 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.041319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently developed therapeutic approaches for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD) require preclinical testing in large animal models. The minipig is a suitable experimental animal because of its large gyrencephalic brain, body weight of 70-100 kg, long lifespan, and anatomical, physiological and metabolic resemblance to humans. The Libechov transgenic minipig model for HD (TgHD) has proven useful for proof of concept of developing new therapies. However, to evaluate the efficacy of different therapies on disease progression, a broader phenotypic characterization of the TgHD minipig is needed. In this study, we analyzed the brain tissues of TgHD minipigs at the age of 48 and 60-70 months, and compared them to wild-type animals. We were able to demonstrate not only an accumulation of different forms of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in TgHD brain, but also pathological changes associated with cellular damage caused by mHTT. At 48 months, we detected pathological changes that included the demyelination of brain white matter, loss of function of striatal neurons in the putamen and activation of microglia. At 60-70 months, we found a clear marker of neurodegeneration: significant cell loss detected in the caudate nucleus, putamen and cortex. This was accompanied by clusters of structures accumulating in the neurites of some neurons, a sign of their degeneration that is also seen in Alzheimer's disease, and a significant activation of astrocytes. In summary, our data demonstrate age-dependent neuropathology with later onset of neurodegeneration in TgHD minipigs. Summary: Longitudinal phenotyping of the minipig model for Huntington's disease demonstrates a slow and age-dependent neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taras Ardan
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Baxa
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Božena Levinská
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslava Sedláčková
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Masaryk University in Brno, Faculty of Medicine, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - The Duong Nguyen
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Klíma
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Štefan Juhás
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Juhásová
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Šmatlíková
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Vochozková
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Motlík
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenka Ellederová
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
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19
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Franich NR, Hickey MA, Zhu C, Osborne GF, Ali N, Chu T, Bove NH, Lemesre V, Lerner RP, Zeitlin SO, Howland D, Neueder A, Landles C, Bates GP, Chesselet M. Phenotype onset in Huntington's disease knock-in mice is correlated with the incomplete splicing of the mutant huntingtin gene. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1590-1605. [PMID: 31282030 PMCID: PMC6801054 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat within the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The Q140 and HdhQ150 knock-in HD mouse models were generated such that HdhQ150 mice have an expanded CAG repeat inserted into the mouse Htt gene, whereas in the Q140s, mouse exon 1 Htt was replaced with a mutated version of human exon 1. By standardizing mouse strain background, breeding to homozygosity and employing sensitive behavioral tests, we demonstrate that the onset of behavioral phenotypes occurs earlier in the Q140 than the HdhQ150 knock-in mouse models and that huntingtin (HTT) aggregation appears earlier in the striata of Q140 mice. We have previously found that the incomplete splicing of mutant HTT from exon 1 to exon 2 results in the production of a small polyadenylated transcript that encodes the highly pathogenic mutant HTT exon 1 protein. In this report, we have identified a functional consequence of the sequence differences between these two models at the RNA level, in that the level of incomplete splicing, and of the mutant exon 1 HTT protein, are greater in the brains of Q140 mice. While differences in the human and mouse exon 1 HTT proteins (e.g., proline rich sequences) could also contribute to the phenotypic differences, our data indicate that the incomplete splicing of HTT and approaches to lower the levels of the exon 1 HTT transcript should be pursued as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R. Franich
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Miriam A. Hickey
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of TartuTartuEstonia
| | - Chunni Zhu
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Georgina F. Osborne
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Nadira Ali
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Tiffany Chu
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Nicholas H. Bove
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Vincent Lemesre
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Renata P. Lerner
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Scott O. Zeitlin
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Virginia School of MedicineCharlottesvilleVirginia
| | - David Howland
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation Inc.New YorkNew York
| | - Andreas Neueder
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Christian Landles
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Marie‐Francoise Chesselet
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
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20
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Franich NR, Basso M, André EA, Ochaba J, Kumar A, Thein S, Fote G, Kachemov M, Lau AL, Yeung SY, Osmand A, Zeitlin SO, Ratan RR, Thompson LM, Steffan JS. Striatal Mutant Huntingtin Protein Levels Decline with Age in Homozygous Huntington's Disease Knock-In Mouse Models. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:137-150. [PMID: 29843246 PMCID: PMC6002862 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with aging, caused by an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat within the Huntingtin (HTT) protein. In HD, degeneration of the striatum and atrophy of the cortex are observed while cerebellum is less affected. Objective: To test the hypothesis that HTT protein levels decline with age, which together with HTT mutation could influence disease progression. Methods: Using whole brain cell lysates, a unique method of SDS-PAGE and western analysis was used to quantitate HTT protein, which resolves as a monomer and as a high molecular weight species that is modulated by the presence of transglutaminase 2. HTT levels were measured in striatum, cortex and cerebellum in congenic homozygous Q140 and HdhQ150 knock-in mice and WT littermate controls. Results: Mutant HTT in both homozygous knock-in HD mouse models and WT HTT in control striatal and cortical tissues significantly declined in a progressive manner over time. Levels of mutant HTT in HD cerebellum remained high during aging. Conclusions: A general decline in mutant HTT levels in striatum and cortex is observed that may contribute to disease progression in homozygous knock-in HD mouse models through reduction of HTT function. In cerebellum, sustained levels of mutant HTT with aging may be protective to this tissue which is less overtly affected in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Franich
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Manuela Basso
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Emily A André
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Joseph Ochaba
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Amit Kumar
- Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY, USA.,Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Soe Thein
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Gianna Fote
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Marketta Kachemov
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alice L Lau
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Sylvia Y Yeung
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Osmand
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Scott O Zeitlin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Rajiv R Ratan
- Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY, USA.,Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Joan S Steffan
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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21
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Roemers P, Hulst Y, van Heijningen S, van Dijk G, van Heuvelen MJG, De Deyn PP, van der Zee EA. Inducing Physical Inactivity in Mice: Preventing Climbing and Reducing Cage Size Negatively Affect Physical Fitness and Body Composition. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:221. [PMID: 31680890 PMCID: PMC6797814 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Physical inactivity has emerged as an important and risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, independent of levels of exercise engagement. Moreover, inactivity is associated with poor brain functioning. However, little data on the effects of physical inactivity on the brain is available and few methods are suitable to investigate this matter. We tested whether preventing lid climbing and reducing cage size could be used to model physical inactivity in mice. Sixty young adult C57Bl6 mice (10 weeks old) were divided over six groups with different housing conditions: in cages of three different sizes with lids that either allowed or prevented lid climbing. Housing under these conditions was maintained for a period of 19 weeks before the mice were killed for body composition analysis. Physical fitness tests performed around 5 and 10 weeks into the intervention revealed that motor coordination in the balance beam test was reduced by 30.65%, grip strength by 8.91% and muscle stamina in the inverted screen test by 70.37% in non-climbing mice as compared to climbing controls. Preventing climbing increased visceral fat mass by 17.31%, but did not reduce muscle mass. Neither preventing climbing nor reducing cage size affected anxiety assessed in the Open Field test and the Elevated Plus Maze. We did not find any negative effect of inactivity on spatial learning and memory in the novel object location test or working memory measured with the Y-maze Alternation test. The reduced physical fitness and increase in visceral fat mass show that our inactivity method models most effects of physical inactivity that are observed in experimental and observational studies in humans. Whereas established methods such as hindlimb unloading mimic many of the effects of bed rest, our novel method can be applied to study the effects of less extreme forms of physical inactivity (i.e., sedentary behavior) in various disease models including rodent models for brain diseases (i.e., stroke, Alzheimer’s disease).
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Roemers
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Yasmin Hulst
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Steffen van Heijningen
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Gertjan van Dijk
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Marieke J G van Heuvelen
- Center for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Peter P De Deyn
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Eddy A van der Zee
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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22
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Kielar C, Morton AJ. Early Neurodegeneration in R6/2 Mice Carrying the Huntington's Disease Mutation with a Super-Expanded CAG Repeat, Despite Normal Lifespan. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:61-76. [PMID: 29480204 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The threshold of CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that causes HD is 36 CAG repeats, although 'superlong' expansions are found in individual neurons in postmortem brains. Previously, we showed that, compared to mice with <250 CAG repeats, onset of disease in R6/2 mice carrying superlong (>440) CAG repeat expansions was delayed, and disease progression was slower. Inclusion pathology also differed from 250 CAG repeat mice, being dominated by a novel kind of extranuclear neuronal inclusion (nENNI) that resembles a class of aggregate seen in patients with the adult onset form of HD. Here, we characterised neuropathology in R6/2 mice with >400 CAG repeats using light and electron microscopy. nENNIs were found with increased frequency and wider distribution with age. Some nENNIs appear to 'mature' as the disease develops, developing a multi-layered cored structure. Mice with superlong CAG repeats do not develop clinical signs until they are around 30-40 weeks of age, and they attain a normal life span (>2 years). Nevertheless, they show brain atrophy and unequivocal neuron loss from the striatum and cortex by 22 weeks of age, an age at which similar pathology is seen in 250 CAG repeat mice. Since this time-point is 'end stage' for a 250 CAG mouse, but very far (at least 18 months) from end stage for a > 440 CAG repeat mouse, our data confirm that the appearance of clinical signs, the formation of inclusions, and neurodegeneration are processes that progress independently. A better understanding of the relationship between CAG repeat length, neurodegenerative pathways, and clinical behavioural signs is essential, if we are to find strategies to delay or reverse the course of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Kielar
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - A Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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23
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Loniewska MM, Gupta A, Bhatia S, MacKay-Clackett I, Jia Z, Wells PG. DNA damage and synaptic and behavioural disorders in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-deficient mice. Redox Biol 2019; 28:101332. [PMID: 31581069 PMCID: PMC6812046 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2019.101332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice deficient in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) cannot replenish the cellular antioxidant glutathione, which detoxifies neurodegenerative reactive oxygen species (ROS). To determine the functional consequences of G6PD deficiency, young and aging G6PD-deficient mice were evaluated for brain G6PD activity, DNA damage (comets, γH2AX), Purkinje cell loss, brain function (electrophysiology, behaviour) and lifespan. DNA comet formation was increased and Purkinje cell counts were decreased in a G6pd gene dose-dependent fashion. γH2AX formation varied by age, sex and brain region, with increased levels in G6PD-deficient young and aging females, and in aging males. Aging male G6PD-deficient mice exhibited synaptic dysfunction in hippocampal slices. G6PD-deficient young and aging females exhibited deficits in executive function, and young deficient mice exhibited deficits in social dominance. Conversely, median lifespan in G6PD-deficient females and males was enhanced. Enhanced ROS-initiated brain damage in G6PD deficiency has functional consequences, suggesting that G6PD protects against ROS-mediated neurodegenerative disorders. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiencies are globally prevalent. Brain deficiencies enhance G6pd gene dose-dependent oxidative DNA damage. Deficient brains exhibit lower Purkinje cell numbers and synaptic dysfunction. G6PD-deficient mice exhibit cognitive and motor abnormalities. G6PD-dependent changes vary by age, sex and brain region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M Loniewska
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Centre for Pharmaceutical Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anmol Gupta
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shama Bhatia
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Centre for Pharmaceutical Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Isabel MacKay-Clackett
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zhengping Jia
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, and Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter G Wells
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Centre for Pharmaceutical Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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24
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Sex-dependent impaired locomotion and motor coordination in the HdhQ200/200 mouse model of Huntington's Disease. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 132:104607. [PMID: 31499139 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by severe loss of medium spiny neuron (MSN) function and striatal-dependent behaviors. We report that female HdhQ200/200 mice display an earlier onset and more robust deterioration in spontaneous locomotion and motor coordination measured at 8 months of age compared to male HdhQ200/200 mice. Remarkably, HdhQ200/200 mice of both sexes exhibit comparable impaired spontaneous locomotion and motor coordination at 10 months of age and reach moribund stage by 12 months of age, demonstrating reduced life span in this model system. Histopathological analysis revealed enhanced mutant huntingtin protein aggregation in male HdhQ200/200 striatal tissue at 8 months of age compared to female HdhQ200/200. Functional analysis of calcium dynamics in MSNs of female HdhQ200/200 mice using GCaMP6m imaging revealed elevated responses to excitatory cortical-striatal stimulation suggesting increased MSN excitability. Although there was no down-regulation of the expression of common HD biomarkers (DARPP-32, enkephalin and CB1R), we measured a sex-dependent reduction of the astrocytic glutamate transporter, GLT-1, in female HdhQ200/200 mice that was not detected in male HdhQ200/200 mice when compared to respective wild-type littermates. Our study outlines a sex-dependent rapid deterioration of striatal-dependent behaviors occurring in the HdhQ200/200 mouse line that does not involve alterations in the expression of common HD biomarkers and yet includes impaired MSN function.
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25
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Min B, Park M, Jeon K, Park JS, Seo H, Jeong S, Kang YK. Age-associated bimodal transcriptional drift reduces intergenic disparities in transcription. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 10:789-807. [PMID: 29706608 PMCID: PMC5940109 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
This study addressed the question of how well the quantitative transcriptome structure established in early life is maintained and how consistently it appears with increasing age, and if there is age-associated alteration of gene expression (A3GE), how much influence the Huntington’s disease (HD) genotype exerts on it. We examined 285 exonic sequences of 175 genes using targeted PCR sequencing in skeletal muscle, brain, and splenic CD4+ T cells of wild-type and HD mice. In contrast to the muscle and brain, T cells exhibited large A3GE, suggesting a strong contribution to functional decline of the organism. This A3GE was markedly intensified in age-matched HD T cells, which exhibited accelerated aging as determined by reduced telomere length. Regression analysis suggested that gene expression levels change at a rate of approximately 3% per month with age. We found a bimodal relationship in A3GE in T cells in that weakly expressed genes in young mice were increasingly transcribed in older animals whereas highly expressed genes in the young were decreasingly expressed with age. This bimodal transcriptional drift in the T cell transcriptome data causes the differences in transcription rate between genes to progressively reduce with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byungkuk Min
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Myungsun Park
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Kyuheum Jeon
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Jung Sun Park
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Hyemyung Seo
- Department of Molecular and Life Sciences, Hanyang University, Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 15588, South Korea
| | - Sangkyun Jeong
- Mibyeong Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), Daejeon 305-811, Korea
| | - Yong-Kook Kang
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
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26
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Nair RR, Corrochano S, Gasco S, Tibbit C, Thompson D, Maduro C, Ali Z, Fratta P, Arozena AA, Cunningham TJ, Fisher EMC. Uses for humanised mouse models in precision medicine for neurodegenerative disease. Mamm Genome 2019; 30:173-191. [PMID: 31203387 PMCID: PMC6759662 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-019-09807-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disease encompasses a wide range of disorders afflicting the central and peripheral nervous systems and is a major unmet biomedical need of our time. There are very limited treatments, and no cures, for most of these diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington Disease, and Motor Neuron Diseases. Mouse and other animal models provide hope by analysing them to understand pathogenic mechanisms, to identify drug targets, and to develop gene therapies and stem cell therapies. However, despite many decades of research, virtually no new treatments have reached the clinic. Increasingly, it is apparent that human heterogeneity within clinically defined neurodegenerative disorders, and between patients with the same genetic mutations, significantly impacts disease presentation and, potentially, therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, stratifying patients according to genetics, lifestyle, disease presentation, ethnicity, and other parameters may hold the key to bringing effective therapies from the bench to the clinic. Here, we discuss genetic and cellular humanised mouse models, and how they help in defining the genetic and environmental parameters associated with neurodegenerative disease, and so help in developing effective precision medicine strategies for future healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remya R Nair
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Silvia Corrochano
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Samanta Gasco
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Charlotte Tibbit
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - David Thompson
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Cheryl Maduro
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Zeinab Ali
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Abraham Acevedo Arozena
- Unidad de Investigación Hospital Universitario de Canarias, FUNCANIS, Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas ULL, and CIBERNED, La Laguna, 38320, Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK.
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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27
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Koch ET, Raymond LA. Dysfunctional striatal dopamine signaling in Huntington's disease. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1636-1654. [PMID: 31304622 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine signaling in the striatum is critical for a variety of behaviors including movement, behavioral flexibility, response to reward and many forms of learning. Alterations to dopamine transmission contribute to pathological features of many neurological diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD). HD is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene. The striatum is preferentially degenerated in HD, and this region receives dopaminergic input from the substantia nigra. Studies of HD patients and genetic rodent models have shown changes to levels of dopamine and its receptors in the striatum, and alterations in dopamine receptor signaling and modulation of other neurotransmitters, notably glutamate. Throughout his career, Dr. Michael Levine's research has furthered our understanding of dopamine signaling in the striatum of healthy rodents and HD mouse models. This review will focus on the work of his group and others in elucidating alterations to striatal dopamine signaling that contribute to pathophysiology in HD mouse models, and how these findings relate to human HD studies. We will also discuss current and potential therapeutic interventions for HD that target the dopamine system, and future research directions for this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen T Koch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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28
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Rangel-Barajas C, Rebec GV. Overview of Huntington's Disease Models: Neuropathological, Molecular, and Behavioral Differences. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 83:e47. [PMID: 30040221 DOI: 10.1002/cpns.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative condition caused by a single gene mutation, have been transformative in their ability to reveal the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Three model categories have been generated depending on the genetic context in which the mutation is expressed: truncated, full-length, and knock-in. No single model, however, broadly replicates the behavioral symptoms and massive neuronal loss that occur in human patients. The disparity between model and patient requires careful consideration of what each model has to offer when testing potential treatments. Although the translation of animal data to the clinic has been limited, each model can make unique contributions toward an improved understanding of the neurobehavioral underpinnings of HD. Thus, conclusions based on data obtained from more than one model are likely to have the most success in the search for new treatment targets. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rangel-Barajas
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - George V Rebec
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
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29
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Franco NH, Olsson IAS. “How Sick Must Your Mouse Be?” — An Analysis of the Use of Animal Models in Huntington's Disease Research. Altern Lab Anim 2019; 40:271-83. [DOI: 10.1177/026119291204000506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nuno H. Franco
- IBMC — Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (Laboratory Animal Science Group), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - I. Anna S. Olsson
- IBMC — Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (Laboratory Animal Science Group), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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30
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Arnoux I, Willam M, Griesche N, Krummeich J, Watari H, Offermann N, Weber S, Narayan Dey P, Chen C, Monteiro O, Buettner S, Meyer K, Bano D, Radyushkin K, Langston R, Lambert JJ, Wanker E, Methner A, Krauss S, Schweiger S, Stroh A. Metformin reverses early cortical network dysfunction and behavior changes in Huntington's disease. eLife 2018; 7:38744. [PMID: 30179155 PMCID: PMC6156080 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Catching primal functional changes in early, ‘very far from disease onset’ (VFDO) stages of Huntington’s disease is likely to be the key to a successful therapy. Focusing on VFDO stages, we assessed neuronal microcircuits in premanifest Hdh150 knock-in mice. Employing in vivo two-photon Ca2+ imaging, we revealed an early pattern of circuit dysregulation in the visual cortex - one of the first regions affected in premanifest Huntington’s disease - characterized by an increase in activity, an enhanced synchronicity and hyperactive neurons. These findings are accompanied by aberrations in animal behavior. We furthermore show that the antidiabetic drug metformin diminishes aberrant Huntingtin protein load and fully restores both early network activity patterns and behavioral aberrations. This network-centered approach reveals a critical window of vulnerability far before clinical manifestation and establishes metformin as a promising candidate for a chronic therapy starting early in premanifest Huntington’s disease pathogenesis long before the onset of clinical symptoms. Huntington’s disease is a devastating brain disorder that causes severe mood disorders, problems with moving, and dementia. Most people develop the condition between their thirties and fifties, and die a decade or two after the symptoms first appear. The disease emerges because of a mutation in the gene for the Huntingtin protein, which leads to neurons slowly dying in the brain. While genetic testing can reveal who carries the faulty gene, no treatment addresses the root of the disorder or prevents it from appearing. Instead, most therapies for Huntington’s disease aim to reduce brain damage once the telltale symptoms are already present. However, the disease-causing protein is expressed early during the life of a patient, which could give it time to damage the brain long before neurons die and the disorder reveals itself. Treatments that start after the first signs of the disease may be too late to reverse the damage. Detecting and preventing early brain changes in people that carry the mutation may thus help to stop the disease from progressing. Here, Arnoux, Willam, Griesche et al. set out to detect the minute changes that the faulty Huntingtin protein may cause in the brain network of young mice with the mutation. State-of-the-art imaging tools helped to examine individual neurons in the brain area that processes visual information. These experiments revealed that a group of brain cells had become hyperactive; once this change had occurred, the mutant animals were less anxious than is typical for mice. Metformin is a drug used to treat diabetes, but it also interferes with a structure that is required to produce the disease-causing Huntingtin protein. Arnoux et al. therefore explored whether the compound could rescue the early brain alterations observed in mutant mice. Adding metformin in the water of the animals for three weeks halted the production of the mutant protein, reversed the brain changes and stopped the abnormal behavior. Further work is now required in humans to confirm that Huntington’s disease starts with a change in the activity of networks in the brain, and to verify that metformin can stop the disorder in its track.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Arnoux
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael Willam
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nadine Griesche
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Hirofumi Watari
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nina Offermann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Stephanie Weber
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Changwei Chen
- Division of Neurosciences, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Olivia Monteiro
- Division of Neurosciences, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Sven Buettner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Katharina Meyer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Daniele Bano
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Rosamund Langston
- Division of Neurosciences, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, United Kingdom.,Mouse Behavior Unit, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jeremy J Lambert
- Division of Neurosciences, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Erich Wanker
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Max-Delbrück-Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Methner
- Department for Neurology, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sybille Krauss
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Susann Schweiger
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Albrecht Stroh
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
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Golas MM. Human cellular models of medium spiny neuron development and Huntington disease. Life Sci 2018; 209:179-196. [PMID: 30031060 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2018.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The loss of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum is the hallmark of Huntington disease (HD), an incurable neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive motor, psychiatric, and cognitive symptoms. Transplantation of MSNs or their precursors represents a promising treatment strategy for HD. In initial clinical trials in which HD patients received fetal neurografts directly into the striatum without a pretransplant cell-differentiation step, some patients exhibited temporary benefits. Meanwhile, major challenges related to graft overgrowth, insufficient survival of grafted cells, and limited availability of donated fetal tissue remain. Thus, the development of approaches that allow modeling of MSN differentiation and HD development in cell culture platforms may improve our understanding of HD and translate, ultimately, into HD treatment options. Here, recent advances in the in vitro differentiation of MSNs derived from fetal neural stem cells/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and induced NSCs (iNSCs) as well as advances in direct transdifferentiation are reviewed. Progress in non-allele specific and allele specific gene editing of HTT is presented as well. Cell characterization approaches involving phenotyping as well as in vitro and in vivo functional assays are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika M Golas
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Wilhelm Meyers Alle 3, Building 1233, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
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Cell-Specific Deletion of PGC-1α from Medium Spiny Neurons Causes Transcriptional Alterations and Age-Related Motor Impairment. J Neurosci 2018; 38:3273-3286. [PMID: 29491012 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0848-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple lines of evidence indicate that a reduction in the expression and function of the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is associated with neurodegeneration in diseases such as Huntington's disease (HD). Polymorphisms in the PGC-1α gene modify HD progression and PGC-1α expression is reduced in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of HD patients and mouse models. However, neither the MSN-specific function of PGC-1α nor the contribution of PGC-1α deficiency to motor dysfunction is known. We identified novel, PGC-1α-dependent transcripts involved in RNA processing, signal transduction, and neuronal morphology and confirmed reductions in these transcripts in male and female mice lacking PGC-1α specifically in MSNs, indicating a cell-autonomous effect in this population. MSN-specific PGC-1α deletion caused reductions in previously identified neuronal and metabolic PGC-1α-dependent genes without causing striatal vacuolizations. Interestingly, these mice exhibited a hypoactivity with age, similar to several HD animal models. However, these newly identified PGC-1α-dependent genes were upregulated with disease severity and age in knock-in HD mouse models independent of changes in PGC-1α transcript, contrary to what would be predicted from a loss-of-function etiological mechanism. These data indicate that PGC-1α is necessary for MSN transcriptional homeostasis and function with age and that, whereas PGC-1α loss in MSNs does not replicate an HD-like phenocopy, its downstream genes are altered in a repeat-length and age-dependent fashion. Understanding the additive effects of PGC-1α gene functional variation and mutant huntingtin on transcription in this cell type may provide insight into the selective vulnerability of MSNs in HD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Reductions in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α)-mediated transcription have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). We show that, although PGC-1α-dependent transcription is necessary to maintain medium spiny neuron (MSN) function with age, its loss is insufficient to cause striatal atrophy in mice. We also highlight a set of genes that can serve as proxies for PGC-1α functional activity in the striatum for target engagement studies. Furthermore, we demonstrate that PGC-1α-dependent genes are upregulated in a dose- and age-dependent fashion in HD mouse models, contrary to what would be predicted from a loss-of-function etiological mechanism. However, given this role for PGC-1α in MSN transcriptional homeostasis, it is important to consider how genetic variation in PGC-1α could contribute to mutant-huntingtin-induced cell death and disease progression.
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Genetic Rodent Models of Huntington Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1049:29-57. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-71779-1_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
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Cao JK, Detloff PJ, Gardner RG, Stella N. Sex-dependent behavioral impairments in the HdhQ350/+ mouse line. Behav Brain Res 2018; 337:34-45. [PMID: 28927719 PMCID: PMC5659761 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by gradual deterioration of motor and cognitive functions and development of psychiatric deficits. Animal models provide powerful means to study the pathological processes, molecular dysfunctions and symptoms associated with HD. We performed a longitudinal behavioral study of the newly developed HdhQ350/+ mouse line, a knock-in model that expresses a repeat of 350 glutamines. We found remarkable sex-dependent differences on symptom onset and severity. While both sexes lose weight and grip strength, only HdhQ350/+ males have impaired motor coordination as measured by the rotarod and alterations in gait as measured by the catwalk assay. While HdhQ350/+ females do not exhibit impairment in motor coordination, we found a reduction in dark phase locomotor activity. Male and female HdhQ350/+ mice do not show anxiety as measured by the elevated plus maze or changes in exploration as measured by the open field test. To investigate these sex-dependent differences, we performed western blot analyses of striatal tissue. We measured equal mutant huntingtin protein expression in both sexes and found evidence of aggregation. We found the expected decrease of DARPP-32 expression only in female HdhQ350/+ mice. Remarkably, we found no evidence of reduction in synaptophysin or CB1 receptors in HdhQ350/+ tissue of either sex. Our study indicates that male and female HdhQ350/+ mice differentially recapitulate select behavioral impairments commonly measured in other HD mouse models with limited sex-dependent changes in recognized histopathological markers. We conclude that expanded polyglutamine repeats influence HD pathogenesis in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Peter J Detloff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, United States
| | - Richard G Gardner
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Nephi Stella
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States.
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Ramani B, Panwar B, Moore LR, Wang B, Huang R, Guan Y, Paulson HL. Comparison of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 mouse models identifies early gain-of-function, cell-autonomous transcriptional changes in oligodendrocytes. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 26:3362-3374. [PMID: 28854700 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine-encoding CAG repeat expansion in the ATXN3 gene. This expansion leads to misfolding and aggregation of mutant ataxin-3 (ATXN3) and degeneration of select brain regions. A key unanswered question in SCA3 and other polyglutamine diseases is the extent to which neurodegeneration is mediated through gain-of-function versus loss-of-function. To address this question in SCA3, we performed transcriptional profiling on the brainstem, a highly vulnerable brain region in SCA3, in a series of mouse models with varying degrees of ATXN3 expression and aggregation. We include two SCA3 knock-in mouse models: our previously published model that erroneously harbors a tandem duplicate of the CAG repeat-containing exon, and a corrected model, introduced here. Both models exhibit dose-dependent neuronal accumulation and aggregation of mutant ATXN3, but do not exhibit a behavioral phenotype. We identified a molecular signature that correlates with ATXN3 neuronal aggregation yet is primarily linked to oligodendrocytes, highlighting early white matter dysfunction in SCA3. Two robustly elevated oligodendrocyte transcripts, Acy3 and Tnfrsf13c, were confirmed as elevated at the protein level in SCA3 human disease brainstem. To determine if mutant ATXN3 acts on oligodendrocytes cell-autonomously, we manipulated the repeat expansion in the variant SCA3 knock-in mouse by cell-type specific Cre/LoxP recombination. Changes in oligodendrocyte transcripts are driven cell-autonomously and occur independent of neuronal ATXN3 aggregation. Our findings support a primary toxic gain of function mechanism and highlight a previously unrecognized role for oligodendrocyte dysfunction in SCA3 disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bharat Panwar
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yuanfang Guan
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Abstract
The identification of the mutation causing Huntington's disease (HD) has led to the generation of a large number of mouse models. These models are used to further enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the disease, as well as investigating and identifying therapeutic targets for this disorder. Here we review the transgenic, knock-in mice commonly used to model HD, as well those that have been generated to study specific disease mechanisms. We then provide a brief overview of the importance of standardizing the use of HD mice and describe brief protocols used for genotyping the mouse models used within the Bates Laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela P Farshim
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington's Disease Centre and Dementia Research Institute, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington's Disease Centre and Dementia Research Institute, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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Rosas-Arellano A, Estrada-Mondragón A, Mantellero CA, Tejeda-Guzmán C, Castro MA. The adjustment of γ-aminobutyric acid A tonic subunits in Huntington's disease: from transcription to translation to synaptic levels into the neostriatum. Neural Regen Res 2018; 13:584-590. [PMID: 29722299 PMCID: PMC5950657 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.230270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), plays a key role in all stages of life, also is considered the main inhibitory neurotransmitter. GABA activates two kind of membrane receptors known as GABAA and GABAB, the first one is responsible to render tonic inhibition by pentameric receptors containing α4−6, β3, δ, or ρ1−3 subunits, they are located at perisynaptic and/or in extrasynaptic regions. The biophysical properties of GABAA tonic inhibition have been related with cellular protection against excitotoxic injury and cell death in presence of excessive excitation. On this basis, GABAA tonic inhibition has been proposed as a potential target for therapeutic intervention of Huntington's disease. Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a genetic mutation of the huntingtin protein. For experimental studies of Huntington's disease mouse models have been developed, such as R6/1, R6/2, HdhQ92, HdhQ150, as well as YAC128. In all of them, some key experimental reports are focused on neostriatum. The neostriatum is considered as the most important connection between cerebral cortex and basal ganglia structures, its cytology display two pathways called direct and indirect constituted by medium sized spiny neurons expressing dopamine D1 and D2 receptors respectively, they display strong expression of many types of GABAA receptors, including tonic subunits. The studies about of GABAA tonic subunits and Huntington's disease into the neostriatum are rising in recent years, suggesting interesting changes in their expression and localization which can be used as a strategy to delay the cellular damage caused by the imbalance between excitation and inhibition, a hallmark of Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Rosas-Arellano
- Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile; Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on the Nervous System (CISNe), Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile; Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Cinvestav del IPN, Ciudad de México, México
| | | | - Carola A Mantellero
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Carlos Tejeda-Guzmán
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Cinvestav del IPN, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Maite A Castro
- Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias; Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on the Nervous System (CISNe), Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
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Altered Aconitase 2 Activity in Huntington's Disease Peripheral Blood Cells and Mouse Model Striatum. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18112480. [PMID: 29160844 PMCID: PMC5713446 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18112480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by an unstable cytosine adenine guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeat expansion encoding a polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein. Previously, we identified several up- and down-regulated protein molecules in the striatum of the Hdh(CAG)150 knock-in mice at 16 months of age, a mouse model which is modeling the early human HD stage. Among those molecules, aconitase 2 (Aco2) located in the mitochondrial matrix is involved in the energy generation and susceptible to increased oxidative stress that would lead to inactivation of Aco2 activity. In this study, we demonstrate decreased Aco2 protein level and activity in the brain of both Hdh(CAG)150 and R6/2 mice. Aco2 activity was decreased in striatum of Hdh(CAG)150 mice at 16 months of age as well as R6/2 mice at 7 to 13 weeks of age. Aco2 activity in the striatum of R6/2 mice could be restored by the anti-oxidant, N-acetyl-l-cysteine, supporting that decreased Aco2 activity in HD is probably caused by increased oxidative damage. Decreased Aco2 activity was further found in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of both HD patients and pre-symptomatic HD mutation (PreHD) carriers, while the decreased Aco2 protein level of PBMC was only present in HD patients. Aco2 activity correlated significantly with motor score, independence scale, and functional capacity of the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale as well as disease duration. Our study provides a potential biomarker to assess the disease status of HD patients and PreHD carriers.
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Mouse models of neurodegenerative disease: preclinical imaging and neurovascular component. Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 12:1160-1196. [PMID: 29075922 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9770-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases represent great challenges for basic science and clinical medicine because of their prevalence, pathologies, lack of mechanism-based treatments, and impacts on individuals. Translational research might contribute to the study of neurodegenerative diseases. The mouse has become a key model for studying disease mechanisms that might recapitulate in part some aspects of the corresponding human diseases. Neurodegenerative disorders are very complicated and multifactorial. This has to be taken in account when testing drugs. Most of the drugs screening in mice are very difficult to be interpretated and often useless. Mouse models could be condiderated a 'pathway models', rather than as models for the whole complicated construct that makes a human disease. Non-invasive in vivo imaging in mice has gained increasing interest in preclinical research in the last years thanks to the availability of high-resolution single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), high field Magnetic resonance, Optical Imaging scanners and of highly specific contrast agents. Behavioral test are useful tool to characterize different animal models of neurodegenerative pathology. Furthermore, many authors have observed vascular pathological features associated to the different neurodegenerative disorders. Aim of this review is to focus on the different existing animal models of neurodegenerative disorders, describe behavioral tests and preclinical imaging techniques used for diagnose and describe the vascular pathological features associated to these diseases.
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Yhnell E, Dunnett SB, Brooks SP. A Longitudinal Motor Characterisation of the HdhQ111 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2017; 5:149-61. [PMID: 27258586 PMCID: PMC4942729 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-160191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare, incurable neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion with the first exon of the huntingtin gene. Numerous knock-in mouse models are currently available for modelling HD. However, before their use in scientific research, these models must be characterised to determine their face and predictive validity as models of the disease and their reliability in recapitulating HD symptoms. Objective: Manifest HD is currently diagnosed upon the onset of motor symptoms, thus we sought to longitudinally characterise the progression and severity of motor signs in the HdhQ111 knock-in mouse model of HD, in heterozygous mice. Methods: An extensive battery of motor tests including: rotarod, inverted lid test, balance beam, spontaneous locomotor activity and gait analysis were applied longitudinally to a cohort of HdhQ111 heterozygous mice in order to progressively assess motor function. Results: A progressive failure to gain body weight was demonstrated from 11 months of age and motor problems in all measures of balance beam performance were shown in HdhQ111 heterozygous animals in comparison to wild type control animals from 9 months of age. A decreased latency to fall from the rotarod was demonstrated in HdhQ111 heterozygous animals in comparison to wild type animals, although this was not progressive with time. No genotype specific differences were demonstrated in any of the other motor tests included in the test battery. Conclusions: The HdhQ111 heterozygous mouse demonstrates a subtle and progressive motor phenotype that begins at 9 months of age. This mouse model represents an early disease stage and would be ideal for testing therapeutic strategies that require elongated lead-in times, such as viral gene therapies or striatal transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Yhnell
- Correspondence to: Emma Yhnell, The Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir
Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK. Tel.: +44 0 2920 874112; Fax: +44 0 2920 876749; E-mail:
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Wang B, Zeng L, Merillat SA, Fischer S, Ochaba J, Thompson LM, Barmada SJ, Scaglione KM, Paulson HL. The ubiquitin conjugating enzyme Ube2W regulates solubility of the Huntington's disease protein, huntingtin. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 109:127-136. [PMID: 28986324 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a CAG repeat expansion that encodes a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the HD disease protein, huntingtin (HTT). PolyQ expansion promotes misfolding and aggregation of mutant HTT (mHTT) within neurons. The cellular pathways, including ubiquitin-dependent processes, by which mHTT is regulated remain incompletely understood. Ube2W is the only ubiquitin conjugating enzyme (E2) known to ubiquitinate substrates at their amino (N)-termini, likely favoring substrates with disordered N-termini. By virtue of its N-terminal polyQ domain, HTT has an intrinsically disordered amino terminus. In studies employing immortalized cells, primary neurons and a knock-in (KI) mouse model of HD, we tested the effect of Ube2W deficiency on mHTT levels, aggregation and neurotoxicity. In cultured cells, deficiency of Ube2W activity markedly decreases mHTT aggregate formation and increases the level of soluble monomers, while reducing mHTT-induced cytotoxicity. Consistent with this result, the absence of Ube2W in HdhQ200 KI mice significantly increases levels of soluble monomeric mHTT while reducing insoluble oligomeric species. This study sheds light on the potential function of the non-canonical ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, Ube2W, in this polyQ neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Dermatology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zeng
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Sean A Merillat
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Svetlana Fischer
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Joseph Ochaba
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Institute of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Institute of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Institute of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Institute of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sami J Barmada
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kenneth M Scaglione
- Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Yang HM, Yang S, Huang SS, Tang BS, Guo JF. Microglial Activation in the Pathogenesis of Huntington's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:193. [PMID: 28674491 PMCID: PMC5474461 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded CAG trinucleotide repeats (>36) in exon 1 of HTT gene that encodes huntingtin protein. Although HD is characterized by a predominant loss of neurons in the striatum and cortex, previous studies point to a critical role of aberrant accumulation of mutant huntingtin in microglia that contributes to the progressive neurodegeneration in HD, through both cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms. Microglia are resident immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS), which function to surveil the microenvironment at a quiescent state. In response to various pro-inflammatory stimuli, microglia become activated and undergo two separate phases (M1 and M2 phenotype), which release pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), anti-inflammatory cytokines, and growth factors (TGF-β, CD206, and Arg1), respectively. Immunoregulation by microglial activation could be either neurotoxic or neuroprotective. In this review, we summarized current understanding about microglial activation in the pathogenesis and progression of HD, with a primary focus of M1 and M2 phenotype of activated microglia and their corresponding signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Ming Yang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Su Yang
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, AtlantaGA, United States
| | - Shan-Shan Huang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan, China
| | - Bei-Sha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,State Key Laboratory of Medical GeneticsChangsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DiseasesChangsha, China
| | - Ji-Feng Guo
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,State Key Laboratory of Medical GeneticsChangsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DiseasesChangsha, China
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Roemers P, Mazzola PN, De Deyn PP, Bossers WJ, van Heuvelen MJG, van der Zee EA. Burrowing as a novel voluntary strength training method for mice: A comparison of various voluntary strength or resistance exercise methods. J Neurosci Methods 2017; 300:112-126. [PMID: 28587894 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Voluntary strength training methods for rodents are necessary to investigate the effects of strength training on cognition and the brain. However, few voluntary methods are available. NEW METHOD The current study tested functional and muscular effects of two novel voluntary strength training methods, burrowing (digging a substrate out of a tube) and unloaded tower climbing, in male C57Bl6 mice. To compare these two novel methods with existing exercise methods, resistance running and (non-resistance) running were included. Motor coordination, grip strength and muscle fatigue were measured at baseline, halfway through and near the end of a fourteen week exercise intervention. Endurance was measured by an incremental treadmill test after twelve weeks. RESULTS Both burrowing and resistance running improved forelimb grip strength as compared to controls. Running and resistance running increased endurance in the treadmill test and improved motor skills as measured by the balance beam test. Post-mortem tissue analyses revealed that running and resistance running induced Soleus muscle hypertrophy and reduced epididymal fat mass. Tower climbing elicited no functional or muscular changes. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS As a voluntary strength exercise method, burrowing avoids the confounding effects of stress and positive reinforcers elicited in forced strength exercise methods. Compared to voluntary resistance running, burrowing likely reduces the contribution of aerobic exercise components. CONCLUSIONS Burrowing qualifies as a suitable voluntary strength training method in mice. Furthermore, resistance running shares features of strength training and endurance (aerobic) exercise and should be considered a multi-modal aerobic-strength exercise method in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Roemers
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - P N Mazzola
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - P P De Deyn
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - W J Bossers
- Center for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M J G van Heuvelen
- Center for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - E A van der Zee
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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44
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Adegbuyiro A, Sedighi F, Pilkington AW, Groover S, Legleiter J. Proteins Containing Expanded Polyglutamine Tracts and Neurodegenerative Disease. Biochemistry 2017; 56:1199-1217. [PMID: 28170216 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several hereditary neurological and neuromuscular diseases are caused by an abnormal expansion of trinucleotide repeats. To date, there have been 10 of these trinucleotide repeat disorders associated with an expansion of the codon CAG encoding glutamine (Q). For these polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, there is a critical threshold length of the CAG repeat required for disease, and further expansion beyond this threshold is correlated with age of onset and symptom severity. PolyQ expansion in the translated proteins promotes their self-assembly into a variety of oligomeric and fibrillar aggregate species that accumulate into the hallmark proteinaceous inclusion bodies associated with each disease. Here, we review aggregation mechanisms of proteins with expanded polyQ-tracts, structural consequences of expanded polyQ ranging from monomers to fibrillar aggregates, the impact of protein context and post-translational modifications on aggregation, and a potential role for lipid membranes in aggregation. As the pathogenic mechanisms that underlie these disorders are often classified as either a gain of toxic function or loss of normal protein function, some toxic mechanisms associated with mutant polyQ tracts will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adewale Adegbuyiro
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Faezeh Sedighi
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Albert W Pilkington
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Sharon Groover
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 9304, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,NanoSAFE, P.O. Box 6223, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
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45
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Rattray I, Smith EJ, Crum WR, Walker TA, Gale R, Bates GP, Modo M. Correlations of Behavioral Deficits with Brain Pathology Assessed through Longitudinal MRI and Histopathology in the HdhQ150/Q150 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168556. [PMID: 28099507 PMCID: PMC5242535 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of mouse models have been developed that express mutant huntingtin (mHTT) leading to aggregates and inclusions that model the molecular pathology observed in Huntington's disease. Here we show that although homozygous HdhQ150 knock-in mice developed motor impairments (rotarod, locomotor activity, grip strength) by 36 weeks of age, cognitive dysfunction (swimming T maze, fear conditioning, odor discrimination, social interaction) was not evident by 94 weeks. Concomitant to behavioral assessments, T2-weighted MRI volume measurements indicated a slower striatal growth with a significant difference between wild type (WT) and HdhQ150 mice being present even at 15 weeks. Indeed, MRI indicated significant volumetric changes prior to the emergence of the "clinical horizon" of motor impairments at 36 weeks of age. A striatal decrease of 27% was observed over 94 weeks with cortex (12%) and hippocampus (21%) also indicating significant atrophy. A hypothesis-free analysis using tensor-based morphometry highlighted further regions undergoing atrophy by contrasting brain growth and regional neurodegeneration. Histology revealed the widespread presence of mHTT aggregates and cellular inclusions. However, there was little evidence of correlations between these outcome measures, potentially indicating that other factors are important in the causal cascade linking the molecular pathology to the emergence of behavioral impairments. In conclusion, the HdhQ150 mouse model replicates many aspects of the human condition, including an extended pre-manifest period prior to the emergence of motor impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Rattray
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J. Smith
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - William R. Crum
- King’s College London, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A. Walker
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Gale
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michel Modo
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Radiology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
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46
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Lokhande S, Patra BN, Ray A. A link between chromatin condensation mechanisms and Huntington's disease: connecting the dots. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2016; 12:3515-3529. [PMID: 27714015 DOI: 10.1039/c6mb00598e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder whose complex pathophysiology exhibits system-wide changes in the body, with striking and debilitating clinical features targeting the central nervous system. Among the various molecular functions affected in this disease, mitochondrial dysfunction and transcriptional dysregulation are some of the most studied aspects of this disease. However, there is evidence of the involvement of a mutant Huntingtin protein in the processes of DNA damage, chromosome condensation and DNA repair. This review attempts to briefly recapitulate the clinical features, model systems used to study the disease, major molecular processes affected, and, more importantly, examines recent evidence for the involvement of the mutant Huntingtin protein in the processes regulating chromosome condensation, leading to DNA damage response and neuronal death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali Lokhande
- Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
| | - Biranchi N Patra
- Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
| | - Animesh Ray
- Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
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Steventon JJ, Trueman RC, Ma D, Yhnell E, Bayram-Weston Z, Modat M, Cardoso J, Ourselin S, Lythgoe M, Stewart A, Rosser AE, Jones DK. Longitudinal in vivo MRI in a Huntington's disease mouse model: Global atrophy in the absence of white matter microstructural damage. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32423. [PMID: 27581950 PMCID: PMC5007531 DOI: 10.1038/srep32423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a genetically-determined neurodegenerative disease. Characterising neuropathology in mouse models of HD is commonly restricted to cross-sectional ex vivo analyses, beset by tissue fixation issues. In vivo longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows for disease progression to be probed non-invasively. In the HdhQ150 mouse model of HD, in vivo MRI was employed at two time points, before and after the onset of motor signs, to assess brain macrostructure and white matter microstructure. Ex vivo MRI, immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy and behavioural testing were also conducted. Global brain atrophy was found in HdhQ150 mice at both time points, with no neuropathological progression across time and a selective sparing of the cerebellum. In contrast, no white matter abnormalities were detected from the MRI images or electron microscopy images alike. The relationship between motor function and MR-based structural measurements was different for the HdhQ150 and wild-type mice, although there was no relationship between motor deficits and histopathology. Widespread neuropathology prior to symptom onset is consistent with patient studies, whereas the absence of white matter abnormalities conflicts with patient data. The myriad reasons for this inconsistency require further attention to improve the translatability from mouse models of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J Steventon
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.,Brain Repair Group, Life Science Building, 3rd Floor, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,Experimental MRI Centre, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Rebecca C Trueman
- Brain Repair Group, Life Science Building, 3rd Floor, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.,School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Da Ma
- Centre for Medical Imaging Computing, University College London, London, UK.,Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - Emma Yhnell
- Brain Repair Group, Life Science Building, 3rd Floor, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Zubeyde Bayram-Weston
- Brain Repair Group, Life Science Building, 3rd Floor, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Marc Modat
- Centre for Medical Imaging Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jorge Cardoso
- Centre for Medical Imaging Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sebastian Ourselin
- Centre for Medical Imaging Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mark Lythgoe
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Stewart
- Experimental MRI Centre, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Anne E Rosser
- Brain Repair Group, Life Science Building, 3rd Floor, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,Institute of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, School of Medicine, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Derek K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
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48
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Krench M, Cho RW, Littleton JT. A Drosophila model of Huntington disease-like 2 exhibits nuclear toxicity and distinct pathogenic mechanisms from Huntington disease. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:3164-3177. [PMID: 27288455 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease-like 2 (HDL2) and Huntington disease (HD) are adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases characterized by movement disorders, psychiatric disturbances and cognitive decline. Brain tissue from HD and HDL2 patients shows degeneration of the striatum and ubiquitinated inclusions immunoreactive for polyglutamine (polyQ) antibodies. Despite these similarities, the diseases result from different genetic mutations. HD is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, while HDL2 results from an expansion at the junctophilin 3 (JPH3) locus. Recent evidence indicates that the HDL2 expansion may give rise to a toxic polyQ protein translated from an antisense mRNA derived from the JPH3 locus. To investigate this hypothesis, we generated and characterized a Drosophila HDL2 model and compared it with a previously established HD model. We find that neuronal expression of HDL2-Q15 is not toxic, while the expression of an expanded HDL2-Q138 protein is lethal. HDL2-Q138 forms large nuclear aggregates, with only smaller puncta observed in the cytoplasm. This is in contrast to what is observed in a Drosophila model of HD, where polyQ aggregates localize exclusively to the cytoplasm. Altering localization of HLD2 with the addition of a nuclear localization or nuclear export sequence demonstrates that nuclear accumulation is required for toxicity in the Drosophila HDL2 model. Directing HDL2-Q138 to the nucleus exacerbates toxicity in multiple tissue types, while confining HDL2-Q138 to the cytoplasm restores viability to control levels. We conclude that while HD and HDL2 have similar clinical profiles, distinct pathogenic mechanisms are likely to drive toxicity in Drosophila models of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Krench
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Richard W Cho
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - J Troy Littleton
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences .,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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49
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Strong MK, Southwell AL, Yonan JM, Hayden MR, Macgregor GR, Thompson LM, Steward O. Age-Dependent Resistance to Excitotoxicity in Htt CAG140 Mice and the Effect of Strain Background. J Huntingtons Dis 2016; 1:221-41. [PMID: 23833693 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-129005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Mouse strain background can influence vulnerability to excitotoxic neuronal cell death and potentially modulate phenotypes in transgenic mouse models of human disease. Evidence supports a contribution of excitotoxicity to the selective death of medium spiny neurons in Huntington's disease (HD). Here, we assess whether strain differences in excitotoxic vulnerability influence striatal cell death in a knock-in mouse model of HD. Previous studies that evaluated resistance to excitotoxic lesions in several mouse models of HD had variable outcomes. In the present study, we directly compare one model on two different background strains to test the contribution of strain to excitotoxicity-mediated neurodegeneration. Mice of the FVB/N strain, which are highly vulnerable to excitotoxicity, become extremely resistant to quinolinic acid-induced striatal neurodegeneration with age, when carrying a huntingtin (Htt) allele expressing a HD transgene (CAG140). The resistance is much greater than the age-dependent resistance that has been previously reported in YAC128 mice. By 12 months of age, both heterozygous and homozygous FVB.CAG140 mice displayed virtually complete resistance to quinolinic acid-induced striatal neurodegeneration. A similar resistance develops in CAG140 mice on a C57BL/6N background although the effect size is smaller because C57BL/6N mice are already resistant due to genetic background. In a direct comparison with the YAC128 mice, FVB.CAG140 mice have greater resistance. FVB.CAG140 mice are also resistant to neurodegeneration following kainic acid-induced status epilepticus suggesting the existence of a common cellular mechanism that provides protection against multiple types of excitotoxic insult. These findings establish FVB.CAG140 mice as a useful model to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that confer neuroprotection against excitotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa K Strong
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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50
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Kumar A, Zhang J, Tallaksen-Greene S, Crowley MR, Crossman DK, Morton AJ, Van Groen T, Kadish I, Albin RL, Lesort M, Detloff PJ. Allelic series of Huntington's disease knock-in mice reveals expression discorrelates. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:1619-36. [PMID: 26908599 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying molecular drivers of pathology provides potential therapeutic targets. Differentiating between drivers and coincidental molecular alterations presents a major challenge. Variation unrelated to pathology further complicates transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic studies which measure large numbers of individual molecules. To overcome these challenges towards the goal of determining drivers of Huntington's disease (HD), we generated an allelic series of HD knock-in mice with graded levels of phenotypic severity for comparison with molecular alterations. RNA-sequencing analysis of this series reveals high numbers of transcripts with level alterations that do not correlate with phenotypic severity. These discorrelated molecular changes are unlikely to be drivers of pathology allowing an exclusion-based strategy to provide a short list of driver candidates. Further analysis of the data shows that a majority of transcript level changes in HD knock-in mice involve alteration of the rate of mRNA processing and/or degradation rather than solely being due to alteration of transcription rate. The overall strategy described can be applied to assess the influence of any molecular change on pathology for diseases where different mutations cause graded phenotypic severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Kumar
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology
| | | | - Sara Tallaksen-Greene
- VAAAHS GRECC, Ann Arbor, MI, USA and Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | - A Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Inga Kadish
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology
| | - Roger L Albin
- VAAAHS GRECC, Ann Arbor, MI, USA and Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mathieu Lesort
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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