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Diaw SH, Delcambre S, Much C, Ott F, Kostic VS, Gajos A, Münchau A, Zittel S, Busch H, Grünewald A, Klein C, Lohmann K. DYT-THAP1: exploring gene expression in fibroblasts for potential biomarker discovery. Neurogenetics 2024; 25:141-147. [PMID: 38498291 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-024-00752-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Dystonia due to pathogenic variants in the THAP1 gene (DYT-THAP1) shows variable expressivity and reduced penetrance of ~ 50%. Since THAP1 encodes a transcription factor, modifiers influencing this variability likely operate at the gene expression level. This study aimed to assess the transferability of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in neuronal cells related to pathogenic variants in the THAP1 gene, which were previously identified by transcriptome analyses. For this, we performed quantitative (qPCR) and Digital PCR (dPCR) in cultured fibroblasts. RNA was extracted from THAP1 manifesting (MMCs) and non-manifesting mutation carriers (NMCs) as well as from healthy controls. The expression profiles of ten of 14 known neuronal DEGs demonstrated differences in fibroblasts between these three groups. This included transcription factors and targets (ATF4, CLN3, EIF2A, RRM1, YY1), genes involved in G protein-coupled receptor signaling (BDKRB2, LPAR1), and a gene linked to apoptosis and DNA replication/repair (CRADD), which all showed higher expression levels in MMCs and NMCs than in controls. Moreover, the analysis of genes linked to neurological disorders (STXBP1, TOR1A) unveiled differences in expression patterns between MMCs and controls. Notably, the genes CUEDC2, DRD4, ECH1, and SIX2 were not statistically significantly differentially expressed in fibroblast cultures. With > 70% of the tested genes being DEGs also in fibroblasts, fibroblasts seem to be a suitable model for DYT-THAP1 research despite some restrictions. Furthermore, at least some of these DEGs may potentially also serve as biomarkers of DYT-THAP1 and influence its penetrance and expressivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sylvie Delcambre
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Christoph Much
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Fabian Ott
- Institute of Experimental Dermatology and Institute of Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Vladimir S Kostic
- Institute of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
| | - Agata Gajos
- Department of Extrapyramidal Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, 90-647, Poland
| | - Alexander Münchau
- Institute of Systems Motor Science, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Simone Zittel
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hauke Busch
- Institute of Experimental Dermatology and Institute of Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Anne Grünewald
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany.
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Severini C. Neurotrophic Factors in Health and Disease. Cells 2022; 12:cells12010047. [PMID: 36611840 PMCID: PMC9818562 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotrophic factors, including neurotrophins and neuropeptides, are secreted proteins that regulate the survival, development, and physiological functions of neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Severini
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC), National Research Council, Viale del Policlinico, 155-00161 Rome, Italy
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Dobryakova YV, Spivak YS, Zaichenko MI, Koryagina AA, Markevich VA, Stepanichev MY, Bolshakov AP. Intrahippocampal Adeno-Associated Virus-Mediated Overexpression of Nerve Growth Factor Reverses 192IgG-Saporin-Induced Impairments of Hippocampal Plasticity and Behavior. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:745050. [PMID: 34867156 PMCID: PMC8634591 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.745050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the aspects of Alzheimer disease is loss of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain, which leads to development of cognitive impairment. Here, we used a model of cholinergic deficit caused by immunotoxin 192IgG-saporin to study possible beneficial effects of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated overexpression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the hippocampus of rats with cholinergic deficit. Suspension of recombinant AAV carrying control cassette or cassette with NGF was injected into both hippocampi of control rats or rats with cholinergic deficit induced by intraseptal injection of 192IgG-saporin. Analysis of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunostaining showed that NGF overexpression in the hippocampus did not prevent strong loss of ChAT-positive neurons in the septal area caused by the immunotoxin. Induction of cholinergic deficit in the hippocampus led to impairments in Y-maze and beam-walking test but did not affect behavioral indices in the T-maze, open field test, and inhibitory avoidance training. NGF overexpression in the rats with cholinergic deficit restored normal animal behavior in Y-maze and beam-walking test. Recording of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials in vivo in the hippocampal CA1 area showed that induction of cholinergic deficit decreased magnitude of long-term potentiation (LTP) and prevented a decrease in paired-pulse ratio after LTP induction, and NGF overexpression reversed these negative changes in hippocampal synaptic characteristics. The beneficial effect of NGF was not associated with compensatory changes in the number of cells that express NGF receptors TrkA and NGFR in the hippocampus and medial septal area. NGF overexpression also did not prevent a 192IgG-saporin-induced decrease in the activity of acetylcholine esterase in the hippocampus. We conclude that NGF overexpression in the hippocampus under conditions of cholinergic deficit induces beneficial effects which are not related to maintenance of cholinergic function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Alexey P. Bolshakov
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
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