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Zhu L, Li S, Li XJ, Yin P. Pathological insights from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis animal models: comparisons, limitations, and challenges. Transl Neurodegener 2023; 12:46. [PMID: 37730668 PMCID: PMC10510301 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-023-00377-7] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to dissect amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a multigenic, multifactorial, and progressive neurodegenerative disease with heterogeneous clinical presentations, researchers have generated numerous animal models to mimic the genetic defects. Concurrent and comparative analysis of these various models allows identification of the causes and mechanisms of ALS in order to finally obtain effective therapeutics. However, most genetically modified rodent models lack overt pathological features, imposing challenges and limitations in utilizing them to rigorously test the potential mechanisms. Recent studies using large animals, including pigs and non-human primates, have uncovered important events that resemble neurodegeneration in patients' brains but could not be produced in small animals. Here we describe common features as well as discrepancies among these models, highlighting new insights from these models. Furthermore, we will discuss how to make rodent models more capable of recapitulating important pathological features based on the important pathogenic insights from large animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longhong Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Peng Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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Genome-wide screening for genes involved in the epigenetic basis of fragile X syndrome. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:1048-1058. [PMID: 35427485 PMCID: PMC9133649 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.03.011] [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: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most prevalent heritable form of intellectual disability, is caused by the transcriptional silencing of the FMR1 gene. The epigenetic factors responsible for FMR1 inactivation are largely unknown. Here, we initially demonstrated the feasibility of FMR1 reactivation by targeting a single epigenetic factor, DNMT1. Next, we established a model system for FMR1 silencing using a construct containing the FXS-related mutation upstream to a reporter gene. This construct was methylated in vitro and introduced into a genome-wide loss-of-function (LOF) library established in haploid human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), allowing the identification of genes whose functional loss reversed the methylation-induced silencing of the FMR1 reporter. Selected candidate genes were further analyzed in haploid- and FXS-patient-derived PSCs, highlighting the epigenetic and metabolic pathways involved in FMR1 regulation. Our work sheds light on the mechanisms responsible for CGG-expansion-mediated FMR1 inactivation and offers novel targets for therapeutic FMR1 reactivation. Perturbation of a single gene, DNMT1, reactivates FMR1 in fragile X human PSCs. FX mutation containing reporter recapitulates FMR1 silencing in haploid ESCs. Genome-wide CRISPR screening reveals epigenetic modulators of FMR1 inactivation. Novel genes regulating mutated-FMR1 expression were validated in FX-iPSCs.
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Alrafiah AR. From Mouse Models to Human Disease: An Approach for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In Vivo 2018; 32:983-998. [PMID: 30150420 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.11339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder. There are several genetic mutations that lead to ALS development, such as chromosome 9 hexanucleotide repeat 72 (C9ORF72), transactive response DNA-binding protein (TARDBP), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and fused in sarcoma (FUS). ALS is associated with disrupted gene homeostasis causing aberrant RNA processing or toxic pathology. Several animal models of ALS disease have been developed to understand whether TARDBP-mediated neurodegeneration results from a gain or a loss of function of the protein, however, none exactly mimic the pathophysiology and the phenotype of human ALS. Here, the pathophysiology of specific ALS-linked gene mutations is discussed. Furthermore, some of the generated mouse models, as well as the similarities and differences between these models, are comprehensively reviewed. Further refinement of mouse models will likely aid the development of a better form of model that mimics human ALS. However, disrupted gene homeostasis that causes mutation can result in an ALS-like syndrome, increasing concerns about whether neurodegeneration and other effects in these models are due to the mutation or to gene overexpression. Research on the pleiotropic role of different proteins present in motor neurons is also summarized. The development of better mouse models that closely mimic human ALS will help identify potential therapeutic targets for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziza Rashed Alrafiah
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences and Neuroscience Research Unit, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Spitalieri P, Talarico RV, Murdocca M, Fontana L, Marcaurelio M, Campione E, Massa R, Meola G, Serafino A, Novelli G, Sangiuolo F, Botta A. Generation and Neuronal Differentiation of hiPSCs From Patients With Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2. Front Physiol 2018; 9:967. [PMID: 30100878 PMCID: PMC6074094 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-patient specific are an innovative tool to reproduce a model of disease in vitro and summarize the pathological phenotype and the disease etiopathology. Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is caused by an unstable (CCTG)n expansion in intron 1 of the CNBP gene, leading to a progressive multisystemic disease with muscle, heart and central nervous dysfunctions. The pathogenesis of CNS involvement in DM2 is poorly understood since no cellular or animal models fully recapitulate the molecular and clinical neurodegenerative phenotype of patients. In this study, we generated for the first time, two DM2 and two wild type hiPSC lines from dermal fibroblasts by polycistronic lentiviral vector (hSTEMCCA-loxP) expressing OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and cMYC genes and containing loxP-sites, excisable by Cre recombinase. Specific morphological, molecular and immunocytochemical markers have confirmed the stemness of DM2 and wild type-derived hiPSCs. These cells are able to differentiate into neuronal population (NP) expressing tissue specific markers. hiPSCs-derived NP cells maintain (CCTG)n repeat expansion and intranuclear RNA foci exhibiting sequestration of MBNL1 protein, which are pathognomonic of the disease. DM2 hiPSCs represent an important tool for the study of CNS pathogenesis in patients, opening new perspectives for the development of cell-based therapies in the field of personalized medicine and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Spitalieri
- Medical Genetics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa V Talarico
- Medical Genetics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Murdocca
- Medical Genetics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Luana Fontana
- Medical Genetics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Marzia Marcaurelio
- Medical Genetics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Campione
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Massa
- Division of Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Meola
- Department of Biomedical Science for Health, Policlinico San Donato (IRCCS), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Annalucia Serafino
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- Medical Genetics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo (IRCCS), Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Federica Sangiuolo
- Medical Genetics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Botta
- Medical Genetics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Matloka M, Klein AF, Rau F, Furling D. Cells of Matter- In Vitro Models for Myotonic Dystrophy. Front Neurol 2018; 9:361. [PMID: 29875732 PMCID: PMC5974047 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00361] [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: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1 also known as Steinert disease) is a multisystemic disorder mainly characterized by myotonia, progressive muscle weakness and wasting, cognitive impairments, and cardiac defects. This autosomal dominant disease is caused by the expression of nuclear retained RNAs containing pathologic expanded CUG repeats that alter the function of RNA-binding proteins in a tissue-specific manner, leading ultimately to neuromuscular dysfunction and clinical symptoms. Although considerable knowledge has been gathered on myotonic dystrophy since its first description, the development of novel relevant disease models remains of high importance to investigate pathophysiologic mechanisms and to assess new therapeutic approaches. In addition to animal models, in vitro cell cultures provide a unique resource for both fundamental and translational research. This review discusses how cellular models broke ground to decipher molecular basis of DM1 and describes currently available cell models, ranging from exogenous expression of the CTG tracts to variable patients' derived cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Denis Furling
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
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Spitalieri P, Talarico VR, Murdocca M, Novelli G, Sangiuolo F. Human induced pluripotent stem cells for monogenic disease modelling and therapy. World J Stem Cells 2016; 8:118-35. [PMID: 27114745 PMCID: PMC4835672 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v8.i4.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent and advanced protocols are now available to derive human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from patients affected by genetic diseases. No curative treatments are available for many of these diseases; thus, hiPSCs represent a major impact on patient' health. hiPSCs represent a valid model for the in vitro study of monogenic diseases, together with a better comprehension of the pathogenic mechanisms of the pathology, for both cell and gene therapy protocol applications. Moreover, these pluripotent cells represent a good opportunity to test innovative pharmacological treatments focused on evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of novel drugs. Today, innovative gene therapy protocols, especially gene editing-based, are being developed, allowing the use of these cells not only as in vitro disease models but also as an unlimited source of cells useful for tissue regeneration and regenerative medicine, eluding ethical and immune rejection problems. In this review, we will provide an up-to-date of modelling monogenic disease by using hiPSCs and the ultimate applications of these in vitro models for cell therapy. We consider and summarize some peculiar aspects such as the type of parental cells used for reprogramming, the methods currently used to induce the transcription of the reprogramming factors, and the type of iPSC-derived differentiated cells, relating them to the genetic basis of diseases and to their inheritance model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Spitalieri
- Paola Spitalieri, Valentina Rosa Talarico, Michela Murdocca, Giuseppe Novelli, Federica Sangiuolo, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Rosa Talarico
- Paola Spitalieri, Valentina Rosa Talarico, Michela Murdocca, Giuseppe Novelli, Federica Sangiuolo, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Murdocca
- Paola Spitalieri, Valentina Rosa Talarico, Michela Murdocca, Giuseppe Novelli, Federica Sangiuolo, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- Paola Spitalieri, Valentina Rosa Talarico, Michela Murdocca, Giuseppe Novelli, Federica Sangiuolo, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Sangiuolo
- Paola Spitalieri, Valentina Rosa Talarico, Michela Murdocca, Giuseppe Novelli, Federica Sangiuolo, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Esanov R, Belle KC, van Blitterswijk M, Belzil VV, Rademakers R, Dickson DW, Petrucelli L, Boylan KB, Dykxhoorn DM, Wuu J, Benatar M, Wahlestedt C, Zeier Z. C9orf72 promoter hypermethylation is reduced while hydroxymethylation is acquired during reprogramming of ALS patient cells. Exp Neurol 2015; 277:171-177. [PMID: 26746986 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Among several genetic mutations known to cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common. In approximately 30% of C9orf72-ALS cases, 5-methylcytosine (5mC) levels within the C9orf72 promoter are increased, resulting in a modestly attenuated phenotype. The developmental timing of C9orf72 promoter hypermethylation and the reason why it occurs in only a subset of patients remain unknown. In order to model the acquisition of C9orf72 hypermethylation and examine the potential role of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from an ALS patient with C9orf72 promoter hypermethylation. Our data show that 5mC levels are reduced by reprogramming and then re-acquired upon neuronal specification, while 5hmC levels increase following reprogramming and are highest in iPSCs and motor neurons. We confirmed the presence of 5hmC within the C9orf72 promoter in post-mortem brain tissues of hypermethylated patients. These findings show that iPSCs are a valuable model system for examining epigenetic perturbations caused by the C9orf72 mutation and reveal a potential role for cytosine demethylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rustam Esanov
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kinsley C Belle
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
| | | | | | - Rosa Rademakers
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Kevin B Boylan
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Derek M Dykxhoorn
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
| | - Joanne Wuu
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
| | - Michael Benatar
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
| | - Claes Wahlestedt
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Zane Zeier
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
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