1
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Fare CM, Rothstein JD. Nuclear pore dysfunction and disease: a complex opportunity. Nucleus 2024; 15:2314297. [PMID: 38383349 PMCID: PMC10883112 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2024.2314297] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The separation of genetic material from bulk cytoplasm has enabled the evolution of increasingly complex organisms, allowing for the development of sophisticated forms of life. However, this complexity has created new categories of dysfunction, including those related to the movement of material between cellular compartments. In eukaryotic cells, nucleocytoplasmic trafficking is a fundamental biological process, and cumulative disruptions to nuclear integrity and nucleocytoplasmic transport are detrimental to cell survival. This is particularly true in post-mitotic neurons, where nuclear pore injury and errors to nucleocytoplasmic trafficking are strongly associated with neurodegenerative disease. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of nuclear pore biology in physiological and pathological contexts and discuss potential therapeutic approaches for addressing nuclear pore injury and dysfunctional nucleocytoplasmic transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte M Fare
- Department of Neurology and Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Rothstein
- Department of Neurology and Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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2
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Ambrosini A, Dalla Bella E, Ravasi M, Melazzini M, Lauria G. New clinical insight in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and innovative clinical development from the non-profit repurposing trial of the old drug guanabenz. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1407912. [PMID: 38915767 PMCID: PMC11194437 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1407912] [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: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug repurposing is considered a valid approach to accelerate therapeutic solutions for rare diseases. However, it is not as widely applied as it could be, due to several barriers that discourage both industry and academic institutions from pursuing this path. Herein we present the case of an academic multicentre study that considered the repurposing of the old drug guanabenz as a therapeutic strategy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The difficulties encountered are discussed as an example of the barriers that academics involved in this type of study may face. Although further development of the drug for this target population was hampered for several reasons, the study was successful in many ways. Firstly, because the hypothesis tested was confirmed in a sub-population, leading to alternative innovative solutions that are now under clinical investigation. In addition, the study was informative and provided new insights into the disease, which are now giving new impetus to laboratory research. The message from this example is that even a repurposing study with an old product has the potential to generate innovation and interest from industry partners, provided it is based on a sound rationale, the study design is adequate to ensure meaningful results, and the investigators keep the full clinical development picture in mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ambrosini
- Fondazione AriSLA ETS, Milan, Italy
- Fondazione Telethon ETS, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Dalla Bella
- 3rd Neurology Unit and ALS Centre, IRCCS 'Carlo Besta' Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Giuseppe Lauria
- IRCCS 'Carlo Besta' Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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3
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Mukherjee S, Poudyal M, Dave K, Kadu P, Maji SK. Protein misfolding and amyloid nucleation through liquid-liquid phase separation. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:4976-5013. [PMID: 38597222 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs01065a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is an emerging phenomenon in cell physiology and diseases. The weak multivalent interaction prerequisite for LLPS is believed to be facilitated through intrinsically disordered regions, which are prevalent in neurodegenerative disease-associated proteins. These aggregation-prone proteins also exhibit an inherent property for phase separation, resulting in protein-rich liquid-like droplets. The very high local protein concentration in the water-deficient confined microenvironment not only drives the viscoelastic transition from the liquid to solid-like state but also most often nucleate amyloid fibril formation. Indeed, protein misfolding, oligomerization, and amyloid aggregation are observed to be initiated from the LLPS of various neurodegeneration-related proteins. Moreover, in these cases, neurodegeneration-promoting genetic and environmental factors play a direct role in amyloid aggregation preceded by the phase separation. These cumulative recent observations ignite the possibility of LLPS being a prominent nucleation mechanism associated with aberrant protein aggregation. The present review elaborates on the nucleation mechanism of the amyloid aggregation pathway and the possible early molecular events associated with amyloid-related protein phase separation. It also summarizes the recent advancement in understanding the aberrant phase transition of major proteins contributing to neurodegeneration focusing on the common disease-associated factors. Overall, this review proposes a generic LLPS-mediated multistep nucleation mechanism for amyloid aggregation and its implication in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semanti Mukherjee
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.
| | - Manisha Poudyal
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.
| | - Kritika Dave
- Sunita Sanghi Centre of Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Pradeep Kadu
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.
| | - Samir K Maji
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.
- Sunita Sanghi Centre of Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
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4
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Thirumalai D, Kumar A, Chakraborty D, Straub JE, Mugnai ML. Conformational fluctuations and phases in fused in sarcoma (FUS) low-complexity domain. Biopolymers 2024; 115:e23558. [PMID: 37399327 PMCID: PMC10831756 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23558] [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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
The well-known phenomenon of phase separation in synthetic polymers and proteins has become a major topic in biophysics because it has been invoked as a mechanism of compartment formation in cells, without the need for membranes. Most of the coacervates (or condensates) are composed of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) or regions that are structureless, often in interaction with RNA and DNA. One of the more intriguing IDPs is the 526-residue RNA-binding protein, Fused in Sarcoma (FUS), whose monomer conformations and condensates exhibit unusual behavior that are sensitive to solution conditions. By focussing principally on the N-terminus low-complexity domain (FUS-LC comprising residues 1-214) and other truncations, we rationalize the findings of solid-state NMR experiments, which show that FUS-LC adopts a non-polymorphic fibril structure (core-1) involving residues 39-95, flanked by fuzzy coats on both the N- and C-terminal ends. An alternate structure (core-2), whose free energy is comparable to core-1, emerges only in the truncated construct (residues 110-214). Both core-1 and core-2 fibrils are stabilized by a Tyrosine ladder as well as hydrophilic interactions. The morphologies (gels, fibrils, and glass-like) adopted by FUS seem to vary greatly, depending on the experimental conditions. The effect of phosphorylation is site-specific. Simulations show that phosphorylation of residues within the fibril has a greater destabilization effect than residues that are outside the fibril region, which accords well with experiments. Many of the peculiarities associated with FUS may also be shared by other IDPs, such as TDP43 and hnRNPA2. We outline a number of problems for which there is no clear molecular explanation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Abhinaw Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Debayan Chakraborty
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - John E Straub
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mauro L Mugnai
- Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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5
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Rezvykh A, Shteinberg D, Bronovitsky E, Ustyugov A, Funikov S. Animal Models of FUS-Proteinopathy: A Systematic Review. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:S34-S56. [PMID: 38621743 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924140037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Mutations that disrupt the function of the DNA/RNA-binding protein FUS could cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. One of the key features in ALS pathogenesis is the formation of insoluble protein aggregates containing aberrant isoforms of the FUS protein in the cytoplasm of upper and lower motor neurons. Reproduction of human pathology in animal models is the main tool for studying FUS-associated pathology and searching for potential therapeutic agents for ALS treatment. In this review, we provide a systematic analysis of the role of FUS protein in ALS pathogenesis and an overview of the results of modelling FUS-proteinopathy in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Rezvykh
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Daniil Shteinberg
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds, Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russia
| | | | - Aleksey Ustyugov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds, Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russia
| | - Sergei Funikov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
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6
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Wang Y, Liu L, Chen H, Yang Y, Mu C, Ren H, Liu Y, Yu L, Fang Q, Wang G, Hao Z. Disrupted phase behavior of FUS underlies poly-PR-induced DNA damage in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 33:64-77. [PMID: 37756636 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad163] [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: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
GGGGCC (G4C2) hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in the first intron of the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72) gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Among the five dipeptide repeat proteins translated from G4C2 HRE, arginine-rich poly-PR (proline:arginine) is extremely toxic. However, the molecular mechanism responsible for poly-PR-induced cell toxicity remains incompletely understood. Here, we found that poly-PR overexpression triggers severe DNA damage in cultured cells, primary cortical neurons, and the motor cortex of a poly-PR transgenic mouse model. Interestingly, we identified a linkage between poly-PR and RNA-binding protein fused in sarcoma (FUS), another ALS-related gene product associated with DNA repair. Poly-PR interacts with FUS both in vitro and in vivo, phase separates with FUS in a poly-PR concentration-dependent manner, and impairs the fluidity of FUS droplets in vitro and in cells. Moreover, poly-PR impedes the recruitment of FUS and its downstream protein XRCC1 to DNA damage foci after microirradiation. Importantly, overexpression of FUS significantly decreased the level of DNA damage and dramatically reduced poly-PR-induced cell death. Our data suggest the severe DNA damage caused by poly-PR and highlight the interconnection between poly-PR and FUS, enlightening the potential therapeutic role of FUS in alleviating poly-PR-induced cell toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Liu Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410005, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Yinxue Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Chenchen Mu
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Haigang Ren
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Yanli Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Liqiang Yu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Qi Fang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Guanghui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
- MOE Key Laboratory, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Zongbing Hao
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
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7
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Farag M, Borcherds WM, Bremer A, Mittag T, Pappu RV. Phase separation of protein mixtures is driven by the interplay of homotypic and heterotypic interactions. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5527. [PMID: 37684240 PMCID: PMC10491635 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41274-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion-like low-complexity domains (PLCDs) are involved in the formation and regulation of distinct biomolecular condensates that form via phase separation coupled to percolation. Intracellular condensates often encompass numerous distinct proteins with PLCDs. Here, we combine simulations and experiments to study mixtures of PLCDs from two RNA-binding proteins, hnRNPA1 and FUS. Using simulations and experiments, we find that 1:1 mixtures of A1-LCD and FUS-LCD undergo phase separation more readily than either of the PLCDs on their own due to complementary electrostatic interactions. Tie line analysis reveals that stoichiometric ratios of different components and their sequence-encoded interactions contribute jointly to the driving forces for condensate formation. Simulations also show that the spatial organization of PLCDs within condensates is governed by relative strengths of homotypic versus heterotypic interactions. We uncover rules for how interaction strengths and sequence lengths modulate conformational preferences of molecules at interfaces of condensates formed by mixtures of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Farag
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Wade M Borcherds
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Anne Bremer
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Tanja Mittag
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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8
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Gastelum S, Michael AF, Bolger TA. Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a research tool for RNA-mediated human disease. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 15:e1814. [PMID: 37671427 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been used for decades as a powerful genetic tool to study a broad spectrum of biological topics. With its ease of use, economic utility, well-studied genome, and a highly conserved proteome across eukaryotes, it has become one of the most used model organisms. Due to these advantages, it has been used to study an array of complex human diseases. From broad, complex pathological conditions such as aging and neurodegenerative disease to newer uses such as SARS-CoV-2, yeast continues to offer new insights into how cellular processes are affected by disease and how affected pathways might be targeted in therapeutic settings. At the same time, the roles of RNA and RNA-based processes have become increasingly prominent in the pathology of many of these same human diseases, and yeast has been utilized to investigate these mechanisms, from aberrant RNA-binding proteins in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to translation regulation in cancer. Here we review some of the important insights that yeast models have yielded into the molecular pathology of complex, RNA-based human diseases. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Gastelum
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Allison F Michael
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Timothy A Bolger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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9
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Thirumalai D, Kumar A, Chakraborty D, Straub JE, Mugnai ML. Conformational Fluctuations and Phases in Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) Low-Complexity Domain. ARXIV 2023:arXiv:2303.04215v2. [PMID: 36945688 PMCID: PMC10029050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
The well known phenomenon of phase separation in synthetic polymers and proteins has become a major topic in biophysics because it has been invoked as a mechanism of compartment formation in cells, without the need for membranes. Most of the coacervates (or condensates) are composed of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) or regions that are structureless, often in interaction with RNA and DNA. One of the more intriguing IDPs is the 526-residue RNA binding protein, Fused In Sarcoma (FUS), whose monomer conformations and condensates exhibit unusual behavior that are sensitive to solution conditions. By focussing principally on the N-terminus low complexity domain (FUS-LC comprising residues 1-214) and other truncations, we rationalize the findings of solid state NMR experiments, which show that FUS-LC adopts a non-polymorphic fibril (core-1) involving residues 39-95, flanked by fuzzy coats on both the N- and C- terminal ends. An alternate structure (core-2), whose free energy is comparable to core-1, emerges only in the truncated construct (residues 110-214). Both core-1 and core-2 fibrils are stabilized by a Tyrosine ladder as well as hydrophilic interactions. The morphologies (gels, fibrils, and glass-like behavior) adopted by FUS seem to vary greatly, depending on the experimental conditions. The effect of phosphorylation is site specific and affects the stability of the fibril depending on the sites that are phosphorylated. Many of the peculiarities associated with FUS may also be shared by other IDPs, such as TDP43 and hnRNPA2. We outline a number of problems for which there is no clear molecular understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Abhinaw Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Debayan Chakraborty
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - John E Straub
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 78712
| | - Mauro L Mugnai
- Institute of Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
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10
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Pappu R, Farag M, Borcherds W, Bremer A, Mittag T. Phase Separation in Mixtures of Prion-Like Low Complexity Domains is Driven by the Interplay of Homotypic and Heterotypic Interactions. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2870258. [PMID: 37205474 PMCID: PMC10187436 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2870258/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Prion-like low-complexity domains (PLCDs) are involved in the formation and regulation of distinct biomolecular condensates that form via coupled associative and segregative phase transitions. We previously deciphered how evolutionarily conserved sequence features drive phase separation of PLCDs through homotypic interactions. However, condensates typically encompass a diverse mixture of proteins with PLCDs. Here, we combine simulations and experiments to study mixtures of PLCDs from two RNA binding proteins namely, hnRNPA1 and FUS. We find that 1:1 mixtures of the A1-LCD and FUS-LCD undergo phase separation more readily than either of the PLCDs on their own. The enhanced driving forces for phase separation of mixtures of A1-LCD and FUS-LCD arise partly from complementary electrostatic interactions between the two proteins. This complex coacervation-like mechanism adds to complementary interactions among aromatic residues. Further, tie line analysis shows that stoichiometric ratios of different components and their sequence-encoded interactions jointly contribute to the driving forces for condensate formation. These results highlight how expression levels might be tuned to regulate the driving forces for condensate formation in vivo . Simulations also show that the organization of PLCDs within condensates deviates from expectations based on random mixture models. Instead, spatial organization within condensates will reflect the relative strengths of homotypic versus heterotypic interactions. We also uncover rules for how interaction strengths and sequence lengths modulate conformational preferences of molecules at interfaces of condensates formed by mixtures of proteins. Overall, our findings emphasize the network-like organization of molecules within multicomponent condensates, and the distinctive, composition-specific conformational features of condensate interfaces.
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11
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Djaja NA, Chang MT, Beinart FR, Morris VM, Ganser LR, Myong S. Nucleation and dissolution mechanism underlying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal lobar dementia-linked fused in sarcoma condensates. iScience 2023; 26:106537. [PMID: 37123224 PMCID: PMC10139993 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is a nuclear RNA-binding protein. Mutations in FUS lead to the mislocalization of FUS from the nucleus to the cytosol and formation of pathogenic aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD), yet with unknown molecular mechanisms. Using mutant and stress conditions, we visualized FUS localization and aggregate formation in cells. We used single-molecule pull-down (SiMPull) to quantify the native oligomerization states of wildtype (WT) and mutant FUS in cells. We demonstrate that the NLS mutants exhibited the highest oligomerization (>3) followed by other FUS mutants (>2) and WT FUS which is primarily monomeric. Strikingly, the mutant FUS oligomers are extremely stable and resistant to treatment by high salt, hexanediol, RNase, and Karyopherin-β2 and only soluble in GdnHCl and SDS. We propose that the increased oligomerization units of mutant FUS and their high stability may contribute to ALS/FTLD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie A. Djaja
- Program in Cellular Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Matthew T. Chang
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Freya R. Beinart
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, 106 College Park Dr, Gambler, OH 43022, USA
| | - Vivian M. Morris
- Lymphoid Malignancy Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Laura R. Ganser
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Sua Myong
- Program in Cellular Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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12
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Baughn MW, Melamed Z, López-Erauskin J, Beccari MS, Ling K, Zuberi A, Presa M, Gil EG, Maimon R, Vazquez-Sanchez S, Chaturvedi S, Bravo-Hernández M, Taupin V, Moore S, Artates JW, Acks E, Ndayambaje IS, de Almeida Quadros ARA, Jafar-nejad P, Rigo F, Bennett CF, Lutz C, Lagier-Tourenne C, Cleveland DW. Mechanism of STMN2 cryptic splice-polyadenylation and its correction for TDP-43 proteinopathies. Science 2023; 379:1140-1149. [PMID: 36927019 PMCID: PMC10148063 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq5622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Loss of nuclear TDP-43 is a hallmark of neurodegeneration in TDP-43 proteinopathies, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). TDP-43 mislocalization results in cryptic splicing and polyadenylation of pre-messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs) encoding stathmin-2 (also known as SCG10), a protein that is required for axonal regeneration. We found that TDP-43 binding to a GU-rich region sterically blocked recognition of the cryptic 3' splice site in STMN2 pre-mRNA. Targeting dCasRx or antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) suppressed cryptic splicing, which restored axonal regeneration and stathmin-2-dependent lysosome trafficking in TDP-43-deficient human motor neurons. In mice that were gene-edited to contain human STMN2 cryptic splice-polyadenylation sequences, ASO injection into cerebral spinal fluid successfully corrected Stmn2 pre-mRNA misprocessing and restored stathmin-2 expression levels independently of TDP-43 binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W. Baughn
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ze’ev Melamed
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jone López-Erauskin
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Melinda S Beccari
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Karen Ling
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals; Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Aamir Zuberi
- Rare Disease Translation Center, The Jackson Laboratory; Bar Harbor, ME 04609
| | - Maximilliano Presa
- Rare Disease Translation Center, The Jackson Laboratory; Bar Harbor, ME 04609
| | - Elena Gonzalo Gil
- Rare Disease Translation Center, The Jackson Laboratory; Bar Harbor, ME 04609
| | - Roy Maimon
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sonia Vazquez-Sanchez
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Som Chaturvedi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Mariana Bravo-Hernández
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Vanessa Taupin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Stephen Moore
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jonathan W. Artates
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Eitan Acks
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - I. Sandra Ndayambaje
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ana R. Agra de Almeida Quadros
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals; Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | | | - Cathleen Lutz
- Rare Disease Translation Center, The Jackson Laboratory; Bar Harbor, ME 04609
| | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT; Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Don W. Cleveland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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13
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Farag M, Borcherds WM, Bremer A, Mittag T, Pappu RV. Phase Separation in Mixtures of Prion-Like Low Complexity Domains is Driven by the Interplay of Homotypic and Heterotypic Interactions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.15.532828. [PMID: 36993212 PMCID: PMC10055064 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.532828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Prion-like low-complexity domains (PLCDs) are involved in the formation and regulation of distinct biomolecular condensates that form via coupled associative and segregative phase transitions. We previously deciphered how evolutionarily conserved sequence features drive phase separation of PLCDs through homotypic interactions. However, condensates typically encompass a diverse mixture of proteins with PLCDs. Here, we combine simulations and experiments to study mixtures of PLCDs from two RNA binding proteins namely, hnRNPA1 and FUS. We find that 1:1 mixtures of the A1-LCD and FUS-LCD undergo phase separation more readily than either of the PLCDs on their own. The enhanced driving forces for phase separation of mixtures of A1-LCD and FUS-LCD arise partly from complementary electrostatic interactions between the two proteins. This complex coacervation-like mechanism adds to complementary interactions among aromatic residues. Further, tie line analysis shows that stoichiometric ratios of different components and their sequence-encoded interactions jointly contribute to the driving forces for condensate formation. These results highlight how expression levels might be tuned to regulate the driving forces for condensate formation in vivo . Simulations also show that the organization of PLCDs within condensates deviates from expectations based on random mixture models. Instead, spatial organization within condensates will reflect the relative strengths of homotypic versus heterotypic interactions. We also uncover rules for how interaction strengths and sequence lengths modulate conformational preferences of molecules at interfaces of condensates formed by mixtures of proteins. Overall, our findings emphasize the network-like organization of molecules within multicomponent condensates, and the distinctive, composition-specific conformational features of condensate interfaces. Significance Statement Biomolecular condensates are mixtures of different protein and nucleic acid molecules that organize biochemical reactions in cells. Much of what we know about how condensates form comes from studies of phase transitions of individual components of condensates. Here, we report results from studies of phase transitions of mixtures of archetypal protein domains that feature in distinct condensates. Our investigations, aided by a blend of computations and experiments, show that the phase transitions of mixtures are governed by a complex interplay of homotypic and heterotypic interactions. The results point to how expression levels of different protein components can be tuned in cells to modulate internal structures, compositions, and interfaces of condensates, thus affording distinct ways to control the functions of condensates.
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14
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Fare CM, Rhine K, Lam A, Myong S, Shorter J. A minimal construct of nuclear-import receptor Karyopherin-β2 defines the regions critical for chaperone and disaggregation activity. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102806. [PMID: 36529289 PMCID: PMC9860449 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Karyopherin-β2 (Kapβ2) is a nuclear-import receptor that recognizes proline-tyrosine nuclear localization signals of diverse cytoplasmic cargo for transport to the nucleus. Kapβ2 cargo includes several disease-linked RNA-binding proteins with prion-like domains, such as FUS, TAF15, EWSR1, hnRNPA1, and hnRNPA2. These RNA-binding proteins with prion-like domains are linked via pathology and genetics to debilitating degenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and multisystem proteinopathy. Remarkably, Kapβ2 prevents and reverses aberrant phase transitions of these cargoes, which is cytoprotective. However, the molecular determinants of Kapβ2 that enable these activities remain poorly understood, particularly from the standpoint of nuclear-import receptor architecture. Kapβ2 is a super-helical protein comprised of 20 HEAT repeats. Here, we design truncated variants of Kapβ2 and assess their ability to antagonize FUS aggregation and toxicity in yeast and FUS condensation at the pure protein level and in human cells. We find that HEAT repeats 8 to 20 of Kapβ2 recapitulate all salient features of Kapβ2 activity. By contrast, Kapβ2 truncations lacking even a single cargo-binding HEAT repeat display reduced activity. Thus, we define a minimal Kapβ2 construct for delivery in adeno-associated viruses as a potential therapeutic for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia, multisystem proteinopathy, and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte M Fare
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kevin Rhine
- Program in Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrew Lam
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sua Myong
- Program in Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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15
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Muzio L, Ghirelli A, Agosta F, Martino G. Novel therapeutic approaches for motor neuron disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 196:523-537. [PMID: 37620088 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-98817-9.00027-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that leads to the neurodegeneration and death of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs). Although MNs are the main cells involved in the process of neurodegeneration, a growing body of evidence points toward other cell types as concurrent to disease initiation and propagation. Given the current absence of effective therapies, the quest for other therapeutic targets remains open and still challenges the scientific community. Both neuronal and extra-neuronal mechanisms of cellular stress and damage have been studied and have posed the basis for the development of novel therapies that have been investigated on both animal models and humans. In this chapter, a thorough review of the main mechanisms of cellular damage and the respective therapeutic attempts targeting them is reported. The main areas covered include neuroinflammation, protein aggregation, RNA metabolism, and oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Muzio
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Division of Neuroscience, InsPE, Milan, Italy
| | - Alma Ghirelli
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Division of Neuroscience, InsPE, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Division of Neuroscience, InsPE, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianvito Martino
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Division of Neuroscience, InsPE, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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16
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Jeon YM, Kwon Y, Lee S, Kim HJ. Potential roles of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1047897. [PMID: 36875699 PMCID: PMC9974850 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1047897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a major organelle involved in protein quality control and cellular homeostasis. ER stress results from structural and functional dysfunction of the organelle, along with the accumulation of misfolded proteins and changes in calcium homeostasis, it leads to ER stress response pathway such as unfolded protein response (UPR). Neurons are particularly sensitive to the accumulation of misfolded proteins. Thus, the ER stress is involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, prion disease and motor neuron disease (MND). Recently, the complex involvement of ER stress pathways has been demonstrated in experimental models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/MND using pharmacological and genetic manipulation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), an adaptive response to ER stress. Here, we aim to provide recent evidence demonstrating that the ER stress pathway is an essential pathological mechanism of ALS. In addition, we also provide therapeutic strategies that can help treat diseases by targeting the ER stress pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Mi Jeon
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Younghwi Kwon
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Shinrye Lee
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Jun Kim
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, Republic of Korea
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17
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Cha SJ, Yoon JH, Han YJ, Kim K. Knockdown of glutathione S-transferase leads to mislocalization and accumulation of cabeza, a drosophila homolog of FUS, in the brain. J Neurogenet 2022:1-5. [DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2022.2149747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sun Joo Cha
- Department of Medical Science, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea
| | - Ja Hoon Yoon
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea
| | - Yeo Jeong Han
- Department of Medical Science, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea
| | - Kiyoung Kim
- Department of Medical Science, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea
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18
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Lambert-Smith IA, Saunders DN, Yerbury JJ. Progress in biophysics and molecular biology proteostasis impairment and ALS. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 174:3-27. [PMID: 35716729 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that results from the loss of both upper and lower motor neurons. It is the most common motor neuron disease and currently has no effective treatment. There is mounting evidence to suggest that disturbances in proteostasis play a significant role in ALS pathogenesis. Proteostasis is the maintenance of the proteome at the right level, conformation and location to allow a cell to perform its intended function. In this review, we present a thorough synthesis of the literature that provides evidence that genetic mutations associated with ALS cause imbalance to a proteome that is vulnerable to such pressure due to its metastable nature. We propose that the mechanism underlying motor neuron death caused by defects in mRNA metabolism and protein degradation pathways converges on proteostasis dysfunction. We propose that the proteostasis network may provide an effective target for therapeutic development in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella A Lambert-Smith
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Darren N Saunders
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin J Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
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19
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Prater KE, Latimer CS, Jayadev S. Glial TDP-43 and TDP-43 induced glial pathology, focus on neurodegenerative proteinopathy syndromes. Glia 2022; 70:239-255. [PMID: 34558120 PMCID: PMC8722378 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Since its discovery in 2006, TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) has driven rapidly evolving research in neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). TDP-43 mislocalization or aggregation is the hallmark of TDP-43 proteinopathy and is associated with cognitive impairment that can be mapped to its regional deposition. Studies in human tissue and model systems demonstrate that TDP-43 may potentiate other proteinopathies such as the amyloid or tau pathology seen in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in the combination of AD+LATE. Despite this growing body of literature, there remain gaps in our understanding of whether there is heterogeneity in TDP-43 driven mechanisms across cell types. The growing observations of correlation between TDP-43 proteinopathy and glial pathology suggest a relationship between the two, including pathogenic glial cell-autonomous dysfunction and dysregulated glial immune responses to neuronal TDP-43. In this review, we discuss the available data on TDP-43 in glia within the context of the neurodegenerative diseases ALS and FTLD and highlight the current lack of information about glial TDP-43 interaction in AD+LATE. TDP-43 has proven to be a significant modulator of cognitive and neuropathological outcomes. A deeper understanding of its role in diverse cell types may provide relevant insights into neurodegenerative syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caitlin S. Latimer
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195,Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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20
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Salem A, Wilson CJ, Rutledge BS, Dilliott A, Farhan S, Choy WY, Duennwald ML. Matrin3: Disorder and ALS Pathogenesis. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 8:794646. [PMID: 35083279 PMCID: PMC8784776 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.794646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. ALS is associated with protein misfolding and inclusion formation involving RNA-binding proteins, including TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS). The 125-kDa Matrin3 is a highly conserved nuclear DNA/RNA-binding protein that is implicated in many cellular processes, including binding and stabilizing mRNA, regulating mRNA nuclear export, modulating alternative splicing, and managing chromosomal distribution. Mutations in MATR3, the gene encoding Matrin3, have been identified as causal in familial ALS (fALS). Matrin3 lacks a prion-like domain that characterizes many other ALS-associated RNA-binding proteins, including TDP-43 and FUS, however, our bioinformatics analyses and preliminary studies document that Matrin3 contains long intrinsically disordered regions that may facilitate promiscuous interactions with many proteins and may contribute to its misfolding. In addition, these disordered regions in Matrin3 undergo numerous post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, ubiquitination and acetylation that modulate the function and misfolding of the protein. Here we discuss the disordered nature of Matrin3 and review the factors that may promote its misfolding and aggregation, two elements that might explain its role in ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Salem
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Carter J. Wilson
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Benjamin S. Rutledge
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Allison Dilliott
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill Universty, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sali Farhan
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill Universty, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill Universty, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Wing-Yiu Choy
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Martin L. Duennwald
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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21
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Zakharova MN, Abramova AA. Lower and upper motor neuron involvement and their impact on disease prognosis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:65-73. [PMID: 34100429 PMCID: PMC8451581 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.314289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive muscle wasting, breathing and swallowing difficulties resulting in patient’s death in two to five years after disease onset. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, both upper and lower motor neurons of the corticospinal tracts are involved in the process of neurodegeneration, accounting for great clinical heterogeneity of the disease. Clinical phenotype has great impact on the pattern and rate of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression and overall survival prognosis. Creating more homogenous patient groups in order to study the effects of drug agents on specific manifestations of the disease is a challenging issue in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis clinical trials. Since amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has low incidence rates, conduction of multicenter trials requires certain standardized approaches to disease diagnosis and staging. This review focuses on the current approaches in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis classification and staging system based on clinical examination and additional instrumental methods, highlighting the role of upper and lower motor neuron involvement in different phenotypes of the disease. We demonstrate that both clinical and instrumental findings can be useful in evaluating severity of upper motor neuron and lower motor neuron involvement and predicting the following course of the disease. Addressing disease heterogeneity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis clinical trials could lead to study designs that will assess drug efficacy in specific patient groups, based on the disease pathophysiology and spatiotemporal pattern. Although clinical evaluation can be a sufficient screening method for dividing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients into clinical subgroups, we provide proof that instrumental studies could provide valuable insights in the disease pathology.
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22
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Haver HN, Scaglione KM. Dictyostelium discoideum as a Model for Investigating Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:759532. [PMID: 34776869 PMCID: PMC8578527 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.759532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a model organism that is used to investigate many cellular processes including chemotaxis, cell motility, cell differentiation, and human disease pathogenesis. While many single-cellular model systems lack homologs of human disease genes, Dictyostelium's genome encodes for many genes that are implicated in human diseases including neurodegenerative diseases. Due to its short doubling time along with the powerful genetic tools that enable rapid genetic screening, and the ease of creating knockout cell lines, Dictyostelium is an attractive model organism for both interrogating the normal function of genes implicated in neurodegeneration and for determining pathogenic mechanisms that cause disease. Here we review the literature involving the use of Dictyostelium to interrogate genes implicated in neurodegeneration and highlight key questions that can be addressed using Dictyostelium as a model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly N. Haver
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - K. Matthew Scaglione
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Neurology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Duke Center for Neurodegeneration and Neurotherapeutics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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23
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Parakh S, Perri ER, Vidal M, Sultana J, Shadfar S, Mehta P, Konopka A, Thomas CJ, Spencer DM, Atkin JD. Protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) is protective against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related mutant Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) in in vitro models. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17557. [PMID: 34475430 PMCID: PMC8413276 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96181-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) are present in familial and sporadic cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). FUS is localised in the nucleus where it has important functions in DNA repair. However, in ALS/FTD, mutant FUS mislocalises from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where it forms inclusions, a key pathological hallmark of neurodegeneration. Mutant FUS also inhibits protein import into the nucleus, resulting in defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport. Fragmentation of the neuronal Golgi apparatus, induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and inhibition of ER-Golgi trafficking are also associated with mutant FUS misfolding in ALS. Protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) is an ER chaperone previously shown to be protective against misfolding associated with mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) in cellular and zebrafish models. However, a protective role against mutant FUS in ALS has not been previously described. In this study, we demonstrate that PDI is protective against mutant FUS. In neuronal cell line and primary cultures, PDI restores defects in nuclear import, prevents the formation of mutant FUS inclusions, inhibits Golgi fragmentation, ER stress, ER-Golgi transport defects, and apoptosis. These findings imply that PDI is a new therapeutic target in FUS-associated ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Parakh
- Macquarie Centre for MND Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - E R Perri
- Macquarie Centre for MND Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - M Vidal
- Macquarie Centre for MND Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - J Sultana
- Macquarie Centre for MND Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - S Shadfar
- Macquarie Centre for MND Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - P Mehta
- Macquarie Centre for MND Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - A Konopka
- Macquarie Centre for MND Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - C J Thomas
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - D M Spencer
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - J D Atkin
- Macquarie Centre for MND Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia. .,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.
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24
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Cellular functions of the protein kinase ATM and their relevance to human disease. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:796-814. [PMID: 34429537 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00394-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a master regulator of double-strand DNA break (DSB) signalling and stress responses. For three decades, ATM has been investigated extensively to elucidate its roles in the DNA damage response (DDR) and in the pathogenesis of ataxia telangiectasia (A-T), a human neurodegenerative disease caused by loss of ATM. Although hundreds of proteins have been identified as ATM phosphorylation targets and many important roles for this kinase have been identified, it is still unclear how ATM deficiency leads to the early-onset cerebellar degeneration that is common in all individuals with A-T. Recent studies suggest the existence of links between ATM deficiency and other cerebellum-specific neurological disorders, as well as the existence of broader similarities with more common neurodegenerative disorders. In this Review, we discuss recent structural insights into ATM regulation, and possible aetiologies of A-T phenotypes, including reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, alterations in transcription, R-loop metabolism and alternative splicing, defects in cellular proteostasis and metabolism, and potential pathogenic roles for hyper-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation.
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25
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Glutathione in the Nervous System as a Potential Therapeutic Target to Control the Development and Progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10071011. [PMID: 34201812 PMCID: PMC8300718 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10071011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neurological disorder that affects the motor neurons responsible for regulating muscle movement. However, the molecular pathogenic mechanisms of ALS remain poorly understood. A deficiency in the antioxidant tripeptide glutathione (GSH) in the nervous system appears to be involved in several neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the loss of neuronal cells. Impaired antioxidant defense systems, and the accumulation of oxidative damage due to increased dysfunction in GSH homeostasis are known to be involved in the development and progression of ALS. Aberrant GSH metabolism and redox status following oxidative damage are also associated with various cellular organelles, including the mitochondria and nucleus, and are crucial factors in neuronal toxicity induced by ALS. In this review, we provide an overview of the implications of imbalanced GSH homeostasis and its molecular characteristics in various experimental models of ALS.
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26
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Cicardi ME, Marrone L, Azzouz M, Trotti D. Proteostatic imbalance and protein spreading in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. EMBO J 2021; 40:e106389. [PMID: 33792056 PMCID: PMC8126909 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder whose exact causative mechanisms are still under intense investigation. Several lines of evidence suggest that the anatomical and temporal propagation of pathological protein species along the neural axis could be among the main driving mechanisms for the fast and irreversible progression of ALS pathology. Many ALS-associated proteins form intracellular aggregates as a result of their intrinsic prion-like properties and/or following impairment of the protein quality control systems. During the disease course, these mutated proteins and aberrant peptides are released in the extracellular milieu as soluble or aggregated forms through a variety of mechanisms. Internalization by recipient cells may seed further aggregation and amplify existing proteostatic imbalances, thus triggering a vicious cycle that propagates pathology in vulnerable cells, such as motor neurons and other susceptible neuronal subtypes. Here, we provide an in-depth review of ALS pathology with a particular focus on the disease mechanisms of seeding and transmission of the most common ALS-associated proteins, including SOD1, FUS, TDP-43, and C9orf72-linked dipeptide repeats. For each of these proteins, we report historical, biochemical, and pathological evidence of their behaviors in ALS. We further discuss the possibility to harness pathological proteins as biomarkers and reflect on the implications of these findings for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elena Cicardi
- Department of NeuroscienceWeinberg ALS CenterVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Lara Marrone
- Department of NeuroscienceSheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)University of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Mimoun Azzouz
- Department of NeuroscienceSheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)University of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Davide Trotti
- Department of NeuroscienceWeinberg ALS CenterVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
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27
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Alkaslasi MR, Cho NE, Dhillon NK, Shelest O, Haro-Lopez PS, Linaval NT, Ghoulian J, Yang AR, Vit JP, Avalos P, Ley EJ, Thomsen GM. Poor Corticospinal Motor Neuron Health Is Associated with Increased Symptom Severity in the Acute Phase Following Repetitive Mild TBI and Predicts Early ALS Onset in Genetically Predisposed Rodents. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11020160. [PMID: 33530492 PMCID: PMC7911729 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a well-established risk factor for several neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, however, a link between TBI and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has not been clearly elucidated. Using the SOD1G93A rat model known to recapitulate the human ALS condition, we found that exposure to mild, repetitive TBI lead ALS rats to experience earlier disease onset and shortened survival relative to their sham counterparts. Importantly, increased severity of early injury symptoms prior to the onset of ALS disease symptoms was linked to poor health of corticospinal motor neurons and predicted worsened outcome later in life. Whereas ALS rats with only mild behavioral injury deficits exhibited no observable changes in corticospinal motor neuron health and did not present with early onset or shortened survival, those with more severe injury-related deficits exhibited alterations in corticospinal motor neuron health and presented with significantly earlier onset and shortened lifespan. While these studies do not imply that TBI causes ALS, we provide experimental evidence that head injury is a risk factor for earlier disease onset in a genetically predisposed ALS population and is associated with poor health of corticospinal motor neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mor R. Alkaslasi
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (M.R.A.); (N.E.C.); (O.S.); (P.S.H.-L.); (P.A.)
| | - Noell E. Cho
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (M.R.A.); (N.E.C.); (O.S.); (P.S.H.-L.); (P.A.)
| | - Navpreet K. Dhillon
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (N.K.D.); (N.T.L.); (J.G.); (A.R.Y.); (E.J.L.)
| | - Oksana Shelest
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (M.R.A.); (N.E.C.); (O.S.); (P.S.H.-L.); (P.A.)
| | - Patricia S. Haro-Lopez
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (M.R.A.); (N.E.C.); (O.S.); (P.S.H.-L.); (P.A.)
| | - Nikhil T. Linaval
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (N.K.D.); (N.T.L.); (J.G.); (A.R.Y.); (E.J.L.)
| | - Josh Ghoulian
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (N.K.D.); (N.T.L.); (J.G.); (A.R.Y.); (E.J.L.)
| | - Audrey R. Yang
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (N.K.D.); (N.T.L.); (J.G.); (A.R.Y.); (E.J.L.)
| | - Jean-Philippe Vit
- Biobehavioral Research Core, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA;
| | - Pablo Avalos
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (M.R.A.); (N.E.C.); (O.S.); (P.S.H.-L.); (P.A.)
| | - Eric J. Ley
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (N.K.D.); (N.T.L.); (J.G.); (A.R.Y.); (E.J.L.)
| | - Gretchen M. Thomsen
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (M.R.A.); (N.E.C.); (O.S.); (P.S.H.-L.); (P.A.)
- Correspondence:
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28
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Guo W, Vandoorne T, Steyaert J, Staats KA, Van Den Bosch L. The multifaceted role of kinases in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: genetic, pathological and therapeutic implications. Brain 2021; 143:1651-1673. [PMID: 32206784 PMCID: PMC7296858 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the most common degenerative disorder of motor neurons in adults. As there is no cure, thousands of individuals who are alive at present will succumb to the disease. In recent years, numerous causative genes and risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have been identified. Several of the recently identified genes encode kinases. In addition, the hypothesis that (de)phosphorylation processes drive the disease process resulting in selective motor neuron degeneration in different disease variants has been postulated. We re-evaluate the evidence for this hypothesis based on recent findings and discuss the multiple roles of kinases in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis. We propose that kinases could represent promising therapeutic targets. Mainly due to the comprehensive regulation of kinases, however, a better understanding of the disturbances in the kinome network in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is needed to properly target specific kinases in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Guo
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.,KU Leuven-Stem Cell Institute (SCIL), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tijs Vandoorne
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jolien Steyaert
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kim A Staats
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
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29
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March ZM, Sweeney K, Kim H, Yan X, Castellano LM, Jackrel ME, Lin J, Chuang E, Gomes E, Willicott CW, Michalska K, Jedrzejczak RP, Joachimiak A, Caldwell KA, Caldwell GA, Shalem O, Shorter J. Therapeutic genetic variation revealed in diverse Hsp104 homologs. eLife 2020; 9:e57457. [PMID: 33319748 PMCID: PMC7785292 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The AAA+ protein disaggregase, Hsp104, increases fitness under stress by reversing stress-induced protein aggregation. Natural Hsp104 variants might exist with enhanced, selective activity against neurodegenerative disease substrates. However, natural Hsp104 variation remains largely unexplored. Here, we screened a cross-kingdom collection of Hsp104 homologs in yeast proteotoxicity models. Prokaryotic ClpG reduced TDP-43, FUS, and α-synuclein toxicity, whereas prokaryotic ClpB and hyperactive variants were ineffective. We uncovered therapeutic genetic variation among eukaryotic Hsp104 homologs that specifically antagonized TDP-43 condensation and toxicity in yeast and TDP-43 aggregation in human cells. We also uncovered distinct eukaryotic Hsp104 homologs that selectively antagonized α-synuclein condensation and toxicity in yeast and dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans. Surprisingly, this therapeutic variation did not manifest as enhanced disaggregase activity, but rather as increased passive inhibition of aggregation of specific substrates. By exploring natural tuning of this passive Hsp104 activity, we elucidated enhanced, substrate-specific agents that counter proteotoxicity underlying neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M March
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Katelyn Sweeney
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Hanna Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of AlabamaTuscaloosaUnited States
| | - Xiaohui Yan
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of AlabamaTuscaloosaUnited States
| | - Laura M Castellano
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Pharmacology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Meredith E Jackrel
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - JiaBei Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Edward Chuang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Pharmacology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Edward Gomes
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Corey W Willicott
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of AlabamaTuscaloosaUnited States
| | - Karolina Michalska
- Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National LaboratoryArgonneUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Robert P Jedrzejczak
- Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National LaboratoryArgonneUnited States
| | - Andrzej Joachimiak
- Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National LaboratoryArgonneUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Kim A Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of AlabamaTuscaloosaUnited States
| | - Guy A Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of AlabamaTuscaloosaUnited States
| | - Ophir Shalem
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Pharmacology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
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30
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Yoshimura M, Honda H, Sasagasako N, Mori S, Hamasaki H, Suzuki SO, Ishii T, Ninomiya T, Kira JI, Iwaki T. PCBP2 Is Downregulated in Degenerating Neurons and Rarely Observed in TDP-43-Positive Inclusions in Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2020; 80:220-228. [PMID: 33313661 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlaa148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Various heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) are deposited in pathological inclusions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related diseases, such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Recently, poly (rC)-binding protein 2 (PCBP2, hnRNP-E2), a member of the hnRNP family, was reported to be colocalized with transactivation-responsive DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43)-immunopositive inclusions in cases of FTLD-TDP. Here, we used immunohistochemical methods to investigate PCBP1 and PCBP2 expression in the spinal cords of sporadic ALS patients, with special reference to TDP-43-positive inclusions. Thirty autopsy cases of sporadic ALS were examined by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against PCBP1, PCBP2, sequestosome 1 (p62), and TDP-43. In control subjects without neurological disorders, neurons predominantly expressed PCBP2, rather than PCBP1, in their cytoplasm and nuclei. Anterior horn cells of sporadic ALS patients often had various levels of PCBP2 expression, and motor neurons with skein-like inclusions often had reduced or lost cytoplasmic and nuclear PCBP2 staining. Notably, one case with FTLD-TDP subtype B pathology had marked colocalization of TDP-43 and PCBP2 in the cytoplasmic inclusions and dystrophic neurites of the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and spinal cord. In conclusion, PCBP2 was reduced in anterior horn cells of sporadic ALS, but its occurrence in TDP-43 inclusions was a rare phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoi Yoshimura
- From the Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Honda
- From the Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Naokazu Sasagasako
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-Muscular Center, National Omuta Hospital, Omuta, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Mori
- From the Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Division of Respirology, Neurology and Rheumatology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Hideomi Hamasaki
- From the Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Satoshi O Suzuki
- From the Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takashi Ishii
- From the Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Department of Biochemistry, Oral Medicine Research Center, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Ninomiya
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and Center for Cohort Studies, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Kira
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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31
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Pakravan D, Orlando G, Bercier V, Van Den Bosch L. Role and therapeutic potential of liquid-liquid phase separation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Mol Cell Biol 2020; 13:15-28. [PMID: 32976566 PMCID: PMC8036000 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjaa049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease selectively affecting motor neurons, leading to progressive paralysis. Although most cases are sporadic, ∼10% are familial. Similar proteins are found in aggregates in sporadic and familial ALS, and over the last decade, research has been focused on the underlying nature of this common pathology. Notably, TDP-43 inclusions are found in almost all ALS patients, while FUS inclusions have been reported in some familial ALS patients. Both TDP-43 and FUS possess ‘low-complexity domains’ (LCDs) and are considered as ‘intrinsically disordered proteins’, which form liquid droplets in vitro due to the weak interactions caused by the LCDs. Dysfunctional ‘liquid–liquid phase separation’ (LLPS) emerged as a new mechanism linking ALS-related proteins to pathogenesis. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on ALS-related gene products associated with a proteinopathy and discuss their status as LLPS proteins. In addition, we highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting LLPS for treating ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donya Pakravan
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gabriele Orlando
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valérie Bercier
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence to: Ludo Van Den Bosch, E-mail:
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32
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Owen I, Rhoads S, Yee D, Wyne H, Gery K, Hannula I, Sundrum M, Shewmaker F. The prion-like domain of Fused in Sarcoma is phosphorylated by multiple kinases affecting liquid- and solid-phase transitions. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:2522-2536. [PMID: 32877292 PMCID: PMC7851872 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-05-0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) is a ubiquitously expressed protein that can phase-separate from nucleoplasm and cytoplasm into distinct liquid-droplet structures. It is predominantly nuclear and most of its functions are related to RNA and DNA metabolism. Excessive persistence of FUS within cytoplasmic phase-separated assemblies is implicated in the diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Phosphorylation of FUS’s prion-like domain (PrLD) by nuclear phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase (PIKK)-family kinases following DNA damage was previously shown to alter FUS’s liquid-phase and solid-phase transitions in cell models and in vitro. However, proteomic data suggest that FUS’s PrLD is phosphorylated at numerous additional sites, and it is unknown if other non-PIKK and nonnuclear kinases might be influencing FUS’s phase transitions. Here we evaluate disease mutations and stress conditions that increase FUS accumulation into cytoplasmic phase-separated structures. We observed that cytoplasmic liquid-phase structures contain FUS phosphorylated at novel sites, which occurred independent of PIKK-family kinases. We engineered phosphomimetic substitutions within FUS’s PrLD and observed that mimicking a few phosphorylation sites strongly inhibited FUS solid-phase aggregation, while minimally altering liquid-phase condensation. These effects occurred independent of the exact location of the phosphomimetic substitutions, suggesting that modulation of PrLD phosphorylation may offer therapeutic strategies that are specific for solid-phase aggregation observed in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izzy Owen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Shannon Rhoads
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Debra Yee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Hala Wyne
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Kevin Gery
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Isabelle Hannula
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Meenakshi Sundrum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Frank Shewmaker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
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33
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Di Gregorio SE, Volkening K, Strong MJ, Duennwald ML. Inclusion Formation and Toxicity of the ALS Protein RGNEF and Its Association with the Microtubule Network. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165597. [PMID: 32764283 PMCID: PMC7460592 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RGNEF) protein encoded by the ARHGEF28 gene has been implicated in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Biochemical and pathological studies have shown that RGNEF is a component of the hallmark neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in ALS-affected neurons. Additionally, a heterozygous mutation in ARHGEF28 has been identified in a number of familial ALS (fALS) cases that may give rise to one of two truncated variants of the protein. Little is known about the normal biological function of RGNEF or how it contributes to ALS pathogenesis. To further explore RGNEF biology we have established and characterized a yeast model and characterized RGNEF expression in several mammalian cell lines. We demonstrate that RGNEF is toxic when overexpressed and forms inclusions. We also found that the fALS-associated mutation in ARGHEF28 gives rise to an inclusion-forming and toxic protein. Additionally, through unbiased screening using the split-ubiquitin system, we have identified RGNEF-interacting proteins, including two ALS-associated proteins. Functional characterization of other RGNEF interactors identified in our screen suggest that RGNEF functions as a microtubule regulator. Our findings indicate that RGNEF misfolding and toxicity may cause impairment of the microtubule network and contribute to ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja E. Di Gregorio
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada;
| | - Kathryn Volkening
- Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (K.V.); (M.J.S.)
| | - Michael J. Strong
- Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (K.V.); (M.J.S.)
| | - Martin L. Duennwald
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada;
- Correspondence:
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34
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Chatterjee S, Salimi A, Lee JY. Insights into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis linked Pro525Arg mutation in the fused in sarcoma protein through in silico analysis and molecular dynamics simulation. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:5963-5976. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1794967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Abbas Salimi
- Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea
| | - Jin Yong Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea
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35
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Ding X, Sun F, Chen J, Chen L, Tobin-Miyaji Y, Xue S, Qiang W, Luo SZ. Amyloid-Forming Segment Induces Aggregation of FUS-LC Domain from Phase Separation Modulated by Site-Specific Phosphorylation. J Mol Biol 2019; 432:467-483. [PMID: 31805282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The RNA-binding protein fused in sarcoma (FUS) forms physiological granules and pathological fibrils, which facilitate RNA functions and cause neurodegenerative diseases, respectively. Phosphorylation at Ser/Thr residues may regulate the functional assembly of FUS and prevent pathological aggregation in cells. However, the low-complexity nature of the FUS sequence makes it challenging to characterize how phosphorylation of specific sites within the core amyloid-forming segment affects aggregation. Taking advantage of the recently solved molecular structures of the fibrillar core of the FUS low-complexity (FUS-LC) domain, we systematically investigated the aggregation of repeated segments within the core. We identified a segment with a strong amyloid-forming tendency that induced the aggregation of FUS-LC domain in phase-separated liquid droplets and further seeded the aggregation of full-length FUS. The aggregation propensity and seeding ability of this amyloid-forming segment were modulated by site-specific phosphorylation. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and computational modeling implied that site-specific phosphorylation at Ser61 plays key roles in FUS assembly by disrupting both intra- and intermolecular interactions that maintain the amyloid core structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufang Ding
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Fude Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jialin Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Long Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yuto Tobin-Miyaji
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Vestal, NY 13902, USA
| | - Song Xue
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Wei Qiang
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Vestal, NY 13902, USA.
| | - Shi-Zhong Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
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36
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Nussbacher JK, Tabet R, Yeo GW, Lagier-Tourenne C. Disruption of RNA Metabolism in Neurological Diseases and Emerging Therapeutic Interventions. Neuron 2019; 102:294-320. [PMID: 30998900 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
RNA binding proteins are critical to the maintenance of the transcriptome via controlled regulation of RNA processing and transport. Alterations of these proteins impact multiple steps of the RNA life cycle resulting in various molecular phenotypes such as aberrant RNA splicing, transport, and stability. Disruption of RNA binding proteins and widespread RNA processing defects are increasingly recognized as critical determinants of neurological diseases. Here, we describe distinct mechanisms by which the homeostasis of RNA binding proteins is compromised in neurological disorders through their reduced expression level, increased propensity to aggregate or sequestration by abnormal RNAs. These mechanisms all converge toward altered neuronal function highlighting the susceptibility of neurons to deleterious changes in RNA expression and the central role of RNA binding proteins in preserving neuronal integrity. Emerging therapeutic approaches to mitigate or reverse alterations of RNA binding proteins in neurological diseases are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K Nussbacher
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute for Genomic Medicine, UCSD Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ricardos Tabet
- Department of Neurology, The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute for Genomic Medicine, UCSD Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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37
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Chi B, O'Connell JD, Iocolano AD, Coady JA, Yu Y, Gangopadhyay J, Gygi SP, Reed R. The neurodegenerative diseases ALS and SMA are linked at the molecular level via the ASC-1 complex. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:11939-11951. [PMID: 30398641 PMCID: PMC6294556 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the molecular pathways disrupted in motor neuron diseases is urgently needed. Here, we employed CRISPR knockout (KO) to investigate the functions of four ALS-causative RNA/DNA binding proteins (FUS, EWSR1, TAF15 and MATR3) within the RNAP II/U1 snRNP machinery. We found that each of these structurally related proteins has distinct roles with FUS KO resulting in loss of U1 snRNP and the SMN complex, EWSR1 KO causing dissociation of the tRNA ligase complex, and TAF15 KO resulting in loss of transcription factors P-TEFb and TFIIF. However, all four ALS-causative proteins are required for association of the ASC-1 transcriptional co-activator complex with the RNAP II/U1 snRNP machinery. Remarkably, mutations in the ASC-1 complex are known to cause a severe form of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and we show that an SMA-causative mutation in an ASC-1 component or an ALS-causative mutation in FUS disrupts association between the ASC-1 complex and the RNAP II/U1 snRNP machinery. We conclude that ALS and SMA are more intimately tied to one another than previously thought, being linked via the ASC-1 complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binkai Chi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave. Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Jeremy D O'Connell
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave. Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexander D Iocolano
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave. Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Jordan A Coady
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave. Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Yong Yu
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave. Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Jaya Gangopadhyay
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave. Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Steven P Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave. Boston MA 02115, USA
| | - Robin Reed
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave. Boston MA 02115, USA
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38
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Das R, Schwintzer L, Vinopal S, Aguado Roca E, Sylvester M, Oprisoreanu AM, Schoch S, Bradke F, Broemer M. New roles for the de-ubiquitylating enzyme OTUD4 in an RNA-protein network and RNA granules. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.229252. [PMID: 31138677 PMCID: PMC6602300 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.229252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms that regulate the formation of membrane-less cellular organelles, such as neuronal RNA granules and stress granules, have gained increasing attention over the past years. These granules consist of RNA and a plethora of RNA-binding proteins. Mutations in RNA-binding proteins have been found in neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). By performing pulldown experiments and subsequent mass spectrometry on mouse brain lysates, we discovered that the de-ubiquitylating enzyme OTU domain-containing protein 4 (OTUD4) unexpectedly is part of a complex network of multiple RNA-binding proteins, including core stress granule factors, such as FMRP (also known as FMR1), SMN1, G3BP1 and TIA1. We show that OTUD4 binds RNA, and that several of its interactions with RNA-binding proteins are RNA dependent. OTUD4 is part of neuronal RNA transport granules in rat hippocampal neurons under physiological conditions, whereas upon cellular stress, OTUD4 is recruited to cytoplasmic stress granules. Knockdown of OTUD4 in HeLa cells resulted in defects in stress granule formation and led to apoptotic cell death. Together, we characterize OTUD4 as a new RNA-binding protein with a suggested function in regulation of translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Das
- Ubiquitin Signaling Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str. 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Lukas Schwintzer
- Ubiquitin Signaling Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str. 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Stanislav Vinopal
- Axon Growth and Regeneration Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str. 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Eva Aguado Roca
- Ubiquitin Signaling Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str. 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Marc Sylvester
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Bonn, Nussallee 11, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ana-Maria Oprisoreanu
- Institute of Neuropathology and Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Susanne Schoch
- Institute of Neuropathology and Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Frank Bradke
- Axon Growth and Regeneration Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str. 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Meike Broemer
- Ubiquitin Signaling Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str. 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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39
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Chen C, Ding X, Akram N, Xue S, Luo SZ. Fused in Sarcoma: Properties, Self-Assembly and Correlation with Neurodegenerative Diseases. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24081622. [PMID: 31022909 PMCID: PMC6514960 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24081622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is a DNA/RNA binding protein that is involved in RNA metabolism and DNA repair. Numerous reports have demonstrated by pathological and genetic analysis that FUS is associated with a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and polyglutamine diseases. Traditionally, the fibrillar aggregation of FUS was considered to be the cause of those diseases, especially via its prion-like domains (PrLDs), which are rich in glutamine and asparagine residues. Lately, a nonfibrillar self-assembling phenomenon, liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), was observed in FUS, and studies of its functions, mechanism, and mutual transformation with pathogenic amyloid have been emerging. This review summarizes recent studies on FUS self-assembling, including both aggregation and LLPS as well as their relationship with the pathology of ALS, FTLD, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Xiufang Ding
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Nimrah Akram
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Song Xue
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Shi-Zhong Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
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40
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March ZM, Mack KL, Shorter J. AAA+ Protein-Based Technologies to Counter Neurodegenerative Disease. Biophys J 2019; 116:1380-1385. [PMID: 30952364 PMCID: PMC6486517 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding and overloaded proteostasis networks underlie a range of neurodegenerative diseases. No cures exist for these diseases, but developing effective therapeutic agents targeting the toxic, misfolded protein species in disease is one promising strategy. AAA+ (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) protein translocases, which naturally unfold and translocate substrate proteins, could be potent therapeutic agents to disassemble toxic protein conformers in neurodegenerative disease. Here, we discuss repurposing AAA+ protein translocases Hsp104 and proteasome-activating nucleotidase (PAN) to alleviate the toxicity from protein misfolding in neurodegenerative disease. Hsp104 effectively protects various animal models from neurodegeneration underpinned by protein misfolding, and enhanced Hsp104 variants strongly counter neurodegenerative disease-associated protein misfolding toxicity in yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mammalian cells. Similarly, a recently engineered PAN variant (PANet) mitigates photoreceptor degeneration instigated by protein misfolding in a mouse model of retinopathy. Further study and engineering of AAA+ translocases like Hsp104 and PAN will reveal promising agents to combat protein misfolding toxicity in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M March
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Korrie L Mack
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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41
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Iglesias V, Paladin L, Juan-Blanco T, Pallarès I, Aloy P, Tosatto SCE, Ventura S. In silico Characterization of Human Prion-Like Proteins: Beyond Neurological Diseases. Front Physiol 2019; 10:314. [PMID: 30971948 PMCID: PMC6445884 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion-like behavior has been in the spotlight since it was first associated with the onset of mammalian neurodegenerative diseases. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that this mechanism could be behind the regulation of processes such as transcription and translation in multiple species. Here, we perform a stringent computational survey to identify prion-like proteins in the human proteome. We detected 242 candidate polypeptides and computationally assessed their function, protein–protein interaction networks, tissular expression, and their link to disease. Human prion-like proteins constitute a subset of modular polypeptides broadly expressed across different cell types and tissues, significantly associated with disease, embedded in highly connected interaction networks, and involved in the flow of genetic information in the cell. Our analysis suggests that these proteins might play a relevant role not only in neurological disorders, but also in different types of cancer and viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Iglesias
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lisanna Paladin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Teresa Juan-Blanco
- Joint IRB-BSC-CRG Program in Computational Biology, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irantzu Pallarès
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrick Aloy
- Joint IRB-BSC-CRG Program in Computational Biology, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvio C E Tosatto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padua, Italy
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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42
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D'Amico D, Mottis A, Potenza F, Sorrentino V, Li H, Romani M, Lemos V, Schoonjans K, Zamboni N, Knott G, Schneider BL, Auwerx J. The RNA-Binding Protein PUM2 Impairs Mitochondrial Dynamics and Mitophagy During Aging. Mol Cell 2019; 73:775-787.e10. [PMID: 30642763 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Little information is available about how post-transcriptional mechanisms regulate the aging process. Here, we show that the RNA-binding protein Pumilio2 (PUM2), which is a translation repressor, is induced upon aging and acts as a negative regulator of lifespan and mitochondrial homeostasis. Multi-omics and cross-species analyses of PUM2 function show that it inhibits the translation of the mRNA encoding for the mitochondrial fission factor (Mff), thereby impairing mitochondrial fission and mitophagy. This mechanism is conserved in C. elegans by the PUM2 ortholog PUF-8. puf-8 knock-down in old nematodes and Pum2 CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout in the muscles of elderly mice enhances mitochondrial fission and mitophagy in both models, hence improving mitochondrial quality control and tissue homeostasis. Our data reveal how a PUM2-mediated layer of post-transcriptional regulation links altered Mff translation to mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy, thereby mediating age-related mitochondrial dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide D'Amico
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Adrienne Mottis
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Potenza
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincenzo Sorrentino
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hao Li
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mario Romani
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vera Lemos
- Laboratory of Metabolic Signaling, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kristina Schoonjans
- Laboratory of Metabolic Signaling, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicola Zamboni
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ), CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Graham Knott
- BioEM Facility, Faculty of Life Sciences Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bernard L Schneider
- Brain Mind Insitute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory for Integrative and Systems Physiology, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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43
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Wells C, Brennan SE, Keon M, Saksena NK. Prionoid Proteins in the Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:271. [PMID: 31780895 PMCID: PMC6861308 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of evidence that prionoid protein behaviors are a core element of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) that afflict humans. Common elements in pathogenesis, pathological effects and protein-level behaviors exist between Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Huntington's Disease (HD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These extend beyond the affected neurons to glial cells and processes. This results in a complicated system of disease progression, which often takes advantage of protective processes to promote the propagation of pathological protein aggregates. This review article provides a current snapshot of knowledge on these proteins and their intrinsic role in the pathogenesis and disease progression seen across NDs.
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44
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Genetic activation of parkin rescues TAF15-induced neurotoxicity in a Drosophila model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 73:68-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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45
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Di Gregorio SE, Duennwald ML. ALS Yeast Models-Past Success Stories and New Opportunities. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:394. [PMID: 30425620 PMCID: PMC6218427 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past two decades, yeast models have delivered profound insights into basic mechanisms of protein misfolding and the dysfunction of key cellular pathways associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Expressing ALS-associated proteins, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD1), TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) and Fused in sarcoma (FUS), in yeast recapitulates major hallmarks of ALS pathology, including protein aggregation, mislocalization and cellular toxicity. Results from yeast have consistently been recapitulated in other model systems and even specimens from human patients, thus providing evidence for the power and validity of ALS yeast models. Focusing on impaired ribonucleic acid (RNA) metabolism and protein misfolding and their cytotoxic consequences in ALS, we summarize exemplary discoveries that originated from work in yeast. We also propose previously unexplored experimental strategies to modernize ALS yeast models, which will help to decipher the basic pathomechanisms underlying ALS and thus, possibly contribute to finding a cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja E Di Gregorio
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Martin L Duennwald
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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46
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Lindström M, Liu B. Yeast as a Model to Unravel Mechanisms Behind FUS Toxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:218. [PMID: 30002616 PMCID: PMC6031741 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is a multifunctional DNA/RNA-binding protein predominantly localized in the cell nucleus. However, FUS has been shown to accumulate and form aggregates in the cytoplasm when mislocalized there due to mutations. These FUS protein aggregates are known as pathological hallmarks in a subset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) cases. In this review, we discussed recent research developments on elucidating the molecular mechanisms behind FUS protein aggregation and toxicity. We mainly focus on studies using the budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a model system, especially on results acquired from yeast genome-wide screens addressing FUS aggregation and toxicity. Human homologs of the FUS toxicity suppressors, identified from these studies, indicate a strong relevance and correlation to a human disease model. By using yeast as a FUS cytotoxicity model these studies provided valuable clues on potential novel targets for therapeutic intervention in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Lindström
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Beidong Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Large-scale cell-based screening, Faculty of Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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47
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Rhoads SN, Monahan ZT, Yee DS, Leung AY, Newcombe CG, O'Meally RN, Cole RN, Shewmaker FP. The prionlike domain of FUS is multiphosphorylated following DNA damage without altering nuclear localization. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 29:1786-1797. [PMID: 29897835 PMCID: PMC6085830 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-12-0735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
FUS (fused in sarcoma) is an abundant, predominantly nuclear protein involved in RNA processing. Under various conditions, FUS functionally associates with RNA and other macromolecules to form distinct, reversible phase-separated liquid structures. Persistence of the phase-separated state and increased cytoplasmic localization are both hypothesized to predispose FUS to irreversible aggregation, which is a pathological hallmark of subtypes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. We previously showed that phosphorylation of FUS’s prionlike domain suppressed phase separation and toxic aggregation, proportionally to the number of added phosphates. However, phosphorylation of FUS’s prionlike domain was previously reported to promote its cytoplasmic localization, potentially favoring pathological behavior. Here we used mass spectrometry and human cell models to further identify phosphorylation sites within FUS’s prionlike domain, specifically following DNA-damaging stress. In total, 28 putative sites have been identified, about half of which are DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) consensus sites. Custom antibodies were developed to confirm the phosphorylation of two of these sites (Ser-26 and Ser-30). Both sites were usually phosphorylated in a subpopulation of cellular FUS following a variety of DNA-damaging stresses but not necessarily equally or simultaneously. Importantly, we found DNA-PK–dependent multiphosphorylation of FUS’s prionlike domain does not cause cytoplasmic localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon N Rhoads
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Zachary T Monahan
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Debra S Yee
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Andrew Y Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Cameron G Newcombe
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Robert N O'Meally
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins Mass Spectrometry and Proteomic Facility, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Robert N Cole
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins Mass Spectrometry and Proteomic Facility, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Frank P Shewmaker
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814
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48
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Luo F, Gui X, Zhou H, Gu J, Li Y, Liu X, Zhao M, Li D, Li X, Liu C. Atomic structures of FUS LC domain segments reveal bases for reversible amyloid fibril formation. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2018; 25:341-346. [PMID: 29610493 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-018-0050-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Thermostable cross-β structures are characteristic of pathological amyloid fibrils, but these structures cannot explain the reversible nature of fibrils formed by RNA-binding proteins such as fused in sarcoma (FUS), involved in RNA granule assembly. Here, we find that two tandem (S/G)Y(S/G) motifs of the human FUS low-complexity domain (FUS LC) form reversible fibrils in a temperature- and phosphorylation-dependent manner. We named these motifs reversible amyloid cores, or RAC1 and RAC2, and determined their atomic structures in fibrillar forms, using microelectron and X-ray diffraction techniques. The RAC1 structure features an ordered-coil fibril spine rather than the extended β-strand typical of amyloids. Ser42, a phosphorylation site of FUS, is critical in the maintenance of the ordered-coil structure, which explains how phosphorylation controls fibril formation. The RAC2 structure shows a labile fibril spine with a wet interface. These structures illuminate the mechanism of reversible fibril formation and dynamic assembly of RNA granules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Luo
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinrui Gui
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Heng Zhou
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinge Gu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yichen Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangyu Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Minglei Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dan Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xueming Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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49
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Bräuer S, Zimyanin V, Hermann A. Prion-like properties of disease-relevant proteins in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2018; 125:591-613. [PMID: 29417336 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-018-1851-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The hallmark of age-related neurodegenerative diseases is the appearance of cellular protein deposits and spreading of this pathology throughout the central nervous system. Growing evidence has shown the involvement and critical role of proteins with prion-like properties in the formation of these characteristic cellular aggregates. Prion-like domains of such proteins with their proposed function in the organization of membraneless organelles are prone for misfolding and promoting further aggregation. Spreading of these toxic aggregates between cells and across tissues can explain the progression of clinical phenotypes and pathology in a stereotypical manner, characteristic for almost every neurodegenerative disease. Here, we want to review the current evidence for the role of prion-like mechanisms in classical neurodegenerative diseases and ALS in particular. We will also discuss an intriguingly central role of the protein TDP-43 in the majority of cases of this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Bräuer
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Städtisches Klinikum Dresden, 01129, Dresden, Germany
| | - V Zimyanin
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - A Hermann
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 01307, Dresden, Germany.
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50
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Apicco DJ, Ash PEA, Maziuk B, LeBlang C, Medalla M, Al Abdullatif A, Ferragud A, Botelho E, Ballance HI, Dhawan U, Boudeau S, Cruz AL, Kashy D, Wong A, Goldberg LR, Yazdani N, Zhang C, Ung CY, Tripodis Y, Kanaan NM, Ikezu T, Cottone P, Leszyk J, Li H, Luebke J, Bryant CD, Wolozin B. Reducing the RNA binding protein TIA1 protects against tau-mediated neurodegeneration in vivo. Nat Neurosci 2018; 21:72-80. [PMID: 29273772 PMCID: PMC5745051 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-017-0022-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Emerging studies suggest a role for tau in regulating the biology of RNA binding proteins (RBPs). We now show that reducing the RBP T-cell intracellular antigen 1 (TIA1) in vivo protects against neurodegeneration and prolongs survival in transgenic P301S Tau mice. Biochemical fractionation shows co-enrichment and co-localization of tau oligomers and RBPs in transgenic P301S Tau mice. Reducing TIA1 decreased the number and size of granules co-localizing with stress granule markers. Decreasing TIA1 also inhibited the accumulation of tau oligomers at the expense of increasing neurofibrillary tangles. Despite the increase in neurofibrillary tangles, TIA1 reduction increased neuronal survival and rescued behavioral deficits and lifespan. These data provide in vivo evidence that TIA1 plays a key role in mediating toxicity and further suggest that RBPs direct the pathway of tau aggregation and the resulting neurodegeneration. We propose a model in which dysfunction of the translational stress response leads to tau-mediated pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Apicco
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter E A Ash
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brandon Maziuk
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chelsey LeBlang
- Department of Anatomy, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Medalla
- Department of Anatomy, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ali Al Abdullatif
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Antonio Ferragud
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily Botelho
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heather I Ballance
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Uma Dhawan
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samantha Boudeau
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna Lourdes Cruz
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Kashy
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aria Wong
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lisa R Goldberg
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Neema Yazdani
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Choong Y Ung
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas M Kanaan
- Department of Translational Science and Molecular Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Tsuneya Ikezu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pietro Cottone
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John Leszyk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Hu Li
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jennifer Luebke
- Department of Anatomy, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Camron D Bryant
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin Wolozin
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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