1
|
O'Connor EC, Kambara K, Bertrand D. Advancements in the use of xenopus oocytes for modelling neurological disease for novel drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:173-187. [PMID: 37850233 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2270902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Introduced about 50 years ago, the model of Xenopus oocytes for the expression of recombinant proteins has gained a broad spectrum of applications. The authors herein review the benefits brought from using this model system, with a focus on modeling neurological disease mechanisms and application to drug discovery. AREAS COVERED Using multiple examples spanning from ligand gated ion channels to transporters, this review presents, in the light of the latest publications, the benefits offered from using Xenopus oocytes. Studies range from the characterization of gene mutations to the discovery of novel treatments for disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). EXPERT OPINION Development of new drugs targeting CNS disorders has been marked by failures in the translation from preclinical to clinical studies. As progress in genetics and molecular biology highlights large functional differences arising from a single to a few amino acid exchanges, the need for drug screening and functional testing against human proteins is increasing. The use of Xenopus oocytes to enable precise modeling and characterization of clinically relevant genetic variants constitutes a powerful model system that can be used to inform various aspects of CNS drug discovery and development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eoin C O'Connor
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience & Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Huang L, Xiao W, Wang Y, Li J, Gong J, Tu E, Long L, Xiao B, Yan X, Wan L. Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in epileptogenesis: an update on abnormal mGluRs signaling and its therapeutic implications. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:360-368. [PMID: 37488891 PMCID: PMC10503602 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.379018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by high morbidity, high recurrence, and drug resistance. Enhanced signaling through the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate is intricately associated with epilepsy. Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G protein-coupled receptors activated by glutamate and are key regulators of neuronal and synaptic plasticity. Dysregulated mGluR signaling has been associated with various neurological disorders, and numerous studies have shown a close relationship between mGluRs expression/activity and the development of epilepsy. In this review, we first introduce the three groups of mGluRs and their associated signaling pathways. Then, we detail how these receptors influence epilepsy by describing the signaling cascades triggered by their activation and their neuroprotective or detrimental roles in epileptogenesis. In addition, strategies for pharmacological manipulation of these receptors during the treatment of epilepsy in experimental studies is also summarized. We hope that this review will provide a foundation for future studies on the development of mGluR-targeted antiepileptic drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leyi Huang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya Medical School, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Wenjie Xiao
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya Medical School, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya Medical School, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Jiaoe Gong
- Department of Neurology, Hunan Children’s Hospital, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Ewen Tu
- Department of Neurology, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Lili Long
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Bo Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Xiaoxin Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya Medical School, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Lily Wan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya Medical School, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Limon A, Mattei C. The Xenopus Oocyte: A Tool for Membrane Biology. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:831. [PMID: 37888003 PMCID: PMC10608588 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13100831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The Xenopus is a special study model in experimental research [...].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agenor Limon
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA;
| | - César Mattei
- Univ Angers, CarMe, Unité MITOVASC, UMR CNRS 6015, INSERM U1083, SFR ICAT, 49000 Angers, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Scaduto P, Lauterborn JC, Cox CD, Fracassi A, Zeppillo T, Gutierrez BA, Keene CD, Crane PK, Mukherjee S, Russell WK, Taglialatela G, Limon A. Functional excitatory to inhibitory synaptic imbalance and loss of cognitive performance in people with Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic change. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 145:303-324. [PMID: 36538112 PMCID: PMC9925531 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02526-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Individuals at distinct stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) show abnormal electroencephalographic activity, which has been linked to network hyperexcitability and cognitive decline. However, whether pro-excitatory changes at the synaptic level are observed in brain areas affected early in AD, and if they are emergent in MCI, is not clearly known. Equally important, it is not known whether global synaptic E/I imbalances correlate with the severity of cognitive impairment in the continuum of AD. Measuring the amplitude of ion currents of human excitatory and inhibitory synaptic receptors microtransplanted from the hippocampus and temporal cortex of cognitively normal, mildly cognitively impaired and AD individuals into surrogate cells, we found regional differences in pro-excitatory shifts of the excitatory to inhibitory (E/I) current ratio that correlates positively with toxic proteins and degree of pathology, and impinges negatively on cognitive performance scores. Using these data with electrophysiologically anchored analysis of the synapto-proteome in the same individuals, we identified a group of proteins sustaining synaptic function and those related to synaptic toxicity. We also found an uncoupling between the function and expression of proteins for GABAergic signaling in the temporal cortex underlying larger E/I and worse cognitive performance. Further analysis of transcriptomic and in situ hybridization datasets from an independent cohort across the continuum of AD confirm regional differences in pro-excitatory shifts of the E/I balance that correlate negatively with the most recent calibrated composite scores for memory, executive function, language and visuospatial abilities, as well as overall cognitive performance. These findings indicate that early shifts of E/I balance may contribute to loss of cognitive capabilities in the continuum of AD clinical syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Scaduto
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Julie C Lauterborn
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Conor D Cox
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Anna Fracassi
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Tommaso Zeppillo
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Berenice A Gutierrez
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Paul K Crane
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - William K Russell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, USA
| | - Giulio Taglialatela
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Agenor Limon
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|