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Louessard M, Cailleret M, Jarrige M, Bigarreau J, Lenoir S, Dufour N, Rey M, Saudou F, Deglon N, Perrier AL. Mono- and Biallelic Inactivation of Huntingtin Gene in Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reveal HTT Roles in Striatal Development and Neuronal Functions. J Huntingtons Dis 2024; 13:41-53. [PMID: 38427495 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-231509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Background Mutations in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene cause Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder. As a scaffold protein, HTT is involved in numerous cellular functions, but its normal and pathogenic functions during human forebrain development are poorly understood. Objective To investigate the developmental component of HD, with a specific emphasis on understanding the functions of wild-type and mutant HTT alleles during forebrain neuron development in individuals carrying HD mutations. Methods We used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology to disrupt the ATG region of the HTT gene via non-homologous end joining to produce mono- or biallelic HTT knock-out human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) clones. Results We showed that the loss of wild-type, mutant, or both HTT isoforms does not affect the pluripotency of iPSCs or their transition into neural cells. However, we observed that HTT loss causes division impairments in forebrain neuro-epithelial cells and alters maturation of striatal projection neurons (SPNs) particularly in the acquisition of DARPP32 expression, a key functional marker of SPNs. Finally, young post-mitotic neurons derived from HTT-/- human iPSCs display cellular dysfunctions observed in adult HD neurons. Conclusions We described a novel collection of isogenic clones with mono- and biallelic HTT inactivation that complement existing HD-hiPSC isogenic series to explore HTT functions and test therapeutic strategies in particular HTT-lowering drugs. Characterizing neural and neuronal derivatives from human iPSCs of this collection, we show evidence that HTT loss or mutation has impacts on neuro-epithelial and striatal neurons maturation, and on basal DNA damage and BDNF axonal transport in post-mitotic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Louessard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Michel Cailleret
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Margot Jarrige
- CECS/AFM, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Julie Bigarreau
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Sophie Lenoir
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Noëlle Dufour
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Maria Rey
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), and Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicole Deglon
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), and Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106313. [PMID: 37777020 PMCID: PMC10731584 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106313] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon 1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. Lowering mHTT is a promising approach to treat HD, but it is unclear when lowering should be initiated, how much is necessary, and what duration should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model, we analyzed mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the striatum was reduced 38-52%; however, there was minimal lowering of mHTT in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. Total striatal lipids were reduced in 9-month-old LacQ140 mice and preserved by mHtt lowering. Subclasses important for white matter structure and function including ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), contributed to the reduction in total lipids. Phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses except ceramide were preserved by mHtt lowering. mRNA expression profiling indicated that a transcriptional mechanism contributes to changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be prevented by mHtt lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids, but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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3
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Ribeiro J, Lopes I, Gomes AC. A New Perspective for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: Exosome-like Liposomes to Deliver Natural Compounds and RNA Therapies. Molecules 2023; 28:6015. [PMID: 37630268 PMCID: PMC10458935 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28166015] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
With the increment of the aging population in recent years, neurodegenerative diseases exert a major global disease burden, essentially as a result of the lack of treatments that stop the disease progression. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is an example of a neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of people globally, with no effective treatment. Natural compounds have emerged as a viable therapy to fill a huge gap in AD management, and in recent years, mostly fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, RNA-based therapeutics have become a hot topic in the treatment of several diseases. Treatments of AD face significant limitations due to the complex and interconnected pathways that lead to their hallmarks and also due to the necessity to cross the blood-brain barrier. Nanotechnology has contributed to surpassing this bottleneck in the treatment of AD by promoting safe and enhanced drug delivery to the brain. In particular, exosome-like nanoparticles, a hybrid delivery system combining exosomes and liposomes' advantageous features, are demonstrating great potential in the treatment of central nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Ribeiro
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA)/Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (J.R.); (I.L.)
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Sustainability (IB-S), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Ivo Lopes
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA)/Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (J.R.); (I.L.)
| | - Andreia Castro Gomes
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA)/Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (J.R.); (I.L.)
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Sustainability (IB-S), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
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4
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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.26.525697. [PMID: 36747614 PMCID: PMC9900921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.525697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. No disease modifying treatments exist but lowering mutant huntingtin (mHTT) by gene therapy is a promising approach to treat Huntington's disease (HD). It is not clear when lowering should be initiated, how much lowering is necessary and for what duration lowering should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model we analyzed whole body mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. Subcellular fractionation (density gradient ultracentrifugation), protein chemistry (gel filtration, western blot, and capillary electrophoresis immunoassay), liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of lipids, and bioinformatic approaches were used to test effects of mHTT transcriptional lowering. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the caudate putamen, which is most affected in HD, was reduced 38-52%. Little or no lowering of mHTT occurred in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. mHtt transcript repression partially or fully preserved select striatal proteins (SCN4B, PDE10A). Total lipids in striatum were reduced in LacQ140 mice at 9 months and preserved by early partial mHtt lowering. The reduction in total lipids was due in part to reductions in subclasses of ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), which are known to be important for white matter structure and function. Lipid subclasses phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses other than ceramide were preserved by early mHtt lowering. Pathway enrichment analysis of RNAseq data imply a transcriptional mechanism is responsible in part for changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be rescued by mHTT lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
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5
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Lemarié FL, Sanders SS, Nguyen Y, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Full-length huntingtin is palmitoylated at multiple sites and post-translationally myristoylated following caspase-cleavage. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1086112. [PMID: 36711022 PMCID: PMC9880554 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1086112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder which is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that codes for an elongated polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. Huntingtin is subjected to multiple post-translational modifications which regulate its cellular functions and degradation. We have previously identified a palmitoylation site at cysteine 214 (C214), catalyzed by the enzymes ZDHHC17 and ZDHHC13. Reduced palmitoylation level of mutant huntingtin is linked to toxicity and loss of function. Moreover, we have described N-terminal myristoylation by the N-myristoyltransferases of a short fragment of huntingtin (HTT553-586) at glycine 553 (G553) following proteolysis at aspartate 552 (D552). Results: Here, we show that huntingtin is palmitoylated at numerous cysteines: C105, C433, C3134 and C3144. In addition, we confirm that full-length huntingtin is cleaved at D552 and post-translationally myristoylated at G553. Importantly, blocking caspase cleavage at the critical and pathogenic aspartate 586 (D586) significantly increases posttranslational myristoylation of huntingtin. In turn, myristoylation of huntingtin promotes the co-interaction between C-terminal and N-terminal huntingtin fragments, which is also protective. Discussion: This suggests that the protective effect of inhibiting caspase-cleavage at D586 may be mediated through post-translational myristoylation of huntingtin at G553.
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Taghian T, Gallagher J, Batcho E, Pullan C, Kuchel T, Denney T, Perumal R, Moore S, Muirhead R, Herde P, Johns D, Christou C, Taylor A, Passler T, Pulaparthi S, Hall E, Chandra S, O’Neill CA, Gray-Edwards H. Brain Alterations in Aged OVT73 Sheep Model of Huntington's Disease: An MRI Based Approach. J Huntingtons Dis 2022; 11:391-406. [PMID: 36189602 PMCID: PMC9837686 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-220526] [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] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative autosomal dominant disorder with prevalence of 1 : 20000 that has no effective treatment to date. Translatability of candidate therapeutics could be enhanced by additional testing in large animal models because of similarities in brain anatomy, size, and immunophysiology. These features enable realistic pre-clinical studies of biodistribution, efficacy, and toxicity. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS Here we non-invasively characterized alterations in brain white matter microstructure, neurochemistry, neurological status, and mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of aged OVT73 HD sheep. RESULTS Similar to HD patients, CSF mHTT differentiates HD from normal sheep. Our results are indicative of a decline in neurological status, and alterations in brain white matter diffusion and spectroscopy metric that are more severe in aged female HD sheep. Longitudinal analysis of aged female HD sheep suggests that the decline is detectable over the course of a year. In line with reports of HD human studies, white matter alterations in corpus callosum correlates with a decline in gait of HD sheep. Moreover, alterations in the occipital cortex white matter correlates with a decline in clinical rating score. In addition, the marker of energy metabolism in striatum of aged HD sheep, shows a correlation with decline of clinical rating score and eye coordination. CONCLUSION This data suggests that OVT73 HD sheep can serve as a pre-manifest large animal model of HD providing a platform for pre-clinical testing of HD therapeutics and non-invasive tracking of the efficacy of the therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toloo Taghian
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,
Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jillian Gallagher
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin Batcho
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Caitlin Pullan
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Tim Kuchel
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Thomas Denney
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Raj Perumal
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Shamika Moore
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Robb Muirhead
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Paul Herde
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Daniel Johns
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Chris Christou
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Amanda Taylor
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Thomas Passler
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Sanjana Pulaparthi
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin Hall
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sundeep Chandra
- Sana Biotechnology, South San Francisco, CA, USA,Bio Marin Pharmaceutical Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA
| | | | - Heather Gray-Edwards
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,
Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,Correspondence to: Heather L. Gray-Edwards, DVM, PhD, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Radiology and Horae Gene Therapy Center, 368 Plantation Street, ASC6-2055, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. Tel.: +1 508 856 4051; Fax: +1 508 856 1552; E-mail:
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7
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Cattaneo M, Maciag A, Milella MS, Ciaglia E, Bruno A, Puca AA. Longevity-Associated Variant of BPIFB4 Confers Neuroprotection in the STHdh Cell Model of Huntington Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315313. [PMID: 36499641 PMCID: PMC9737551 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by the production of mutant Huntingtin (mHTT), characterized by long polyglutamine repeats with toxic effects. There are currently no clinically validated therapeutic agents that slow or halt HD progression, resulting in a significant clinical unmet need. The striatum-derived STHdh cell line, generated from mHTT knock-in mouse embryos (STHdhQ111/Q111), represents a useful model to study mechanisms behind pathogenesis of HD and to investigate potential new therapeutic targets. Indeed, these cells show susceptibility to nucleolar stress, activated DNA damage response and apoptotic signals, and elevated levels of H3K9me3 that all together concur in the progressive HD pathogenesis. We have previously shown that the adeno-associated viral vector-mediated delivery of the longevity-associated variant (LAV) of BPIFB4 prevents HD progression in a mouse model of HD. Here, we show that LAV-BPIFB4 stably infected in STHdhQ111/Q111 cells reduces (i) nucleolar stress and DNA damage through the improvement of DNA repair machinery, (ii) apoptosis, through the inhibition of the caspase 3 death signaling, and (iii) the levels of H3K9me3, by accelerating the histone clearance, via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. These findings pave the way to propose LAV-BPIFB4 as a promising target for innovative therapeutic strategies in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Cattaneo
- Cardiovascular Department, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Maciag
- Cardiovascular Department, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Elena Ciaglia
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Salerno, Italy
| | - Antonino Bruno
- Laboratory of Innate Immunity, Unit of Molecular Pathology, Biochemistry and Immunology, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Immunology and General Pathology, Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, 20138 Varese, Italy
| | - Annibale Alessandro Puca
- Cardiovascular Department, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milan, Italy
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Salerno, Italy
- Correspondence:
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8
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Palaiogeorgou AM, Papakonstantinou E, Golfinopoulou R, Sigala M, Mitsis T, Papageorgiou L, Diakou I, Pierouli K, Dragoumani K, Spandidos DA, Bacopoulou F, Chrousos GP, Eliopoulos E, Vlachakis D. Recent approaches on Huntington's disease (Review). Biomed Rep 2022; 18:5. [PMID: 36544856 PMCID: PMC9756286 DOI: 10.3892/br.2022.1587] [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: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Patients of all ages can present with a dysfunction of the nervous system, which leads to the progressive loss of movement control and disabilities in speech, swallowing, communications, etc. The molecular basis of the disease is well-known, as HD is related to a mutated gene, a trinucleotide expansion, which encodes to the huntingtin protein. This protein is linked to neurogenesis and the loss of its function leads to neurodegenerative disorders. Although the genetic cause of the disorder has been known for decades, no effective treatment is yet available to prevent onset or to eliminate the progression of symptoms. Thus, the present review focused on the development of novel methods for the timely and accurate diagnosis of HD in an aim to aid the development of therapies which may reduce the severity of the symptoms and control their progression. The majority of the therapies include gene-silencing mechanisms of the mutated huntingtin gene aiming to suppress its expression, and the use of various substances as drugs with highly promising results. In the present review, the latest approaches on the diagnosis of HD are discussed along with the need for genetic counseling and an up-to-date presentation of the applied treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Marina Palaiogeorgou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Papakonstantinou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Rebecca Golfinopoulou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Markezina Sigala
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Thanasis Mitsis
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Louis Papageorgiou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Io Diakou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Katerina Pierouli
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina Dragoumani
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Flora Bacopoulou
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - George P. Chrousos
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Elias Eliopoulos
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Vlachakis
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece,University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece,Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece,Correspondence to: Dr Dimitrios Vlachakis, Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
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9
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Regnier-Golanov AS, Gulinello M, Hernandez MS, Golanov EV, Britz GW. Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Induces Sub-acute and Early Chronic Impairment in Learning and Memory in Mice. Transl Stroke Res 2022; 13:625-640. [PMID: 35260988 DOI: 10.1007/s12975-022-00987-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) leads to significant long-term cognitive deficits, so-called the post-SAH syndrome. Existing neurological scales used to assess outcomes of SAH are focused on sensory-motor functions. To better evaluate short-term and chronic consequences of SAH, we explored and validated a battery of neurobehavioral tests to gauge the functional outcomes in mice after the circle of Willis perforation-induced SAH. The 18-point Garcia scale, applied up to 4 days, detected impairment only at 24-h time point and showed no significant difference between the Sham and SAH group. A decrease in locomotion was detected at 4-days post-surgery in the open field test but recovered at 30 days in Sham and SAH groups. However, an anxiety-like behavior undetected at 4 days developed at 30 days in SAH mice. At 4-days post-surgery, Y-maze revealed an impairment in working spatial memory in SAH mice, and dyadic social interactions showed a decrease in the sociability in SAH mice, which spent less time interacting with the stimulus mouse. At 30 days after ictus, SAH mice displayed mild spatial learning and memory deficits in the Barnes maze as they committed significantly more errors and used more time to find the escape box but still were able to learn the task. We also observed cognitive dysfunction in the SAH mice in the novel object recognition test. Taken together, these data suggest dysfunction of the limbic system and hippocampus in particular. We suggest a battery of 5 basic behavioral tests allowing to detect neurocognitive deficits in a sub-acute and chronic phase following the SAH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Gulinello
- Rodent Behavior Core, Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein University, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - M S Hernandez
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, USA
| | - E V Golanov
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, USA
| | - G W Britz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, USA.
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10
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Somatostatin and Somatostatin-Containing Interneurons—From Plasticity to Pathology. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020312. [PMID: 35204812 PMCID: PMC8869243 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the obvious differences in the pathophysiology of distinct neuropsychiatric diseases or neurodegenerative disorders, some of them share some general but pivotal mechanisms, one of which is the disruption of excitation/inhibition balance. Such an imbalance can be generated by changes in the inhibitory system, very often mediated by somatostatin-containing interneurons (SOM-INs). In physiology, this group of inhibitory interneurons, as well as somatostatin itself, profoundly shapes the brain activity, thus influencing the behavior and plasticity; however, the changes in the number, density and activity of SOM-INs or levels of somatostatin are found throughout many neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions, both in patients and animal models. Here, we (1) briefly describe the brain somatostatinergic system, characterizing the neuropeptide somatostatin itself, its receptors and functions, as well the physiology and circuitry of SOM-INs; and (2) summarize the effects of the activity of somatostatin and SOM-INs in both physiological brain processes and pathological brain conditions, focusing primarily on learning-induced plasticity and encompassing selected neuropsychological and neurodegenerative disorders, respectively. The presented data indicate the somatostatinergic-system-mediated inhibition as a substantial factor in the mechanisms of neuroplasticity, often disrupted in a plethora of brain pathologies.
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11
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Neurogenetic disorders across the lifespan: from aberrant development to degeneration. Nat Rev Neurol 2022; 18:117-124. [PMID: 34987232 PMCID: PMC10132523 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00595-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are common, and genetic testing is increasingly performed in individuals with these diagnoses to inform prognosis, refine management and provide information about recurrence risk in the family. For neurogenetic conditions associated with intellectual disability and ASD, data on natural history in adults are scarce; however, as older adults with these disorders are identified, it is becoming clear that some conditions are associated with both neurodevelopmental problems and neurodegeneration. Moreover, emerging evidence indicates that some neurogenetic conditions associated primarily with neurodegeneration also affect neurodevelopment. In this Perspective, we discuss examples of diseases that have developmental and degenerative overlap. We propose that neurogenetic disorders should be studied continually across the lifespan to understand the roles of the affected genes in brain development and maintenance, and to inform strategies for treatment.
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12
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Oikemus SR, Pfister EL, Sapp E, Chase KO, Kennington LA, Hudgens E, Miller R, Zhu LJ, Chaudhary A, Mick EO, Sena-Esteves M, Wolfe SA, DiFiglia M, Aronin N, Brodsky MH. Allele-Specific Knockdown of Mutant Huntingtin Protein via Editing at Coding Region Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Heterozygosities. Hum Gene Ther 2022; 33:25-36. [PMID: 34376056 PMCID: PMC8819514 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2020.323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating, autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by a trinucleotide repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Inactivation of the mutant allele by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 based gene editing offers a possible therapeutic approach for this disease, but permanent disruption of normal HTT function might compromise adult neuronal function. Here, we use a novel HD mouse model to examine allele-specific editing of mutant HTT (mHTT), with a BAC97 transgene expressing mHTT and a YAC18 transgene expressing normal HTT. We achieve allele-specific inactivation of HTT by targeting a protein coding sequence containing a common, heterozygous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The outcome is a marked and allele-selective reduction of mHTT protein in a mouse model of HD. Expression of a single CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease in neurons generated a high frequency of mutations in the targeted HD allele that included both small insertion/deletion (InDel) mutations and viral vector insertions. Thus, allele-specific targeting of InDel and insertion mutations to heterozygous coding region SNPs provides a feasible approach to inactivate autosomal dominant mutations that cause genetic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Oikemus
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Edith L. Pfister
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathryn O. Chase
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lori A. Kennington
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Edward Hudgens
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachael Miller
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lihua Julie Zhu
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Akanksh Chaudhary
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric O. Mick
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Miguel Sena-Esteves
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Scot A. Wolfe
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Neil Aronin
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA,RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.,Dr. Neil Aronin, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 55 N. Lake Ave. Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
| | - Michael H. Brodsky
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA,Correspondence: Dr. Michael H. Brodsky, Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Rm 623 LRB, 364 Plantation St Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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13
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Huntingtin Ubiquitination Mechanisms and Novel Possible Therapies to Decrease the Toxic Effects of Mutated Huntingtin. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11121309. [PMID: 34945781 PMCID: PMC8709430 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11121309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington Disease (HD) is a dominant, lethal neurodegenerative disorder caused by the abnormal expansion (>35 copies) of a CAG triplet located in exon 1 of the HTT gene encoding the huntingtin protein (Htt). Mutated Htt (mHtt) easily aggregates, thereby inducing ER stress that in turn leads to neuronal injury and apoptosis. Therefore, both the inhibition of mHtt aggregate formation and the acceleration of mHtt degradation represent attractive strategies to delay HD progression, and even for HD treatment. Here, we describe the mechanism underlying mHtt degradation by the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS), which has been shown to play a more important role than the autophagy–lysosomal pathway. In particular, we focus on E3 ligase proteins involved in the UPS and detail their structure–function relationships. In this framework, we discuss the possible exploitation of PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) for HD therapy. PROTACs are heterobifunctional small molecules that comprise two different ligands joined by an appropriate linker; one of the ligands is specific for a selected E3 ubiquitin ligase, the other ligand is able to recruit a target protein of interest, in this case mHtt. As a consequence of PROTAC binding, mHtt and the E3 ubiquitin ligase can be brought to a relative position that allows mHtt to be ubiquitinated and, ultimately, allows a reduction in the amount of mHtt in the cell.
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14
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Galgoczi S, Ruzo A, Markopoulos C, Yoney A, Phan-Everson T, Li S, Haremaki T, Metzger JJ, Etoc F, Brivanlou AH. Huntingtin CAG expansion impairs germ layer patterning in synthetic human 2D gastruloids through polarity defects. Development 2021; 148:272380. [PMID: 34608934 PMCID: PMC8513611 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of the CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Although HD has been shown to have a developmental component, how early during human embryogenesis the HTT-CAG expansion can cause embryonic defects remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate a specific and highly reproducible CAG length-dependent phenotypic signature in a synthetic model for human gastrulation derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Specifically, we observed a reduction in the extension of the ectodermal compartment that is associated with enhanced activin signaling. Surprisingly, rather than a cell-autonomous effect, tracking the dynamics of TGFβ signaling demonstrated that HTT-CAG expansion perturbs the spatial restriction of activin response. This is due to defects in the apicobasal polarization in the context of the polarized epithelium of the 2D gastruloid, leading to ectopic subcellular localization of TGFβ receptors. This work refines the earliest developmental window for the prodromal phase of HD to the first 2 weeks of human development, as modeled by our 2D gastruloids. Summary: 2D gastruloids of isogenic human embryonic stem cells modeling Huntington's Disease reveal that huntingtin CAG expansion perturbs the spatial restriction of the activin response in the context of the polarized epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szilvia Galgoczi
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Albert Ruzo
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christian Markopoulos
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anna Yoney
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tien Phan-Everson
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shu Li
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tomomi Haremaki
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jakob J Metzger
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fred Etoc
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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15
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van der Plas E, Schultz JL, Nopoulos PC. The Neurodevelopmental Hypothesis of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2021; 9:217-229. [PMID: 32925079 PMCID: PMC7683043 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-200394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The current dogma of HD pathoetiology posits it is a degenerative disease affecting primarily the striatum, caused by a gain of function (toxicity) of the mutant mHTT that kills neurons. However, a growing body of evidence supports an alternative theory in which loss of function may also influence the pathology.This theory is predicated on the notion that HTT is known to be a vital gene for brain development. mHTT is expressed throughout life and could conceivably have deleterious effects on brain development. The end event in the disease is, of course, neurodegeneration; however the process by which that occurs may be rooted in the pathophysiology of aberrant development.To date, there have been multiple studies evaluating molecular and cellular mechanisms of abnormal development in HD, as well as studies investigating abnormal brain development in HD animal models. However, direct study of how mHTT could affect neurodevelopment in humans has not been approached until recent years. The current review will focus on the most recent findings of a unique study of children at-risk for HD, the Kids-HD study. This study evaluates brain structure and function in children ages 6-18 years old who are at risk for HD (have a parent or grand-parent with HD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen van der Plas
- University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jordan L Schultz
- University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Peg C Nopoulos
- University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Iowa City, IA, USA
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16
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Lin Z, Kim E, Ahmed M, Han G, Simmons C, Redhead Y, Bartlett J, Pena Altamira LE, Callaghan I, White MA, Singh N, Sawiak S, Spires-Jones T, Vernon AC, Coleman MP, Green J, Henstridge C, Davies JS, Cash D, Sreedharan J. MRI-guided histology of TDP-43 knock-in mice implicates parvalbumin interneuron loss, impaired neurogenesis and aberrant neurodevelopment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab114. [PMID: 34136812 PMCID: PMC8204366 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia are overlapping diseases in which MRI reveals brain structural changes in advance of symptom onset. Recapitulating these changes in preclinical models would help to improve our understanding of the molecular causes underlying regionally selective brain atrophy in early disease. We therefore investigated the translational potential of the TDP-43Q331K knock-in mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia using MRI. We performed in vivo MRI of TDP-43Q331K knock-in mice. Regions of significant volume change were chosen for post-mortem brain tissue analyses. Ex vivo computed tomography was performed to investigate skull shape. Parvalbumin neuron density was quantified in post-mortem amyotrophic lateral sclerosis frontal cortex. Adult mutants demonstrated parenchymal volume reductions affecting the frontal lobe and entorhinal cortex in a manner reminiscent of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia. Subcortical, cerebellar and brain stem regions were also affected in line with observations in pre-symptomatic carriers of mutations in C9orf72, the commonest genetic cause of both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Volume loss was also observed in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, along with ventricular enlargement. Immunohistochemistry revealed reduced parvalbumin interneurons as a potential cellular correlate of MRI changes in mutant mice. By contrast, microglia was in a disease activated state even in the absence of brain volume loss. A reduction in immature neurons was found in the dentate gyrus, indicative of impaired adult neurogenesis, while a paucity of parvalbumin interneurons in P14 mutant mice suggests that TDP-43Q331K disrupts neurodevelopment. Computerized tomography imaging showed altered skull morphology in mutants, further suggesting a role for TDP-43Q331K in development. Finally, analysis of human post-mortem brains confirmed a paucity of parvalbumin interneurons in the prefrontal cortex in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis linked to C9orf72 mutations. Regional brain MRI changes seen in human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia are recapitulated in TDP-43Q331K knock-in mice. By marrying in vivo imaging with targeted histology, we can unravel cellular and molecular processes underlying selective brain vulnerability in human disease. As well as helping to understand the earliest causes of disease, our MRI and histological markers will be valuable in assessing the efficacy of putative therapeutics in TDP-43Q331K knock-in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqiang Lin
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
- West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Eugene Kim
- BRAIN Centre (Biomarker Research And Imaging for Neuroscience), Department of Neuroimaging, IoPPN, King’s College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Mohi Ahmed
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Floor 27 Tower Wing, Guy’s Hospital, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Gang Han
- Molecular Neurobiology Group, Institute of Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Camilla Simmons
- BRAIN Centre (Biomarker Research And Imaging for Neuroscience), Department of Neuroimaging, IoPPN, King’s College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Yushi Redhead
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Floor 27 Tower Wing, Guy’s Hospital, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Jack Bartlett
- Molecular Neurobiology Group, Institute of Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Luis Emiliano Pena Altamira
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Isobel Callaghan
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Matthew A White
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Nisha Singh
- BRAIN Centre (Biomarker Research And Imaging for Neuroscience), Department of Neuroimaging, IoPPN, King’s College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, 4th floor Lambeth Wing, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Stephen Sawiak
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Tara Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | | | - Jeremy Green
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Floor 27 Tower Wing, Guy’s Hospital, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Christopher Henstridge
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Jeffrey S Davies
- Molecular Neurobiology Group, Institute of Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Diana Cash
- BRAIN Centre (Biomarker Research And Imaging for Neuroscience), Department of Neuroimaging, IoPPN, King’s College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Jemeen Sreedharan
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
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17
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Poppi LA, Ho-Nguyen KT, Shi A, Daut CT, Tischfield MA. Recurrent Implication of Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons in a Range of Neurodevelopmental, Neurodegenerative, and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Cells 2021; 10:907. [PMID: 33920757 PMCID: PMC8071147 DOI: 10.3390/cells10040907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic interneurons are "gatekeepers" for striatal circuitry and play pivotal roles in attention, goal-directed actions, habit formation, and behavioral flexibility. Accordingly, perturbations to striatal cholinergic interneurons have been associated with many neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The role of acetylcholine in many of these disorders is well known, but the use of drugs targeting cholinergic systems fell out of favor due to adverse side effects and the introduction of other broadly acting compounds. However, in response to recent findings, re-examining the mechanisms of cholinergic interneuron dysfunction may reveal key insights into underlying pathogeneses. Here, we provide an update on striatal cholinergic interneuron function, connectivity, and their putative involvement in several disorders. In doing so, we aim to spotlight recurring physiological themes, circuits, and mechanisms that can be investigated in future studies using new tools and approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Poppi
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (K.T.H.-N.); (A.S.); (C.T.D.)
- Tourette International Collaborative (TIC) Genetics Study, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Khue Tu Ho-Nguyen
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (K.T.H.-N.); (A.S.); (C.T.D.)
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Anna Shi
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (K.T.H.-N.); (A.S.); (C.T.D.)
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Cynthia T. Daut
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (K.T.H.-N.); (A.S.); (C.T.D.)
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Max A. Tischfield
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (K.T.H.-N.); (A.S.); (C.T.D.)
- Tourette International Collaborative (TIC) Genetics Study, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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18
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Burrus CJ, McKinstry SU, Kim N, Ozlu MI, Santoki AV, Fang FY, Ma A, Karadeniz YB, Worthington AK, Dragatsis I, Zeitlin S, Yin HH, Eroglu C. Striatal Projection Neurons Require Huntingtin for Synaptic Connectivity and Survival. Cell Rep 2021; 30:642-657.e6. [PMID: 31968243 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an autosomal dominant polyglutamine expansion mutation of Huntingtin (HTT). HD patients suffer from progressive motor, cognitive, and psychiatric impairments, along with significant degeneration of the striatal projection neurons (SPNs) of the striatum. HD is widely accepted to be caused by a toxic gain-of-function of mutant HTT. However, whether loss of HTT function, because of dominant-negative effects of the mutant protein, plays a role in HD and whether HTT is required for SPN health and function are not known. Here, we delete Htt from specific subpopulations of SPNs using the Cre-Lox system and find that SPNs require HTT for motor regulation, synaptic development, cell health, and survival during aging. Our results suggest that loss of HTT function in SPNs could play a critical role in HD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caley J Burrus
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Spencer U McKinstry
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Namsoo Kim
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - M Ilcim Ozlu
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Aditya V Santoki
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Francia Y Fang
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Annie Ma
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yonca B Karadeniz
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Atesh K Worthington
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ioannis Dragatsis
- Department of Physiology, The University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Scott Zeitlin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Henry H Yin
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Cagla Eroglu
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Regeneration Next Initiative, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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19
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Hickman RA, Faust PL, Rosenblum MK, Marder K, Mehler MF, Vonsattel JP. Developmental malformations in Huntington disease: neuropathologic evidence of focal neuronal migration defects in a subset of adult brains. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 141:399-413. [PMID: 33517535 PMCID: PMC7882590 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02269-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathologic hallmarks of Huntington Disease (HD) include the progressive neurodegeneration of the striatum and the presence of Huntingtin (HTT) aggregates that result from abnormal polyQ expansion of the HTT gene. Whether the pathogenic trinucleotide repeat expansion of the HTT gene causes neurodevelopmental abnormalities has garnered attention in both murine and human studies; however, documentation of discrete malformations in autopsy brains of HD individuals has yet to be described. We retrospectively searched the New York Brain Bank (discovery cohort) and an independent cohort (validation cohort) to determine whether developmental malformations are more frequently detected in HD versus non-HD brains and to document their neuropathologic features. One-hundred and thirty HD and 1600 non-HD whole brains were included in the discovery cohort and 720 HD and 1989 non-HD half brains were assessed in the validation cohort. Cases with developmental malformations were found at 6.4–8.2 times greater frequency in HD than in non-HD brains (discovery cohort: OR 8.68, 95% CI 3.48–21.63, P=4.8 × 10-5; validation cohort: OR 6.50, 95% CI 1.83–23.17, P=0.0050). Periventricular nodular heterotopias (PNH) were the most frequent malformations and contained HTT and p62 aggregates analogous to the cortex, whereas cortical malformations with immature neuronal populations did not harbor such inclusions. HD individuals with malformations had heterozygous HTT CAG expansions between 40 and 52 repeats, were more frequently women, and all were asymmetric and focal, aside from one midline hypothalamic hamartoma. Using two independent brain bank cohorts, this large neuropathologic series demonstrates an increased occurrence of developmental malformations in HD brains. Since pathogenic HTT gene expansion is associated with genomic instability, one possible explanation is that neuronal precursors are more susceptible to somatic mutation of genes involved in cortical migration. Our findings further support emerging evidence that pathogenic trinucleotide repeat expansions of the HTT gene may impact neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Hickman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA.
| | - P L Faust
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA
| | - M K Rosenblum
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
| | - K Marder
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - M F Mehler
- The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - J P Vonsattel
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
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20
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Leavitt BR, Kordasiewicz HB, Schobel SA. Huntingtin-Lowering Therapies for Huntington Disease: A Review of the Evidence of Potential Benefits and Risks. JAMA Neurol 2021; 77:764-772. [PMID: 32202594 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.0299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is caused by a cytosine-adenine-guanine trinucleotide repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT, that results in expression of variant (mutant) huntingtin protein (HTT). Therapeutic strategies that reduce HTT levels are currently being pursued to slow or stop disease progression in people with HD. These approaches are supported by robust preclinical data indicating that reducing variant huntingtin protein is associated with decreased HD pathology. However, the risk-benefit profile of reducing either variant HTT or both variant and wild-type HTT is currently an open question that is being addressed in ongoing clinical trials. This review aims to examine the current data available regarding altered HTT in humans, normal animals, and animal models of HD. Studies indexed in PubMed were searched using the MeSH term Huntington disease or the text words huntington or huntingtin from August 31, 1999, to August 31, 2019, with no language restrictions. Additional studies were included from the reference lists of relevant studies and the authors' personal files. Articles describing at least 1 aspect of HTT reduction were included, prioritizing those published within the last 10 years. In vivo studies were also prioritized, with a focus on studies that examined the consequences of wild-type HTT reduction in adults. In a recently completed phase 1/2a study of RG6042 in 46 adults with early manifest HD, antisense oligonucleotide-mediated partial reduction of HTT was reported to be generally safe and well tolerated over the course of 4-monthly RG6042 doses. In case studies of people with rare genetic variations in huntingtin alleles, the loss of 1 wild-type allele was not associated with HD. People with homozygous cytosine-adenine-guanine expansions developed normally until the onset of HD, although they may have experienced a more aggressive disease course. In mouse models of HD, partial reduction of HTT was beneficial, with improvements in motor, cognitive, and behavioral phenotypes. The partial reduction of wild-type HTT in normal adult rodents and nonhuman primates was generally safe and well tolerated. The body of evidence reviewed in this article indicates a positive risk-benefit profile for the partial reduction of either variant HTT alone or both variant and wild-type HTT. These strategies target the underlying cause of HD and are currently being tested in several investigational clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair R Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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21
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Cepeda C, Levine MS. Synaptic Dysfunction in Huntington's Disease: Lessons from Genetic Animal Models. Neuroscientist 2020; 28:20-40. [PMID: 33198566 DOI: 10.1177/1073858420972662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of the functional and structural changes occurring in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia in Huntington's disease (HD) has benefited considerably from the generation of genetic animal models. Most studies of synaptic alterations in HD models have focused on the striatum, but a more complete picture of synaptic dysfunction in the cortico-basal ganglia-cortical loop is emerging. Here, we provide a review and analysis of current developments in the study of synaptic alterations in these areas using HD rodent models. Recent evidence indicates that cortical maldevelopment plays a role in synaptic dysfunction along the corticostriatal pathway that may have its roots in the way mutant huntingtin interacts with synaptic proteins. Furthermore, a progressive disconnection in the corticostriatal pathway leads to abnormal function engaging extrasynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptors that contribute to eventual cell degeneration. In addition, biphasic increases followed by decreases in glutamate and dopamine release in the striatum could explain contrasting symptomatology in early and late stages of the disease. Changes in striatal output regions also are beginning to be examined. Finally, we highlight some therapeutic avenues aimed at rescuing synaptic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cepeda
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Levine
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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22
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Alcalà-Vida R, Awada A, Boutillier AL, Merienne K. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying enhancer modulation of neuronal identity, neuronal activity and neurodegeneration. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 147:105155. [PMID: 33127472 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), are progressive conditions characterized by selective, disease-dependent loss of neuronal regions and/or subpopulations. Neuronal loss is preceded by a long period of neuronal dysfunction, during which glial cells also undergo major changes, including neuroinflammatory response. Those dramatic changes affecting both neuronal and glial cells associate with epigenetic and transcriptional dysregulations, characterized by defined cell-type-specific signatures. Notably, increasing studies support the view that altered regulation of transcriptional enhancers, which are distal regulatory regions of the genome capable of modulating the activity of promoters through chromatin looping, play a critical role in transcriptional dysregulation in HD and AD. We review current knowledge on enhancers in HD and AD, and highlight challenging issues to better decipher the epigenetic code of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Alcalà-Vida
- LNCA, University of Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ali Awada
- LNCA, University of Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Karine Merienne
- LNCA, University of Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France.
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23
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Lebouc M, Richard Q, Garret M, Baufreton J. Striatal circuit development and its alterations in Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 145:105076. [PMID: 32898646 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that usually starts during midlife with progressive alterations of motor and cognitive functions. The disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion within the huntingtin gene leading to severe striatal neurodegeneration. Recent studies conducted on pre-HD children highlight early striatal developmental alterations starting as soon as 6 years old, the earliest age assessed. These findings, in line with data from mouse models of HD, raise the questions of when during development do the first disease-related striatal alterations emerge and whether they contribute to the later appearance of the neurodegenerative features of the disease. In this review we will describe the different stages of striatal network development and then discuss recent evidence for its alterations in rodent models of the disease. We argue that a better understanding of the striatum's development should help in assessing aberrant neurodevelopmental processes linked to the HD mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaux Lebouc
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Quentin Richard
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Maurice Garret
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Jérôme Baufreton
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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24
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Zhang C, Wu Q, Liu H, Cheng L, Hou Z, Mori S, Hua J, Ross CA, Zhang J, Nopoulos PC, Duan W. Abnormal Brain Development in Huntington' Disease Is Recapitulated in the zQ175 Knock-In Mouse Model. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa044. [PMID: 32984817 PMCID: PMC7501464 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging cellular and molecular studies are providing compelling evidence that altered brain development contributes to the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). There has been lacking longitudinal system-level data obtained from in vivo HD models supporting this hypothesis. Our human MRI study in children and adolescents with HD indicates that striatal development differs between the HD and control groups, with initial hypertrophy and more rapid volume decline in HD group. In this study, we aimed to determine whether brain development recapitulates the human HD during the postnatal period. Longitudinal structural MRI scans were conducted in the heterozygous zQ175 HD mice and their littermate controls. We found that male zQ175 HD mice recapitulated the region-specific abnormal volume development in the striatum and globus pallidus, with early hypertrophy and then rapidly decline in the regional volume. In contrast, female zQ175 HD mice did not show significant difference in brain volume development with their littermate controls. This is the first longitudinal study of brain volume development at the system level in HD mice. Our results suggest that altered brain development may contribute to the HD pathogenesis. The potential effect of gene therapies targeting on neurodevelopmental event is worth to consider for HD therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuangchuang Zhang
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Qian Wu
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hongshuai Liu
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Liam Cheng
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Zhipeng Hou
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Susumu Mori
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jun Hua
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21285, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jiangyang Zhang
- Deaprtment of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY 10016, USA
| | - Peggy C Nopoulos
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa city, IA 52242, USA
| | - Wenzhen Duan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21285, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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25
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Cepeda C, Oikonomou KD, Cummings D, Barry J, Yazon VW, Chen DT, Asai J, Williams CK, Vinters HV. Developmental origins of cortical hyperexcitability in Huntington's disease: Review and new observations. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1624-1635. [PMID: 31353533 PMCID: PMC6801077 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD), an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that principally affects striatum and cerebral cortex, is generally thought to have an adult onset. However, a small percentage of cases develop symptoms before 20 years of age. This juvenile variant suggests that brain development may be altered in HD. Indeed, recent evidence supports an important role of normal huntingtin during embryonic brain development and mutations in this protein cause cortical abnormalities. Functional studies also demonstrated that the cerebral cortex becomes hyperexcitable with disease progression. In this review, we examine clinical and experimental evidence that cortical development is altered in HD. We also provide preliminary evidence that cortical pyramidal neurons from R6/2 mice, a model of juvenile HD, are hyperexcitable and display dysmorphic processes as early as postnatal day 7. Further, some symptomatic mice present with anatomical abnormalities reminiscent of human focal cortical dysplasia, which could explain the occurrence of epileptic seizures in this genetic mouse model and in children with juvenile HD. Finally, we discuss recent treatments aimed at correcting abnormal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cepeda
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katerina D. Oikonomou
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Damian Cummings
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Barry
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vannah-Wila Yazon
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dickson T. Chen
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Janelle Asai
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher K. Williams
- Section of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Harry V. Vinters
- Section of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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26
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Self-organizing neuruloids model developmental aspects of Huntington's disease in the ectodermal compartment. Nat Biotechnol 2019; 37:1198-1208. [PMID: 31501559 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-019-0237-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Harnessing the potential of human embryonic stem cells to mimic normal and aberrant development with standardized models is a pressing challenge. Here we use micropattern technology to recapitulate early human neurulation in large numbers of nearly identical structures called neuruloids. Dual-SMAD inhibition followed by bone morphogenic protein 4 stimulation induced self-organization of neuruloids harboring neural progenitors, neural crest, sensory placode and epidermis. Single-cell transcriptomics unveiled the precise identities and timing of fate specification. Investigation of the molecular mechanism of neuruloid self-organization revealed a pulse of pSMAD1 at the edge that induced epidermis, whose juxtaposition to central neural fates specifies neural crest and placodes, modulated by fibroblast growth factor and Wnt. Neuruloids provide a unique opportunity to study the developmental aspects of human diseases. Using isogenic Huntington's disease human embryonic stem cells and deep neural network analysis, we show how specific phenotypic signatures arise in our model of early human development as a consequence of mutant huntingtin protein, outlining an approach for phenotypic drug screening.
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27
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28
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van der Plas E, Langbehn DR, Conrad AL, Koscik TR, Tereshchenko A, Epping EA, Magnotta VA, Nopoulos PC. Abnormal brain development in child and adolescent carriers of mutant huntingtin. Neurology 2019; 93:e1021-e1030. [PMID: 31371571 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000008066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The huntingtin gene is critical for the formation and differentiation of the CNS, which raises questions about the neurodevelopmental effect of CAG expansion mutations within this gene (mHTT) that cause Huntington disease (HD). We sought to test the hypothesis that child and adolescent carriers of mHTT exhibit different brain growth compared to peers without the mutation by conducting structural MRI in youth who are at risk for HD. We also explored whether the length of CAG expansion affects brain development. METHODS Children and adolescents (age 6-18) with a parent or grandparent diagnosed with HD underwent MRI and blinded genetic testing to confirm the presence or absence of mHTT. Seventy-five individuals were gene-expanded (GE) and 97 individuals were gene-nonexpanded (GNE). The GE group was estimated to be on average 35 years from clinical onset. Following an accelerated longitudinal design, age-related changes in brain regions were estimated. RESULTS Age-related striatal volume changes differed significantly between the GE and GNE groups, with initial hypertrophy and more rapid volume decline in GE. This pattern was exaggerated with CAG expansion length for CAG > 50. A similar age-dependent group difference was observed for the globus pallidus, but not in other major regions. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that pathogenesis of HD begins with abnormal brain development. An understanding of potential neurodevelopmental features associated with mHTT may be needed for optimized implementation of preventative gene silencing therapies, such that normal aspects of neurodevelopment are preserved as neurodegeneration is forestalled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen van der Plas
- From the Department of Psychiatry (E.v.d.P., T.R.K.), University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and the Departments of Psychiatry (D.R.L., A.T., E.A.E., P.C.N.), Biostatistics (D.R.L., A.T.), and Radiology (V.A.M.) and Stead Family Department of Pediatrics (A.L.C.), University of Iowa, Iowa City.
| | - Douglas R Langbehn
- From the Department of Psychiatry (E.v.d.P., T.R.K.), University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and the Departments of Psychiatry (D.R.L., A.T., E.A.E., P.C.N.), Biostatistics (D.R.L., A.T.), and Radiology (V.A.M.) and Stead Family Department of Pediatrics (A.L.C.), University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Amy L Conrad
- From the Department of Psychiatry (E.v.d.P., T.R.K.), University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and the Departments of Psychiatry (D.R.L., A.T., E.A.E., P.C.N.), Biostatistics (D.R.L., A.T.), and Radiology (V.A.M.) and Stead Family Department of Pediatrics (A.L.C.), University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Timothy R Koscik
- From the Department of Psychiatry (E.v.d.P., T.R.K.), University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and the Departments of Psychiatry (D.R.L., A.T., E.A.E., P.C.N.), Biostatistics (D.R.L., A.T.), and Radiology (V.A.M.) and Stead Family Department of Pediatrics (A.L.C.), University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Alexander Tereshchenko
- From the Department of Psychiatry (E.v.d.P., T.R.K.), University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and the Departments of Psychiatry (D.R.L., A.T., E.A.E., P.C.N.), Biostatistics (D.R.L., A.T.), and Radiology (V.A.M.) and Stead Family Department of Pediatrics (A.L.C.), University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Eric A Epping
- From the Department of Psychiatry (E.v.d.P., T.R.K.), University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and the Departments of Psychiatry (D.R.L., A.T., E.A.E., P.C.N.), Biostatistics (D.R.L., A.T.), and Radiology (V.A.M.) and Stead Family Department of Pediatrics (A.L.C.), University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Vincent A Magnotta
- From the Department of Psychiatry (E.v.d.P., T.R.K.), University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and the Departments of Psychiatry (D.R.L., A.T., E.A.E., P.C.N.), Biostatistics (D.R.L., A.T.), and Radiology (V.A.M.) and Stead Family Department of Pediatrics (A.L.C.), University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Peggy C Nopoulos
- From the Department of Psychiatry (E.v.d.P., T.R.K.), University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and the Departments of Psychiatry (D.R.L., A.T., E.A.E., P.C.N.), Biostatistics (D.R.L., A.T.), and Radiology (V.A.M.) and Stead Family Department of Pediatrics (A.L.C.), University of Iowa, Iowa City
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