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Dash BP, Freischmidt A, Weishaupt JH, Hermann A. An integrative miRNA-mRNA expression analysis identifies miRNA signatures associated with SOD1 and TARDBP patient-derived motor neurons. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:1300-1314. [PMID: 38676626 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddae072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a subset of small non-coding single-stranded RNA molecules involved in the regulation of post-transcriptional gene expression of a variety of transcript targets. Therefore altered miRNA expression may result in the dysregulation of key genes and biological pathways that has been reported with the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is marked by a progressive degeneration of motor neurons (MNs) present in the spinal cord, brain stem and motor cortex. Although the pathomechanism underlying molecular interactions of ALS remains poorly understood, alterations in RNA metabolism, including dysregulation of miRNA expression in familial as well as sporadic forms are still scarcely studied. In this study, we performed combined transcriptomic data and miRNA profiling in MN samples of the same samples of iPSC-derived MNs from SOD1- and TARDBP (TDP-43 protein)-mutant-ALS patients and healthy controls. We report a global upregulation of mature miRNAs, and suggest that differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs have a significant impact on mRNA-level in SOD1-, but not in TARDBP-linked ALS. Furthermore, in SOD1-ALS we identified dysregulated miRNAs such as miR-124-3p, miR-19b-3p and miR-218 and their potential targets previously implicated in important functional process and pathogenic pathways underlying ALS. These miRNAs may play key roles in the neuronal development and cell survival related functions in SOD1-ALS. Altogether, we provide evidence of miRNA regulated genes expression mainly in SOD1 rather than TDP43-ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banaja P Dash
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht Kossel", Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, Rostock 18147, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Division of Neurodegeneration, Department of Neurology, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, Mannheim 68167, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht Kossel", Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, Rostock 18147, Germany
- Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock, University Medical Center Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, Rostock 18147, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, Rostock 18147, Germany
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2
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Zhao Y, Xu K, Shu F, Zhang F. Neurotropic virus infection and neurodegenerative diseases: Potential roles of autophagy pathway. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14548. [PMID: 38082503 PMCID: PMC11163195 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) constitute a group of disorders characterized by the progressive deterioration of nervous system functionality. Currently, the precise etiological factors responsible for NDs remain incompletely elucidated, although it is probable that a combination of aging, genetic predisposition, and environmental stressors participate in this process. Accumulating evidence indicates that viral infections, especially neurotropic viruses, can contribute to the onset and progression of NDs. In this review, emerging evidence supporting the association between viral infection and NDs is summarized, and how the autophagy pathway mediated by viral infection can cause pathological aggregation of cellular proteins associated with various NDs is discussed. Furthermore, autophagy-related genes (ARGs) involved in Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) infection and NDs are analyzed, and whether these genes could link HSV-1 infection to NDs is discussed. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying NDs is critical for developing targeted therapeutic approaches that prevent the onset and slow the progression of NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu‐jia Zhao
- Laboratory Animal CentreZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
| | - Kai‐fei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Guizhou ProvinceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
| | - Fu‐xing Shu
- Bioresource Institute for Healthy UtilizationZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
| | - Feng Zhang
- Laboratory Animal CentreZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Guizhou ProvinceZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
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3
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Morello G, La Cognata V, Guarnaccia M, La Bella V, Conforti FL, Cavallaro S. A Diagnostic Gene-Expression Signature in Fibroblasts of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Cells 2023; 12:1884. [PMID: 37508548 PMCID: PMC10378077 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease with limited treatment options. Diagnosis can be difficult due to the heterogeneity and non-specific nature of the initial symptoms, resulting in delays that compromise prompt access to effective therapeutic strategies. Transcriptome profiling of patient-derived peripheral cells represents a valuable benchmark in overcoming such challenges, providing the opportunity to identify molecular diagnostic signatures. In this study, we characterized transcriptome changes in skin fibroblasts of sporadic ALS patients (sALS) and controls and evaluated their utility as a molecular classifier for ALS diagnosis. Our analysis identified 277 differentially expressed transcripts predominantly involved in transcriptional regulation, synaptic transmission, and the inflammatory response. A support vector machine classifier based on this 277-gene signature was developed to discriminate patients with sALS from controls, showing significant predictive power in both the discovery dataset and in six independent publicly available gene expression datasets obtained from different sALS tissue/cell samples. Taken together, our findings support the utility of transcriptional signatures in peripheral cells as valuable biomarkers for the diagnosis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Morello
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Valentina La Cognata
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Guarnaccia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo La Bella
- ALS Clinical Research Center and Neurochemistry Laboratory, BiND, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesca Luisa Conforti
- Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy and Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Cavallaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
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4
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Patel RB, Bajpai AK, Thirumurugan K. Differential Expression of MicroRNAs and Predicted Drug Target in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. J Mol Neurosci 2023; 73:375-390. [PMID: 37249795 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-023-02124-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is a rare type of neurodegenerative disease. It shows progressive degradation of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. At present, there is no treatment available that can completely cure ALS. The available treatments can only increase a patient's life span by a few months. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs), a sub-class of small non-coding RNAs have been shown to play an essential role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of ALS. Our study focuses on analyzing differential miRNA profiles and predicting drug targets in ALS using bioinformatics and computational approach. The study identifies eight highly differentially expressed miRNAs in ALS patients, four of which are novel. We identified 42 hub genes for these eight highly expressed miRNAs with Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) as a candidate gene among them for highly expressed down-regulated miRNA, hsa-miR-455-3p using protein-protein interaction network and Cytoscape analysis. A novel association has been found between hsa-miR-455-3p/APP/serotonergic pathway using KEGG pathway analysis. Also, molecular docking studies have revealed curcumin as a potential drug target that may be used for the treatment of ALS. Thus, the present study has identified four novel miRNA biomarkers: hsa-miR-3613-5p, hsa-miR-24, hsa-miR-3064-5p, and hsa-miR-4455. There is a formation of a novel axis, hsa-miR-455-3p/APP/serotonergic pathway, and curcumin is predicted as a potential drug target for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riya Ben Patel
- #412J, Structural Biology Lab, Pearl Research Park, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore-632014, India
| | - Akhilesh Kumar Bajpai
- Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA.
| | - Kavitha Thirumurugan
- #412J, Structural Biology Lab, Pearl Research Park, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore-632014, India.
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5
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Yu PL, Wu R, Cao SJ, Wen YP, Huang XB, Zhao S, Lang YF, Zhao Q, Lin JC, Du SY, Yu SM, Yan QG. Pseudorabies virus exploits N 6-methyladenosine modification to promote viral replication. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1087484. [PMID: 36819040 PMCID: PMC9936159 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1087484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is the pathogenic virus of porcine pseudorabies (PR), belonging to the Herpesviridae family. PRV has a wide range of hosts and in recent years has also been reported to infect humans. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is the major pathway of RNA post-transcriptional modification. Whether m6A modification participates in the regulation of PRV replication is unknown. Methods Here, we investigated that the m6A modification was abundant in the PRV transcripts and PRV infection affected the epitranscriptome of host cells. Knockdown of cellular m6A methyltransferases METTL3 and METTL14 and the specific binding proteins YTHDF2 and YTHDF3 inhibited PRV replication, while silencing of demethylase ALKBH5 promoted PRV output. The overexpression of METTL14 induced more efficient virus proliferation in PRV-infected PK15 cells. Inhibition of m6A modification by 3-deazaadenosine (3-DAA), a m6A modification inhibitor, could significantly reduce viral replication. Results and Discussion Taken together, m6A modification played a positive role in the regulation of PRV replication and gene expression. Our research revealed m6A modification sites in PRV transcripts and determined that m6A modification dynamically mediated the interaction between PRV and host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Lun Yu
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Rui Wu
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - San-Jie Cao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi-Ping Wen
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao-Bo Huang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shan Zhao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi-Fei Lang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qin Zhao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ju-Chun Lin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sen-Yan Du
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shu-Min Yu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qi-Gui Yan
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Swine Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Qi-Gui Yan, ✉
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6
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Dash BP, Freischmidt A, Weishaupt JH, Hermann A. Downstream Effects of Mutations in SOD1 and TARDBP Converge on Gene Expression Impairment in Patient-Derived Motor Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179652. [PMID: 36077049 PMCID: PMC9456253 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease marked by death of motor neurons (MNs) present in the spinal cord, brain stem and motor cortex. Despite extensive research, the reason for neurodegeneration is still not understood. To generate novel hypotheses of putative underlying molecular mechanisms, we used human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSCs)-derived motor neurons (MNs) from SOD1- and TARDBP (TDP-43 protein)-mutant-ALS patients and healthy controls to perform high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq). An integrated bioinformatics approach was employed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and key pathways underlying these familial forms of the disease (fALS). In TDP43-ALS, we found dysregulation of transcripts encoding components of the transcriptional machinery and transcripts involved in splicing regulation were particularly affected. In contrast, less is known about the role of SOD1 in RNA metabolism in motor neurons. Here, we found that many transcripts relevant for mitochondrial function were specifically altered in SOD1-ALS, indicating that transcriptional signatures and expression patterns can vary significantly depending on the causal gene that is mutated. Surprisingly, however, we identified a clear downregulation of genes involved in protein translation in SOD1-ALS suggesting that ALS-causing SOD1 mutations shift cellular RNA abundance profiles to cause neural dysfunction. Altogether, we provided here an extensive profiling of mRNA expression in two ALS models at the cellular level, corroborating the major role of RNA metabolism and gene expression as a common pathomechanism in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banaja P. Dash
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht-Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
| | | | - Jochen H. Weishaupt
- Division of Neurodegeneration, Department of Neurology, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht-Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock, University Medical Center Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)381-494-9541; Fax: +49-(0)381-494-9542
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7
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Kirola L, Mukherjee A, Mutsuddi M. Recent Updates on the Genetics of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:5673-5694. [PMID: 35768750 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02934-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) primarily affect the motor and frontotemporal areas of the brain, respectively. These disorders share clinical, genetic, and pathological similarities, and approximately 10-15% of ALS-FTD cases are considered to be multisystemic. ALS-FTD overlaps have been linked to families carrying an expansion in the intron of C9orf72 along with inclusions of TDP-43 in the brain. Other overlapping genes (VCP, FUS, SQSTM1, TBK1, CHCHD10) are also involved in similar functions that include RNA processing, autophagy, proteasome response, protein aggregation, and intracellular trafficking. Recent advances in genome sequencing have identified new genes that are involved in these disorders (TBK1, CCNF, GLT8D1, KIF5A, NEK1, C21orf2, TBP, CTSF, MFSD8, DNAJC7). Additional risk factors and modifiers have been also identified in genome-wide association studies and array-based studies. However, the newly identified genes show higher disease frequencies in combination with known genes that are implicated in pathogenesis, thus indicating probable digenetic/polygenic inheritance models, along with epistatic interactions. Studies suggest that these genes play a pleiotropic effect on ALS-FTD and other diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Ataxia, and Parkinsonism. Besides, there have been numerous improvements in the genotype-phenotype correlations as well as clinical trials on stem cell and gene-based therapies. This review discusses the possible genetic models of ALS and FTD, the latest therapeutics, and signaling pathways involved in ALS-FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laxmi Kirola
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ashim Mukherjee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mousumi Mutsuddi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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8
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Günther R, Pal A, Williams C, Zimyanin VL, Liehr M, von Neubeck C, Krause M, Parab MG, Petri S, Kalmbach N, Marklund SL, Sterneckert J, Munch Andersen P, Wegner F, Gilthorpe JD, Hermann A. Alteration of Mitochondrial Integrity as Upstream Event in the Pathophysiology of SOD1-ALS. Cells 2022; 11:cells11071246. [PMID: 35406813 PMCID: PMC8997900 DOI: 10.3390/cells11071246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the early pathogenic events by which mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This lack of mechanistic understanding is a major barrier to the development and evaluation of efficient therapies. Although protein aggregation is known to be involved, it is not understood how mutant SOD1 causes degeneration of motoneurons (MNs). Previous research has relied heavily on the overexpression of mutant SOD1, but the clinical relevance of SOD1 overexpression models remains questionable. We used a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) model of spinal MNs and three different endogenous ALS-associated SOD1 mutations (D90Ahom, R115Ghet or A4Vhet) to investigate early cellular disturbances in MNs. Although enhanced misfolding and aggregation of SOD1 was induced by proteasome inhibition, it was not affected by activation of the stress granule pathway. Interestingly, we identified loss of mitochondrial, but not lysosomal, integrity as the earliest common pathological phenotype, which preceded elevated levels of insoluble, aggregated SOD1. A super-elongated mitochondrial morphology with impaired inner mitochondrial membrane potential was a unifying feature in mutant SOD1 iPSC-derived MNs. Impaired mitochondrial integrity was most prominent in mutant D90Ahom MNs, whereas both soluble disordered and detergent-resistant misfolded SOD1 was more prominent in R115Ghet and A4Vhet mutant lines. Taking advantage of patient-specific models of SOD1-ALS in vitro, our data suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the first crucial steps in the pathogenic cascade that leads to SOD1-ALS and also highlights the need for individualized medical approaches for SOD1-ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Günther
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (R.G.); (A.P.); (V.L.Z.); (M.L.); (M.G.P.)
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Arun Pal
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (R.G.); (A.P.); (V.L.Z.); (M.L.); (M.G.P.)
- Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory (HLD), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Chloe Williams
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden; (C.W.); (J.D.G.)
| | - Vitaly L. Zimyanin
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (R.G.); (A.P.); (V.L.Z.); (M.L.); (M.G.P.)
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Maria Liehr
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (R.G.); (A.P.); (V.L.Z.); (M.L.); (M.G.P.)
| | - Cläre von Neubeck
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69192 Heidelberg, Germany; (C.v.N.); (M.K.)
- OncoRay—National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Clinic for Particle Therapy, West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen (WPE) gGmbH, University Medical Centre of Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Mechthild Krause
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69192 Heidelberg, Germany; (C.v.N.); (M.K.)
- OncoRay—National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden—Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology—OncoRay, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Mrudula G. Parab
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (R.G.); (A.P.); (V.L.Z.); (M.L.); (M.G.P.)
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (S.P.); (N.K.); (F.W.)
| | - Norman Kalmbach
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (S.P.); (N.K.); (F.W.)
| | - Stefan L. Marklund
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Clinical Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden;
| | - Jared Sterneckert
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technical University Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany;
| | | | - Florian Wegner
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (S.P.); (N.K.); (F.W.)
| | - Jonathan D. Gilthorpe
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden; (C.W.); (J.D.G.)
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section, “Albrecht Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-381-4949541
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Bottero V, Santiago JA, Quinn JP, Potashkin JA. Key Disease Mechanisms Linked to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Spinal Cord Motor Neurons. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:825031. [PMID: 35370543 PMCID: PMC8965442 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.825031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no modifying treatments available. The molecular mechanisms underpinning disease pathogenesis are not fully understood. Recent studies have employed co-expression networks to identify key genes, known as “switch genes”, responsible for dramatic transcriptional changes in the blood of ALS patients. In this study, we directly investigate the root cause of ALS by examining the changes in gene expression in motor neurons that degenerate in patients. Co-expression networks identified in ALS patients’ spinal cord motor neurons revealed 610 switch genes in seven independent microarrays. Switch genes were enriched in several pathways, including viral carcinogenesis, PI3K-Akt, focal adhesion, proteoglycans in cancer, colorectal cancer, and thyroid hormone signaling. Transcription factors ELK1 and GATA2 were identified as key master regulators of the switch genes. Protein-chemical network analysis identified valproic acid, cyclosporine, estradiol, acetaminophen, quercetin, and carbamazepine as potential therapeutics for ALS. Furthermore, the chemical analysis identified metals and organic compounds including, arsenic, copper, nickel, and benzo(a)pyrene as possible mediators of neurodegeneration. The identification of switch genes provides insights into previously unknown biological pathways associated with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Bottero
- Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Therapeutics, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | | | - Judith A. Potashkin
- Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Therapeutics, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, North Chicago, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: Judy A. Potashkin
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Hartung T, Rhein M, Kalmbach N, Thau-Habermann N, Naujock M, Müschen L, Frieling H, Sterneckert J, Hermann A, Wegner F, Petri S. Methylation and Expression of Mutant FUS in Motor Neurons Differentiated From Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells From ALS Patients. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:774751. [PMID: 34869374 PMCID: PMC8640347 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.774751] [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: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive disease leading to degeneration of motor neurons (MNs). Epigenetic modification of gene expression is increasingly recognized as potential disease mechanism. In the present study we generated motor neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells from ALS patients carrying a mutation in the fused in sarcoma gene (FUS) and analyzed expression and promoter methylation of the FUS gene and expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) compared to healthy control cell lines. While mutant FUS neural progenitor cells (NPCs) did not show a difference in FUS and DNMT expression compared to healthy controls, differentiated mutant FUS motor neurons showed significantly lower FUS expression, higher DNMT expression and higher methylation of the proximal FUS gene promoter. Immunofluorescence revealed perceived proximity of cytoplasmic FUS aggregates in ALS MNs together with 5-methylcytosin (5-mC). Targeting disturbed methylation in ALS may therefore restore transcriptional alterations and represent a novel therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Hartung
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Rhein
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - N Kalmbach
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - N Thau-Habermann
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - M Naujock
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Evotec International GmbH, Göttingen, Germany
| | - L Müschen
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - H Frieling
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - J Sterneckert
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - A Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht Kossel", Department of Neurology and Center for Transdisciplinary Neuroscience (CTNR), University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany
| | - F Wegner
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - S Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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Cell Signaling in Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168978. [PMID: 34445683 PMCID: PMC8396537 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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