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Hayashi M, Girdhar A, Ko YH, Kim KM, DePierro JA, Buchler JR, Arunprakash N, Bajaj A, Cingolani G, Guo L. Engineered NLS-chimera downregulates expression of aggregation-prone endogenous FUS. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7887. [PMID: 39251571 PMCID: PMC11384663 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52151-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Importin β-superfamily nuclear import receptors (NIRs) mitigate mislocalization and aggregation of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), like FUS and TDP-43, which are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. NIRs potently disaggregate RBPs by recognizing their nuclear localization signal (NLS). However, disease-causing mutations in NLS compromise NIR binding and activity. Here, we define features that characterize the anti-aggregation activity of NIR and NLS. We find that high binding affinity between NIR and NLS, and optimal NLS location relative to the aggregating domain plays a role in determining NIR disaggregation activity. A designed FUS chimera (FUSIBB), carrying the importin β binding (IBB) domain, is solubilized by importin β in vitro, translocated to the nucleus in cultured cells, and downregulates the expression of endogenous FUS. In this study, we posit that guiding the mutual recognition of NLSs and NIRs will aid the development of therapeutics, illustrated by the highly soluble FUSIBB replacing the aggregation-prone endogenous FUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyuki Hayashi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amandeep Girdhar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ying-Hui Ko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kevin M Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacquelyn A DePierro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joseph R Buchler
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nikhita Arunprakash
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Aditya Bajaj
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gino Cingolani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Lin Guo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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2
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Milani M, Della Valle I, Rossi S, Fabbrizio P, Margotta C, Nardo G, Cozzolino M, D'Ambrosi N, Apolloni S. Neuroprotective effects of niclosamide on disease progression via inflammatory pathways modulation in SOD1-G93A and FUS-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis models. Neurotherapeutics 2024; 21:e00346. [PMID: 38493058 PMCID: PMC11070272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurot.2024.e00346] [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: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disease influenced by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors, resulting in dysfunction in cellular and molecular pathways. The limited efficacy of current treatments highlights the need for combination therapies targeting multiple aspects of the disease. Niclosamide, an anthelminthic drug listed as an essential medicine, has been repurposed in clinical trials for different diseases due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties. Niclosamide can inhibit various molecular pathways (e.g., STAT3, mTOR) that are dysregulated in ALS, suggesting its potential to disrupt these altered mechanisms associated with the pathology. We administered niclosamide intraperitoneally to two transgenic murine models, SOD1-G93A and FUS mice, mimicking key pathological processes of ALS. The treatment was initiated at the onset of symptoms, and we assessed disease progression by neurological scores, rotarod and wire tests, and monitored survival. Furthermore, we investigated cellular and molecular mechanisms affected by niclosamide in the spinal cord and muscle of ALS mice. In both models, the administration of niclosamide resulted in a slowdown of disease progression, an increase in survival rates, and an improvement in tissue pathology. This was characterised by reduced gliosis, motor neuron loss, muscle atrophy, and inflammatory pathways. Based on these results, our findings demonstrate that niclosamide can impact multiple pathways involved in ALS. This multi-targeted approach leads to a slowdown in the progression of the disease, positioning niclosamide as a promising candidate for repurposing in the treatment of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Milani
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Della Valle
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Rossi
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Fabbrizio
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Cassandra Margotta
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nardo
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Cozzolino
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Nadia D'Ambrosi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Savina Apolloni
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; UniCamillus-Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Rome, Italy.
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3
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Chen X, Luo J, Zheng W, Huang Q, Du C, Yuan H, Xiao F. Hyperhidrosis as the initial symptom in FUS mutation-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a case report and comprehensive literature review. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:1523-1527. [PMID: 37904013 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07141-9] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is now recognized to involve autonomic dysfunction. The burden of autonomic dysfunction is an important factor in the quality of life and prognosis of ALS patients. This article presents the clinical characteristics of a young female ALS patient with a fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene mutation and notable hyperhidrosis. METHOD Detailed clinical characteristics of the patients were collected, and comprehensive examinations such as electrophysiological assessment, neuro-ultrasound, genetic testing, and relevant blood tests were conducted. RESULT A 24-year-old female experienced progressive weakness in both lower limbs for over 5 months, along with excessive sweating on both palms and feet. A positive skin iodine-starch test was observed. Electromyography revealed extensive neurogenic damage and prolonged sympathetic skin response (SSR) latency in both lower limbs. Full exon gene sequencing showed a heterozygous mutation c.1574C>T (p.Pro525Leu) in the FUS gene. CONCLUSION The pathogenesis of ALS remains unclear at present. This case underscores the presence of autonomic nervous symptoms in ALS associated with FUS mutation and highlights the importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment intervention to enhance patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Wei Zheng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Qinlian Huang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Chao Du
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Huan Yuan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Fei Xiao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
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4
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Malka R, Isaac A, Gonzales G, Miar S, Walters B, Baker A, Guda T, Dion GR. Changes in vocal fold gene expression and histology after injection augmentation in a recurrent laryngeal nerve injury model. J Laryngol Otol 2024; 138:196-202. [PMID: 37846168 PMCID: PMC10838396 DOI: 10.1017/s0022215123001135] [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] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate changes in neuroregenerative pathways with vocal fold denervation in response to vocal fold augmentation. METHODS Eighteen Yorkshire crossbreed swine underwent left recurrent laryngeal nerve transection, followed by observation or augmentation with carboxymethylcellulose or calcium hydroxyapatite at two weeks. Polymerase chain reaction expression of genes regulating muscle growth (MyoD1, MyoG and FoxO1) and atrophy (FBXO32) were analysed at 4 and 12 weeks post-injection. Thyroarytenoid neuromuscular junction density was quantified using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Denervated vocal folds demonstrated reduced expression of MyoD1, MyoG, FoxO1 and FBXO32, but overexpression after augmentation. Healthy vocal folds showed increased early and late MyoD1, MyoG, FoxO1 and FBXO32 expression in all animals. Neuromuscular junction density had a slower decline in augmented compared to untreated denervated vocal folds, and was significantly reduced in healthy vocal folds contralateral to augmentation. CONCLUSION Injection augmentation may slow neuromuscular degeneration pathways in denervated vocal folds and reduce compensatory remodelling in contralateral healthy vocal folds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Malka
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alisa Isaac
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Gabriela Gonzales
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Solaleh Miar
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Benjamin Walters
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amelia Baker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA
| | - Teja Guda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Gregory R Dion
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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5
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Chen L, Zhang S, Liu S, Gao S. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Mechanism: Insights from the Caenorhabditis elegans Models. Cells 2024; 13:99. [PMID: 38201303 PMCID: PMC10778397 DOI: 10.3390/cells13010099] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating neurodegenerative condition characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons. Despite extensive research in various model animals, the cellular signal mechanisms of ALS remain elusive, impeding the development of efficacious treatments. Among these models, a well-characterized and diminutive organism, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), has emerged as a potent tool for investigating the molecular and cellular dimensions of ALS pathogenesis. This review summarizes the contributions of C. elegans models to our comprehension of ALS, emphasizing pivotal findings pertaining to genetics, protein aggregation, cellular pathways, and potential therapeutic strategies. We analyze both the merits and constraints of the C. elegans system in the realm of ALS research and point towards future investigations that could bridge the chasm between C. elegans foundational discoveries and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shangbang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (L.C.); (S.Z.); (S.L.)
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6
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Wong CH, Rahat A, Chang HC. Fused in sarcoma regulates glutamate signaling and oxidative stress response. Free Radic Biol Med 2024; 210:172-182. [PMID: 38007141 PMCID: PMC10872661 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in fused in sarcoma (fust-1) are linked to ALS. However, how these ALS causative mutations alter physiological processes and lead to the onset of ALS remains largely unknown. By obtaining humanized fust-1 ALS mutations via CRISPR-CAS9, we generated a C. elegans ALS model. Homozygous fust-1 ALS mutant and fust-1 deletion animals are viable in C. elegans. This allows us to better characterize the molecular mechanisms of fust-1-dependent responses. We found FUST-1 plays a role in regulating superoxide dismutase, glutamate signaling, and oxidative stress. FUST-1 suppresses SOD-1 and VGLUT/EAT-4 in the nervous system. FUST-1 also regulates synaptic AMPA-type glutamate receptor GLR-1. We found that fust-1 ALS mutations act as loss-of-function in SOD-1 and VGLUT/EAT-4 phenotypes, whereas the fust-1 ALS mutations act as gain-of-function in redox homeostasis and the microbe-induced oxidative stress response. We hypothesized that FUST-1 is a link between glutamate signaling and SOD-1. Our results may provide new insights into the human ALS alleles and their roles in pathological mechanisms that lead to ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiong-Hee Wong
- Department of Emergency Medicine, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, 104217, Taiwan
| | - Abu Rahat
- Integrative Neuroscience Program, SUNY Binghamton, Vestal, NY, 13850, USA
| | - Howard C Chang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ, 08084, USA.
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7
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Ho WY, Chak LL, Hor JH, Liu F, Diaz-Garcia S, Chang JC, Sanford E, Rodriguez MJ, Alagappan D, Lim SM, Cho YL, Shimizu Y, Sun AX, Tyan SH, Koo E, Kim SH, Ravits J, Ng SY, Okamura K, Ling SC. FUS-dependent microRNA deregulations identify TRIB2 as a druggable target for ALS motor neurons. iScience 2023; 26:108152. [PMID: 37920668 PMCID: PMC10618709 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) modulate mRNA expression, and their deregulation contributes to various diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As fused in sarcoma (FUS) is a causal gene for ALS and regulates biogenesis of miRNAs, we systematically analyzed the miRNA repertoires in spinal cords and hippocampi from ALS-FUS mice to understand how FUS-dependent miRNA deregulation contributes to ALS. miRNA profiling identified differentially expressed miRNAs between different central nervous system (CNS) regions as well as disease states. Among the up-regulated miRNAs, miR-1197 targets the pro-survival pseudokinase Trib2. A reduced TRIB2 expression was observed in iPSC-derived motor neurons from ALS patients. Pharmacological stabilization of TRIB2 protein with a clinically approved cancer drug rescues the survival of iPSC-derived human motor neurons, including those from a sporadic ALS patient. Collectively, our data indicate that miRNA profiling can be used to probe the molecular mechanisms underlying selective vulnerability, and TRIB2 is a potential therapeutic target for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Yun Ho
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
- Programs in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Li-Ling Chak
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
- Temasek Lifesciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Jin-Hui Hor
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A∗STAR Research Entities, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Fujia Liu
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Sandra Diaz-Garcia
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jer-Cherng Chang
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Emma Sanford
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Maria J. Rodriguez
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Durgadevi Alagappan
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Su Min Lim
- Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Yik-Lam Cho
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Yuji Shimizu
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Alfred Xuyang Sun
- Programs in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Sheue-Houy Tyan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Edward Koo
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - John Ravits
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Shi-Yan Ng
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A∗STAR Research Entities, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Katsutomo Okamura
- Temasek Lifesciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Shuo-Chien Ling
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
- Programs in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
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8
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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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9
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Tejwani L, Jung Y, Kokubu H, Sowmithra S, Ni L, Lee C, Sanders B, Lee PJ, Xiang Y, Luttik K, Soriano A, Yoon J, Park J, Ro HH, Ju H, Liao C, Tieze SM, Rigo F, Jafar-Nejad P, Lim J. Reduction of nemo-like kinase increases lysosome biogenesis and ameliorates TDP-43-related neurodegeneration. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e138207. [PMID: 37384409 PMCID: PMC10425213 DOI: 10.1172/jci138207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although mutations in TARDBP, encoding transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43), account for less than 1% of all ALS cases, TDP-43-positive aggregates are present in nearly all ALS patients, including patients with sporadic ALS (sALS) or carrying other familial ALS-causing (fALS-causing) mutations. Interestingly, TDP-43 inclusions are also present in subsets of patients with frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease; therefore, methods of activating intracellular protein quality control machinery capable of clearing toxic cytoplasmic TDP-43 species may alleviate disease-related phenotypes. Here, we identify a function of nemo-like kinase (Nlk) as a negative regulator of lysosome biogenesis. Genetic or pharmacological reduction of Nlk increased lysosome formation and improved clearance of aggregated TDP-43. Furthermore, Nlk reduction ameliorated pathological, behavioral, and life span deficits in 2 distinct mouse models of TDP-43 proteinopathy. Because many toxic proteins can be cleared through the autophagy/lysosome pathway, targeted reduction of Nlk represents a potential approach to therapy development for multiple neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Tejwani
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Department of Neuroscience, and
| | - Youngseob Jung
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Hiroshi Kokubu
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sowmithra Sowmithra
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Luhan Ni
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Changwoo Lee
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Department of Neuroscience, and
| | - Benjamin Sanders
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Department of Neuroscience, and
| | - Paul J. Lee
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Department of Neuroscience, and
| | - Yangfei Xiang
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kimberly Luttik
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Department of Neuroscience, and
| | | | | | - Junhyun Park
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Department of Neuroscience, and
| | | | - Hyoungseok Ju
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | | | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | | | - Janghoo Lim
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Department of Neuroscience, and
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, and
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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10
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Rezvykh A, Ustyugov A, Chaprov K, Teterina E, Nebogatikov V, Spasskaya D, Evgen’ev M, Morozov A, Funikov S. Cytoplasmic aggregation of mutant FUS causes multistep RNA splicing perturbations in the course of motor neuron pathology. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:5810-5830. [PMID: 37115004 PMCID: PMC10287951 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of the RNA-binding protein (RBP) FUS implicated in RNA metabolism can cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Mutations affecting FUS nuclear localization can drive RNA splicing defects and stimulate the formation of non-amyloid inclusions in affected neurons. However, the mechanism by which FUS mutations contribute to the development of ALS remains uncertain. Here we describe a pattern of RNA splicing changes in the dynamics of the continuous proteinopathy induced by mislocalized FUS. We show that the decrease in intron retention of FUS-associated transcripts represents the hallmark of the pathogenesis of ALS and is the earliest molecular event in the course of progression of the disease. As FUS aggregation increases, the pattern of RNA splicing changes, becoming more complex, including a decrease in the inclusion of neuron-specific microexons and induction of cryptic exon splicing due to the sequestration of additional RBPs into FUS aggregates. Crucially, the identified features of the pathological splicing pattern are also observed in ALS patients in both sporadic and familial cases. Our data provide evidence that both a loss of nuclear FUS function due to mislocalization and the subsequent cytoplasmic aggregation of mutant protein lead to the disruption of RNA splicing in a multistep fashion during FUS aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Rezvykh
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Aleksey A Ustyugov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds at Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russian Federation
| | - Kirill D Chaprov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds at Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russian Federation
| | - Ekaterina V Teterina
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds at Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir O Nebogatikov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds at Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russian Federation
| | - Daria S Spasskaya
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Michael B Evgen’ev
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Alexey V Morozov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Sergei Yu Funikov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
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11
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Wang JY, Ma GM, Tang XQ, Shi QL, Yu MC, Lou MM, He KW, Wang WY. Brain region-specific synaptic function of FUS underlies the FTLD-linked behavioural disinhibition. Brain 2023; 146:2107-2119. [PMID: 36345573 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic dysfunction is one of the earliest pathological processes that contribute to the development of many neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. However, the synaptic function of many disease-causative genes and their contribution to the pathogenesis of the related diseases remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the synaptic role of fused in sarcoma, an RNA-binding protein linked to frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and its potential pathological role in frontotemporal lobar degeneration using pyramidal neuron-specific conditional knockout mice (FuscKO). We found that FUS regulates the expression of many genes associated with synaptic function in a hippocampal subregion-specific manner, concomitant with the frontotemporal lobar degeneration-linked behavioural disinhibition. Electrophysiological study and molecular pathway analyses further reveal that fused in sarcoma differentially regulates synaptic and neuronal properties in the ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex, respectively. Moreover, fused in sarcoma selectively modulates the ventral hippocampus-prefrontal cortex projection, which is known to mediate the anxiety-like behaviour. Our findings unveil the brain region- and synapse-specific role of fused in sarcoma, whose impairment might lead to the emotional symptoms associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Ying Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guo-Ming Ma
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Qiang Tang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qi-Li Shi
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Ming-Can Yu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Min-Min Lou
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kai-Wen He
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wen-Yuan Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
- Animal Center of Zoology, Institute of Neuroscience, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China
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12
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Zhang J, Xie S, Xiao R, Yang D, Zhan Z, Li Y. Identification of mitophagy-related biomarkers and immune infiltration in major depressive disorder. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:216. [PMID: 37098514 PMCID: PMC10131417 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09304-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a life-threatening and debilitating mental health condition. Mitophagy, a form of selective autophagy that eliminates dysfunctional mitochondria, is associated with depression. However, studies on the relationship between mitophagy-related genes (MRGs) and MDD are scarce. This study aimed to identify potential mitophagy-related biomarkers for MDD and characterize the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS The gene expression profiles of 144 MDD samples and 72 normal controls were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and the MRGs were extracted from the GeneCards database. Consensus clustering was used to determine MDD clusters. Immune cell infiltration was evaluated using CIBERSORT. Functional enrichment analyses were performed to determine the biological significance of mitophagy-related differentially expressed genes (MR-DEGs). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis, along with a network of protein-protein interactions (PPI), was used to identify key modules and hub genes. Based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis, a diagnostic model was constructed and evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and validated with training data and external validation data. We reclassified MDD into two molecular subtypes according to biomarkers and evaluated their expression levels. RESULTS In total, 315 MDD-related MR-DEGs were identified. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that MR-DEGs were mainly enriched in mitophagy-related biological processes and multiple neurodegenerative disease pathways. Two distinct clusters with diverse immune infiltration characteristics were identified in the 144 MDD samples. MATR3, ACTL6A, FUS, BIRC2, and RIPK1 have been identified as potential biomarkers of MDD. All biomarkers showed varying degrees of correlation with immune cells. In addition, two molecular subtypes with distinct mitophagy gene signatures were identified. CONCLUSIONS We identified a novel five-MRG gene signature that has excellent diagnostic performance and identified an association between MRGs and the immune microenvironment in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Shujun Xie
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510378, China
| | - Rong Xiao
- Department of Rehabilitation, The Eighth People's Hospital of Hefei, Hefei, 238000, China
| | - Dongrong Yang
- Department of Psychological Sleep, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Zhi Zhan
- Department of Psychological Sleep, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Psychological Sleep, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
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13
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FUS Alters circRNA Metabolism in Human Motor Neurons Carrying the ALS-Linked P525L Mutation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043181. [PMID: 36834591 PMCID: PMC9968238 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Deregulation of RNA metabolism has emerged as one of the key events leading to the degeneration of motor neurons (MNs) in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease. Indeed, mutations on RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) or on proteins involved in aspects of RNA metabolism account for the majority of familiar forms of ALS. In particular, the impact of the ALS-linked mutations of the RBP FUS on many aspects of RNA-related processes has been vastly investigated. FUS plays a pivotal role in splicing regulation and its mutations severely alter the exon composition of transcripts coding for proteins involved in neurogenesis, axon guidance, and synaptic activity. In this study, by using in vitro-derived human MNs, we investigate the effect of the P525L FUS mutation on non-canonical splicing events that leads to the formation of circular RNAs (circRNAs). We observed altered levels of circRNAs in FUSP525L MNs and a preferential binding of the mutant protein to introns flanking downregulated circRNAs and containing inverted Alu repeats. For a subset of circRNAs, FUSP525L also impacts their nuclear/cytoplasmic partitioning, confirming its involvement in different processes of RNA metabolism. Finally, we assess the potential of cytoplasmic circRNAs to act as miRNA sponges, with possible implications in ALS pathogenesis.
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14
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Chauhan P, Wadhwa K, Singh G. Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system to evaluate neuroprotective potential of nano formulations. FRONTIERS IN NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2022.1018754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of neurodegenerative illnesses on society is significant, but the mechanisms leading to neuronal malfunction and death in these conditions remain largely unknown despite identifying essential disease genes. To pinpoint the mechanisms behind the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, several researchers have turned to nematode C. elegans instead of using mammals. Since C. elegans is transparent, free-living, and amenable to culture, it has several benefits. As a result, all the neurons in C. elegans can be easily identified, and their connections are understood. Human proteins linked to Neurodegeneration can be made to express in them. It is also possible to analyze how C. elegans orthologs of the genes responsible for human neurodegenerative diseases function. In this article, we focused at some of the most important C. elegans neurodegeneration models that accurately represent many elements of human neurodegenerative illness. It has been observed that studies using the adaptable C. elegans have helped us in better understanding of human diseases. These studies have used it to replicate several aspects of human neurodegeneration. A nanotech approach involves engineering materials or equipments interacting with biological systems at the molecular level to trigger physiological responses by increasing stimulation, responding, and interacting with target sites while minimizing side effects, thus revolutionizing the treatment and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. Nanotechnologies are being used to treat neurological disorders and deliver nanoscale drugs. This review explores the current and future uses of these nanotechnologies as innovative therapeutic modalities in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases using C elegans as an experimental model.
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15
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Houghton OH, Mizielinska S, Gomez-Suaga P. The Interplay Between Autophagy and RNA Homeostasis: Implications for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:838402. [PMID: 35573690 PMCID: PMC9096704 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.838402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia are neurodegenerative disorders that lie on a disease spectrum, sharing genetic causes and pathology, and both without effective therapeutics. Two pathways that have been shown to play major roles in disease pathogenesis are autophagy and RNA homeostasis. Intriguingly, there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting a critical interplay between these pathways. Autophagy is a multi-stage process for bulk and selective clearance of malfunctional cellular components, with many layers of regulation. Although the majority of autophagy research focuses on protein degradation, it can also mediate RNA catabolism. ALS/FTD-associated proteins are involved in many stages of autophagy and autophagy-mediated RNA degradation, particularly converging on the clearance of persistent pathological stress granules. In this review, we will summarise the progress in understanding the autophagy-RNA homeostasis interplay and how that knowledge contributes to our understanding of the pathobiology of ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- O H Houghton
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.,UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - S Mizielinska
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.,UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - P Gomez-Suaga
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.,Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), Cáceres, Spain
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16
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Todd TW, Petrucelli L. Modelling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in rodents. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:231-251. [PMID: 35260846 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00564-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The efficient study of human disease requires the proper tools, one of the most crucial of which is an accurate animal model that faithfully recapitulates the human condition. The study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is no exception. Although the majority of ALS cases are considered sporadic, most animal models of this disease rely on genetic mutations identified in familial cases. Over the past decade, the number of genes associated with ALS has risen dramatically and, with each new genetic variant, there is a drive to develop associated animal models. Rodent models are of particular importance as they allow for the study of ALS in the context of a living mammal with a comparable CNS. Such models not only help to verify the pathogenicity of novel mutations but also provide critical insight into disease mechanisms and are crucial for the testing of new therapeutics. In this Review, we aim to summarize the full spectrum of ALS rodent models developed to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany W Todd
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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17
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Milicevic K, Rankovic B, Andjus PR, Bataveljic D, Milovanovic D. Emerging Roles for Phase Separation of RNA-Binding Proteins in Cellular Pathology of ALS. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:840256. [PMID: 35372329 PMCID: PMC8965147 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.840256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is emerging as a major principle for the mesoscale organization of proteins, RNAs, and membrane-bound organelles into biomolecular condensates. These condensates allow for rapid cellular responses to changes in metabolic activities and signaling. Nowhere is this regulation more important than in neurons and glia, where cellular physiology occurs simultaneously on a range of time- and length-scales. In a number of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), misregulation of biomolecular condensates leads to the formation of insoluble aggregates-a pathological hallmark of both sporadic and familial ALS. Here, we summarize how the emerging knowledge about the LLPS of ALS-related proteins corroborates with their aggregation. Understanding the mechanisms that lead to protein aggregation in ALS and how cells respond to these aggregates promises to open new directions for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Milicevic
- Center for Laser Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry “Ivan Djaja”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Branislava Rankovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Pavle R. Andjus
- Center for Laser Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry “Ivan Djaja”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Danijela Bataveljic
- Center for Laser Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry “Ivan Djaja”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragomir Milovanovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
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18
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Baskoylu SN, Chapkis N, Unsal B, Lins J, Schuch K, Simon J, Hart AC. Disrupted autophagy and neuronal dysfunction in C. elegans knockin models of FUS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110195. [PMID: 35081350 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
How mutations in FUS lead to neuronal dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients remains unclear. To examine mechanisms underlying ALS FUS dysfunction, we generate C. elegans knockin models using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing, creating R524S and P525L ALS FUS models. Although FUS inclusions are not detected, ALS FUS animals show defective neuromuscular function and locomotion under stress. Unlike animals lacking the endogenous FUS ortholog, ALS FUS animals have impaired neuronal autophagy and increased SQST-1 accumulation in motor neurons. Loss of sqst-1, the C. elegans ortholog for ALS-linked, autophagy adaptor protein SQSTM1/p62, suppresses both neuromuscular and stress-induced locomotion defects in ALS FUS animals, but does not suppress neuronal autophagy defects. Therefore, autophagy dysfunction is upstream of, and not dependent on, SQSTM1 function in ALS FUS pathogenesis. Combined, our findings demonstrate that autophagy dysfunction likely contributes to protein homeostasis and neuromuscular defects in ALS FUS knockin animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba N Baskoylu
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Natalie Chapkis
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Burak Unsal
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bogazici University, Istanbul 34342, Turkey
| | - Jeremy Lins
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Kelsey Schuch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology & Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Jonah Simon
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Anne C Hart
- Department of Neuroscience and the Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
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19
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Genetic architecture of motor neuron diseases. J Neurol Sci 2021; 434:120099. [PMID: 34965490 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.120099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are rare and frequently fatal neurological disorders in which motor neurons within the brainstem and spinal cord regions slowly die. MNDs are primarily caused by genetic mutations, and > 100 different mutant genes in humans have been discovered thus far. Given the fact that many more MND-related genes have yet to be discovered, the growing body of genetic evidence has offered new insights into the diverse cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the aetiology and pathogenesis of MNDs. This search may aid in the selection of potential candidate genes for future investigation and, eventually, may open the door to novel interventions to slow down disease progression. In this review paper, we have summarized detailed existing research findings of different MNDs, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), spinal bulbar muscle atrophy (SBMA) and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) in relation to their complex genetic architecture.
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20
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Devoy A, Price G, De Giorgio F, Bunton-Stasyshyn R, Thompson D, Gasco S, Allan A, Codner GF, Nair RR, Tibbit C, McLeod R, Ali Z, Noda J, Marrero-Gagliardi A, Brito-Armas JM, Williams C, Öztürk MM, Simon M, O'Neill E, Bryce-Smith S, Harrison J, Atkins G, Corrochano S, Stewart M, Gilthorpe JD, Teboul L, Acevedo-Arozena A, Fisher EM, Cunningham TJ. Generation and analysis of innovative genomically humanized knockin SOD1, TARDBP (TDP-43), and FUS mouse models. iScience 2021; 24:103463. [PMID: 34988393 PMCID: PMC8710557 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, and continued innovation is needed for improved understanding and for developing therapeutics. We have created next-generation genomically humanized knockin mouse models, by replacing the mouse genomic region of Sod1, Tardbp (TDP-43), and Fus, with their human orthologs, preserving human protein biochemistry and splicing with exons and introns intact. We establish a new standard of large knockin allele quality control, demonstrating the utility of indirect capture for enrichment of a genomic region of interest followed by Oxford Nanopore sequencing. Extensive analysis shows that homozygous humanized animals only express human protein at endogenous levels. Characterization of humanized FUS animals showed that they are phenotypically normal throughout their lifespan. These humanized strains are vital for preclinical assessment of interventions and serve as templates for the addition of coding or non-coding human ALS/FTD mutations to dissect disease pathomechanisms, in a physiological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Devoy
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Georgia Price
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Francesca De Giorgio
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rosie Bunton-Stasyshyn
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - David Thompson
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Samanta Gasco
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Alasdair Allan
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Gemma F. Codner
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Remya R. Nair
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Charlotte Tibbit
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Ross McLeod
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Zeinab Ali
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Judith Noda
- Research Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias; ITB-ULL and CIBERNED, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
| | | | - José M. Brito-Armas
- Research Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias; ITB-ULL and CIBERNED, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Chloe Williams
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Muhammet M. Öztürk
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Michelle Simon
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Edward O'Neill
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Sam Bryce-Smith
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jackie Harrison
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Gemma Atkins
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | | | - Michelle Stewart
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | | | - Lydia Teboul
- UK MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Abraham Acevedo-Arozena
- Research Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias; ITB-ULL and CIBERNED, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Elizabeth M.C. Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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21
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Trnka F, Hoffmann C, Wang H, Sansevrino R, Rankovic B, Rost BR, Schmitz D, Schmidt HB, Milovanovic D. Aberrant Phase Separation of FUS Leads to Lysosome Sequestering and Acidification. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:716919. [PMID: 34746121 PMCID: PMC8569517 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.716919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to the death of upper and lower motor neurons. While most cases of ALS are sporadic, some of the familial forms of the disease are caused by mutations in the gene encoding for the RNA-binding protein FUS. Under physiological conditions, FUS readily phase separates into liquid-like droplets in vivo and in vitro. ALS-associated mutations interfere with this process and often result in solid-like aggregates rather than fluid condensates. Yet, whether cells recognize and triage aberrant condensates remains poorly understood, posing a major barrier to the development of novel ALS treatments. Using a combination of ALS-associated FUS mutations, optogenetic manipulation of FUS condensation, chemically induced stress, and pH-sensitive reporters of organelle acidity, we systematically characterized the cause-effect relationship between the material state of FUS condensates and the sequestering of lysosomes. From our data, we can derive three conclusions. First, regardless of whether we use wild-type or mutant FUS, expression levels (i.e., high concentrations) play a dominant role in determining the fraction of cells having soluble or aggregated FUS. Second, chemically induced FUS aggregates recruit LAMP1-positive structures. Third, mature, acidic lysosomes accumulate only at FUS aggregates but not at liquid-condensates. Together, our data suggest that lysosome-degradation machinery actively distinguishes between fluid and solid condensates. Unraveling these aberrant interactions and testing strategies to manipulate the autophagosome-lysosome axis provides valuable clues for disease intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Trnka
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Hoffmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Han Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Roberto Sansevrino
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Branislava Rankovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin R Rost
- Laboratory of Network Dysfunction, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Dietmar Schmitz
- Laboratory of Network Dysfunction, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - H Broder Schmidt
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Dragomir Milovanovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
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22
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All Roads Lead to Rome: Different Molecular Players Converge to Common Toxic Pathways in Neurodegeneration. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092438. [PMID: 34572087 PMCID: PMC8468417 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease (HD) are being suggested to have common cellular and molecular pathological mechanisms, characterized mainly by protein misfolding and aggregation. These large inclusions, most likely, represent an end stage of a molecular cascade; however, the soluble misfolded proteins, which take part in earlier steps of this cascade, are the more toxic players. These pathological proteins, which characterize each specific disease, lead to the selective vulnerability of different neurons, likely resulting from a combination of different intracellular mechanisms, including mitochondrial dysfunction, ER stress, proteasome inhibition, excitotoxicity, oxidative damage, defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport, defective axonal transport and neuroinflammation. Damage within these neurons is enhanced by damage from the nonneuronal cells, via inflammatory processes that accelerate the progression of these diseases. In this review, while acknowledging the hallmark proteins which characterize the most common NDDs; we place specific focus on the common overlapping mechanisms leading to disease pathology despite these different molecular players and discuss how this convergence may occur, with the ultimate hope that therapies effective in one disease may successfully translate to another.
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Wild-type FUS corrects ALS-like disease induced by cytoplasmic mutant FUS through autoregulation. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:61. [PMID: 34488813 PMCID: PMC8419956 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00477-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in FUS, an RNA-binding protein involved in multiple steps of RNA metabolism, are associated with the most severe forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Accumulation of cytoplasmic FUS is likely to be a major culprit in the toxicity of FUS mutations. Thus, preventing cytoplasmic mislocalization of the FUS protein may represent a valuable therapeutic strategy. FUS binds to its own pre-mRNA creating an autoregulatory loop efficiently buffering FUS excess through multiple proposed mechanisms including retention of introns 6 and/or 7. Here, we introduced a wild-type FUS gene allele, retaining all intronic sequences, in mice whose heterozygous or homozygous expression of a cytoplasmically retained FUS protein (Fus∆NLS) was previously shown to provoke ALS-like disease or postnatal lethality, respectively. Wild-type FUS completely rescued the early lethality caused by the two Fus∆NLS alleles, and improved the age-dependent motor deficits and reduced lifespan caused by heterozygous expression of mutant FUS∆NLS. Mechanistically, wild-type FUS decreased the load of cytoplasmic FUS, increased retention of introns 6 and 7 in the endogenous mouse Fus mRNA, and decreased expression of the mutant mRNA. Thus, the wild-type FUS allele activates the homeostatic autoregulatory loop, maintaining constant FUS levels and decreasing the mutant protein in the cytoplasm. These results provide proof of concept that an autoregulatory competent wild-type FUS expression could protect against this devastating, currently intractable, neurodegenerative disease.
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24
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Jia W, Kim SH, Scalf MA, Tonzi P, Millikin RJ, Guns WM, Liu L, Mastrocola AS, Smith LM, Huang TT, Tibbetts RS. Fused in sarcoma regulates DNA replication timing and kinetics. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101049. [PMID: 34375640 PMCID: PMC8403768 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS) encodes an RNA-binding protein with diverse roles in transcriptional activation and RNA splicing. While oncogenic fusions of FUS and transcription factor DNA-binding domains are associated with soft tissue sarcomas, dominant mutations in FUS can cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. FUS has also been implicated in genome maintenance. However, the underlying mechanisms of its actions in genome stability are unknown. Here, we applied gene editing, functional reconstitution, and integrated proteomics and transcriptomics to illuminate roles for FUS in DNA replication and repair. Consistent with a supportive role in DNA double-strand break repair, FUS-deficient cells exhibited subtle alterations in the recruitment and retention of double-strand break-associated factors, including 53BP1 and BRCA1. FUS-/- cells also exhibited reduced proliferative potential that correlated with reduced speed of replication fork progression, diminished loading of prereplication complexes, enhanced micronucleus formation, and attenuated expression and splicing of S-phase-associated genes. Finally, FUS-deficient cells exhibited genome-wide alterations in DNA replication timing that were reversed upon re-expression of FUS complementary DNA. We also showed that FUS-dependent replication domains were enriched in transcriptionally active chromatin and that FUS was required for the timely replication of transcriptionally active DNA. These findings suggest that alterations in DNA replication kinetics and programming contribute to genome instability and functional defects in FUS-deficient cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyan Jia
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sang Hwa Kim
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Mark A Scalf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Peter Tonzi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert J Millikin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - William M Guns
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Adam S Mastrocola
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Lloyd M Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Tony T Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Randal S Tibbetts
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
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25
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Wild-Type and Mutant FUS Expression Reduce Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation Properties of Neural Stem Progenitor Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147566. [PMID: 34299185 PMCID: PMC8304973 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nervous system development involves proliferation and cell specification of progenitor cells into neurons and glial cells. Unveiling how this complex process is orchestrated under physiological conditions and deciphering the molecular and cellular changes leading to neurological diseases is mandatory. To date, great efforts have been aimed at identifying gene mutations associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Mutations in the RNA/DNA binding protein Fused in Sarcoma/Translocated in Liposarcoma (FUS/TLS) have been associated with motor neuron degeneration in rodents and humans. Furthermore, increased levels of the wild-type protein can promote neuronal cell death. Despite the well-established causal link between FUS mutations and ALS, its role in neural cells remains elusive. In order to shed new light on FUS functions we studied its role in the control of neural stem progenitor cell (NSPC) properties. Here, we report that human wild-type Fused in Sarcoma (WT FUS), exogenously expressed in mouse embryonic spinal cord-derived NSPCs, was localized in the nucleus, caused cell cycle arrest in G1 phase by affecting cell cycle regulator expression, and strongly reduced neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, the expression of the human mutant form of FUS (P525L-FUS), associated with early-onset ALS, drives the cells preferentially towards a glial lineage, strongly reducing the number of developing neurons. These results provide insight into the involvement of FUS in NSPC proliferation and differentiation into neurons and glia.
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26
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Milani M, Mammarella E, Rossi S, Miele C, Lattante S, Sabatelli M, Cozzolino M, D'Ambrosi N, Apolloni S. Targeting S100A4 with niclosamide attenuates inflammatory and profibrotic pathways in models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:132. [PMID: 34118929 PMCID: PMC8196441 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02184-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background An increasing number of studies evidences that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by extensive alterations in different cell types and in different regions besides the CNS. We previously reported the upregulation in ALS models of a gene called fibroblast-specific protein-1 or S100A4, recognized as a pro-inflammatory and profibrotic factor. Since inflammation and fibrosis are often mutual-sustaining events that contribute to establish a hostile environment for organ functions, the comprehension of the elements responsible for these interconnected pathways is crucial to disclose novel aspects involved in ALS pathology. Methods Here, we employed fibroblasts derived from ALS patients harboring the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion and ALS patients with no mutations in known ALS-associated genes and we downregulated S100A4 using siRNA or the S100A4 transcriptional inhibitor niclosamide. Mice overexpressing human FUS were adopted to assess the effects of niclosamide in vivo on ALS pathology. Results We demonstrated that S100A4 underlies impaired autophagy and a profibrotic phenotype, which characterize ALS fibroblasts. Indeed, its inhibition reduces inflammatory, autophagic, and profibrotic pathways in ALS fibroblasts, and interferes with different markers known as pathogenic in the disease, such as mTOR, SQSTM1/p62, STAT3, α-SMA, and NF-κB. Importantly, niclosamide in vivo treatment of ALS-FUS mice reduces the expression of S100A4, α-SMA, and PDGFRβ in the spinal cord, as well as gliosis in central and peripheral nervous tissues, together with axonal impairment and displays beneficial effects on muscle atrophy, by promoting muscle regeneration and reducing fibrosis. Conclusion Our findings show that S100A4 has a role in ALS-related mechanisms, and that drugs such as niclosamide which are able to target inflammatory and fibrotic pathways could represent promising pharmacological tools for ALS. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-021-02184-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Milani
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Mammarella
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Rossi
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Miele
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Lattante
- Unità Operativa Complessa di Genetica Medica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy.,Sezione di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Sabatelli
- Unità Operativa Complessa di Neurologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy.,Centro Clinico NEMO, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy.,Sezione di Neurologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Cozzolino
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Nadia D'Ambrosi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
| | - Savina Apolloni
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
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27
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Podvin S, Jones A, Liu Q, Aulston B, Mosier C, Ames J, Winston C, Lietz CB, Jiang Z, O’Donoghue AJ, Ikezu T, Rissman RA, Yuan SH, Hook V. Mutant Presenilin 1 Dysregulates Exosomal Proteome Cargo Produced by Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Neurons. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:13033-13056. [PMID: 34056454 PMCID: PMC8158845 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation and propagation of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-Tau) is a neuropathological hallmark occurring with neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Extracellular vesicles, exosomes, have been shown to initiate tau propagation in the brain. Notably, exosomes from human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) neurons expressing the AD familial A246E mutant form of presenilin 1 (mPS1) are capable of inducing tau deposits in the mouse brain after in vivo injection. To gain insights into the exosome proteome cargo that participates in propagating tau pathology, this study conducted proteomic analysis of exosomes produced by human iPSC neurons expressing A246E mPS1. Significantly, mPS1 altered the profile of exosome cargo proteins to result in (1) proteins present only in mPS1 exosomes and not in controls, (2) the absence of proteins in the mPS1 exosomes which were present only in controls, and (3) shared proteins which were upregulated or downregulated in the mPS1 exosomes compared to controls. These results show that mPS1 dysregulates the proteome cargo of exosomes to result in the acquisition of proteins involved in the extracellular matrix and protease functions, deletion of proteins involved in RNA and protein translation systems along with proteasome and related functions, combined with the upregulation and downregulation of shared proteins, including the upregulation of amyloid precursor protein. Notably, mPS1 neuron-derived exosomes displayed altered profiles of protein phosphatases and kinases involved in regulating the status of p-tau. The dysregulation of exosome cargo proteins by mPS1 may be associated with the ability of mPS1 neuron-derived exosomes to propagate tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Podvin
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Alexander Jones
- Biomedical
Sciences Graduate Program, University of
California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Qing Liu
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Brent Aulston
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Charles Mosier
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Janneca Ames
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Charisse Winston
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Christopher B. Lietz
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Zhenze Jiang
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Anthony J. O’Donoghue
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Tsuneya Ikezu
- Department
of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology,
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Boston University, School of Medicine, Boston 02118, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Robert A. Rissman
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
- Veterans
Affairs San Diego Healthcare System,
La Jolla, San Diego 92161, California, United States
| | - Shauna H. Yuan
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Vivian Hook
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
- Biomedical
Sciences Graduate Program, University of
California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
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28
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Scekic-Zahirovic J, Sanjuan-Ruiz I, Kan V, Megat S, De Rossi P, Dieterlé S, Cassel R, Jamet M, Kessler P, Wiesner D, Tzeplaeff L, Demais V, Sahadevan S, Hembach KM, Muller HP, Picchiarelli G, Mishra N, Antonucci S, Dirrig-Grosch S, Kassubek J, Rasche V, Ludolph A, Boutillier AL, Roselli F, Polymenidou M, Lagier-Tourenne C, Liebscher S, Dupuis L. Cytoplasmic FUS triggers early behavioral alterations linked to cortical neuronal hyperactivity and inhibitory synaptic defects. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3028. [PMID: 34021132 PMCID: PMC8140148 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23187-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene mutations causing cytoplasmic mislocalization of the RNA-binding protein FUS lead to severe forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Cytoplasmic accumulation of FUS is also observed in other diseases, with unknown consequences. Here, we show that cytoplasmic mislocalization of FUS drives behavioral abnormalities in knock-in mice, including locomotor hyperactivity and alterations in social interactions, in the absence of widespread neuronal loss. Mechanistically, we identified a progressive increase in neuronal activity in the frontal cortex of Fus knock-in mice in vivo, associated with altered synaptic gene expression. Synaptic ultrastructural and morphological defects were more pronounced in inhibitory than excitatory synapses and associated with increased synaptosomal levels of FUS and its RNA targets. Thus, cytoplasmic FUS triggers synaptic deficits, which is leading to increased neuronal activity in frontal cortex and causing related behavioral phenotypes. These results indicate that FUS mislocalization may trigger deleterious phenotypes beyond motor neuron impairment in ALS, likely relevant also for other neurodegenerative diseases characterized by FUS mislocalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Scekic-Zahirovic
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
| | - Inmaculada Sanjuan-Ruiz
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
| | - Vanessa Kan
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- BioMedical Center, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Salim Megat
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre De Rossi
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Dieterlé
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
| | - Raphaelle Cassel
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR 7364 CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Strasbourg, France
| | - Marguerite Jamet
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pascal Kessler
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Unité mixte de service du CRBS, UMS 038, Strasbourg, France
| | - Diana Wiesner
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Laura Tzeplaeff
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR 7364 CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Strasbourg, France
| | - Valérie Demais
- Plateforme Imagerie In Vitro, CNRS UPS-3156, NeuroPôle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sonu Sahadevan
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Katharina M Hembach
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Gina Picchiarelli
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nibha Mishra
- Department of Neurology, The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stefano Antonucci
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Sylvie Dirrig-Grosch
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Volker Rasche
- Ulm University Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Anne-Laurence Boutillier
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR 7364 CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Strasbourg, France
| | - Francesco Roselli
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sabine Liebscher
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
- BioMedical Center, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France.
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29
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Liguori F, Amadio S, Volonté C. Where and Why Modeling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083977. [PMID: 33921446 PMCID: PMC8070525 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the years, researchers have leveraged a host of different in vivo models in order to dissect amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative/neuroinflammatory disease that is heterogeneous in its clinical presentation and is multigenic, multifactorial and non-cell autonomous. These models include both vertebrates and invertebrates such as yeast, worms, flies, zebrafish, mice, rats, guinea pigs, dogs and, more recently, non-human primates. Despite their obvious differences and peculiarities, only the concurrent and comparative analysis of these various systems will allow the untangling of the causes and mechanisms of ALS for finally obtaining new efficacious therapeutics. However, harnessing these powerful organisms poses numerous challenges. In this context, we present here an updated and comprehensive review of how eukaryotic unicellular and multicellular organisms that reproduce a few of the main clinical features of the disease have helped in ALS research to dissect the pathological pathways of the disease insurgence and progression. We describe common features as well as discrepancies among these models, highlighting new insights and emerging roles for experimental organisms in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Liguori
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Susanna Amadio
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Cinzia Volonté
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (S.A.)
- Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science “A. Ruberti”, National Research Council (IASI—CNR), 00185 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-50170-3084
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30
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Tsai YL, Manley JL. Multiple ways to a dead end: diverse mechanisms by which ALS mutant genes induce cell death. Cell Cycle 2021; 20:631-646. [PMID: 33722167 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2021.1886661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a deadly neuromuscular disorder caused by progressive motor neuron loss in the brain and spinal cord. Over the past decades, a number of genetic mutations have been identified that cause or are associated with ALS disease progression. Numerous genes harbor ALS mutations, and they encode proteins displaying a wide range of physiological functions, with limited overlap. Despite the divergent functions, mutations in these genes typically trigger protein aggregation, which can confer gain- and/or loss-of-function to a number of essential cellular processes. Nuclear processes such as mRNA splicing and the response to DNA damage are significantly affected in ALS patients. Cytoplasmic organelles such as mitochondria are damaged by ALS mutant proteins. Processes that maintain cellular homeostasis such as autophagy, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and nucleocytoplasmic transport, are also impaired by ALS mutations. Here, we review the multiple mechanisms by which mutations in major ALS-associated genes, such as TARDBP, C9ORF72 and FUS, lead to impairment of essential cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Lin Tsai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - James L Manley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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31
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Arenas A, Kuang L, Zhang J, Kingren MS, Zhu H. FUS regulates autophagy by mediating the transcription of genes critical to the autophagosome formation. J Neurochem 2021; 157:752-763. [PMID: 33354770 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is a ubiquitously expressed RNA/DNA-binding protein that plays different roles in the cell. FUS pathology has been reported in neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Mutations in FUS have also been linked to a subset of familial ALS. FUS is mainly localized in the nucleus although it shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. ALS-linked mutations cause the accumulation of the FUS protein in cytoplasm where it forms stress granule-like inclusions. The protein- and RNA-containing inclusions are reported to be positive of autophagosome markers and degraded by the autophagy pathway. However, the role of FUS in the autophagy pathway remains to be better understood. Using immunoblot and confocal imaging techniques in this study, we found that FUS knockout (KO) cells showed a decreased basal autophagy level. Rapamycin and bafilomycin A1 treatment showed that FUS KO cells were not able to initiate autophagy as efficiently as wild-type cells, suggesting that the autophagosome formation is affected in the absence of FUS. Moreover, using immunoblot and quantitative PCR techniques, we found that the mRNA and protein levels of the genes critical in the initial steps of the autophagy pathway (FIP200, ATG16L1 and ATG12) were significantly lower in FUS KO cells. Re-expressing FUS in the KO cells restored the expression of FIP200 and ATG16L1. Our findings demonstrate a novel role of FUS in the autophagy pathway, that is, regulating the transcription of genes involved in early stages of autophagy such as the initiation and elongation of autophagosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Arenas
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Lisha Kuang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Lexington VA Medical Center, Research and Development, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jiayu Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Meagan S Kingren
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Haining Zhu
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Lexington VA Medical Center, Research and Development, Lexington, KY, USA
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Brunet MA, Jacques J, Nassari S, Tyzack GE, McGoldrick P, Zinman L, Jean S, Robertson J, Patani R, Roucou X. The FUS gene is dual-coding with both proteins contributing to FUS-mediated toxicity. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e50640. [PMID: 33226175 PMCID: PMC7788448 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202050640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel functional coding sequences (altORFs) are camouflaged within annotated ones (CDS) in a different reading frame. We show here that an altORF is nested in the FUS CDS, encoding a conserved 170 amino acid protein, altFUS. AltFUS is endogenously expressed in human tissues, notably in the motor cortex and motor neurons. Over-expression of wild-type FUS and/or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-linked FUS mutants is known to trigger toxic mechanisms in different models. These include inhibition of autophagy, loss of mitochondrial potential and accumulation of cytoplasmic aggregates. We find that altFUS, not FUS, is responsible for the inhibition of autophagy, and pivotal in mitochondrial potential loss and accumulation of cytoplasmic aggregates. Suppression of altFUS expression in a Drosophila model of FUS-related toxicity protects against neurodegeneration. Some mutations found in ALS patients are overlooked because of their synonymous effect on the FUS protein. Yet, we show they exert a deleterious effect causing missense mutations in the overlapping altFUS protein. These findings demonstrate that FUS is a bicistronic gene and suggests that both proteins, FUS and altFUS, cooperate in toxic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie A Brunet
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional GenomicsUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
- PROTEOQuebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and EngineeringQuebecQCCanada
| | - Jean‐Francois Jacques
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional GenomicsUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
- PROTEOQuebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and EngineeringQuebecQCCanada
| | - Sonya Nassari
- Immunology and Cell Biology DepartmentUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
| | - Giulia E Tyzack
- The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
- Department of Neuromuscular DiseasesUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Philip McGoldrick
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Lorne Zinman
- Division of NeurologyDepartment of MedicineSunnybrook Health Sciences CentreUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Steve Jean
- Immunology and Cell Biology DepartmentUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
| | - Janice Robertson
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
- Department of Neuromuscular DiseasesUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Xavier Roucou
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional GenomicsUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
- PROTEOQuebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and EngineeringQuebecQCCanada
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Ho WY, Agrawal I, Tyan SH, Sanford E, Chang WT, Lim K, Ong J, Tan BSY, Moe AAK, Yu R, Wong P, Tucker-Kellogg G, Koo E, Chuang KH, Ling SC. Dysfunction in nonsense-mediated decay, protein homeostasis, mitochondrial function, and brain connectivity in ALS-FUS mice with cognitive deficits. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:9. [PMID: 33407930 PMCID: PMC7789430 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01111-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represent two ends of the same disease spectrum of adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases that affect the motor and cognitive functions, respectively. Multiple common genetic loci such as fused in sarcoma (FUS) have been identified to play a role in ALS and FTD etiology. Current studies indicate that FUS mutations incur gain-of-toxic functions to drive ALS pathogenesis. However, how the disease-linked mutations of FUS affect cognition remains elusive. Using a mouse model expressing an ALS-linked human FUS mutation (R514G-FUS) that mimics endogenous expression patterns, we found that FUS proteins showed an age-dependent accumulation of FUS proteins despite the downregulation of mouse FUS mRNA by the R514G-FUS protein during aging. Furthermore, these mice developed cognitive deficits accompanied by a reduction in spine density and long-term potentiation (LTP) within the hippocampus. At the physiological expression level, mutant FUS is distributed in the nucleus and cytosol without apparent FUS aggregates or nuclear envelope defects. Unbiased transcriptomic analysis revealed a deregulation of genes that cluster in pathways involved in nonsense-mediated decay, protein homeostasis, and mitochondrial functions. Furthermore, the use of in vivo functional imaging demonstrated widespread reduction in cortical volumes but enhanced functional connectivity between hippocampus, basal ganglia and neocortex in R514G-FUS mice. Hence, our findings suggest that disease-linked mutation in FUS may lead to changes in proteostasis and mitochondrial dysfunction that in turn affect brain structure and connectivity resulting in cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Yun Ho
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117549 Singapore
| | - Ira Agrawal
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117549 Singapore
| | - Sheue-Houy Tyan
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Emma Sanford
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117549 Singapore
| | - Wei-Tang Chang
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Singapore, Singapore
- Present Address: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Kenneth Lim
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117549 Singapore
- Computational Biology Programme, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jolynn Ong
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117549 Singapore
| | - Bernice Siu Yan Tan
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117549 Singapore
| | - Aung Aung Kywe Moe
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Regina Yu
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Peiyan Wong
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavior Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Greg Tucker-Kellogg
- Computational Biology Programme, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Edward Koo
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Kai-Hsiang Chuang
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Singapore, Singapore
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Shuo-Chien Ling
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117549 Singapore
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavior Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Niss F, Zaidi W, Hallberg E, Ström AL. Polyglutamine expanded Ataxin-7 induces DNA damage and alters FUS localization and function. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 110:103584. [PMID: 33338633 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, such as Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7), are caused by expansions of polyQ repeats in disease specific proteins. The sequestration of vital proteins into aggregates formed by polyQ proteins is believed to be a common pathological mechanism in these disorders. The RNA-binding protein FUS has been observed in polyQ aggregates, though if disruption of this protein plays a role in the neuronal dysfunction in SCA7 or other polyQ diseases remains unclear. We therefore analysed FUS localisation and function in a stable inducible PC12 cell model expressing the SCA7 polyQ protein ATXN7. We found that there was a high degree of FUS sequestration, which was associated with a more cytoplasmic FUS localisation, as well as a decreased expression of FUS regulated mRNAs. In contrast, the role of FUS in the formation of γH2AX positive DNA damage foci was unaffected. In fact, a statistical increase in the number of γH2AX foci, as well as an increased trend of single and double strand DNA breaks, detected by comet assay, could be observed in mutant ATXN7 cells. These results were further corroborated by a clear trend towards increased DNA damage in SCA7 patient fibroblasts. Our findings suggest that both alterations in the RNA regulatory functions of FUS, and increased DNA damage, may contribute to the pathology of SCA7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frida Niss
- Stockholm University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16C, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wajiha Zaidi
- Stockholm University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16C, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Einar Hallberg
- Stockholm University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16C, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna-Lena Ström
- Stockholm University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16C, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
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35
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Kim G, Gautier O, Tassoni-Tsuchida E, Ma XR, Gitler AD. ALS Genetics: Gains, Losses, and Implications for Future Therapies. Neuron 2020; 108:822-842. [PMID: 32931756 PMCID: PMC7736125 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of motor neurons from the brain and spinal cord. The ALS community has made remarkable strides over three decades by identifying novel familial mutations, generating animal models, elucidating molecular mechanisms, and ultimately developing promising new therapeutic approaches. Some of these approaches reduce the expression of mutant genes and are in human clinical trials, highlighting the need to carefully consider the normal functions of these genes and potential contribution of gene loss-of-function to ALS. Here, we highlight known loss-of-function mechanisms underlying ALS, potential consequences of lowering levels of gene products, and the need to consider both gain and loss of function to develop safe and effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garam Kim
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Olivia Gautier
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Eduardo Tassoni-Tsuchida
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - X Rosa Ma
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aaron D Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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36
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The role of hnRNPs in frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 140:599-623. [PMID: 32748079 PMCID: PMC7547044 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02203-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulated RNA metabolism is emerging as a crucially important mechanism underpinning the pathogenesis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and the clinically, genetically and pathologically overlapping disorder of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) comprise a family of RNA-binding proteins with diverse, multi-functional roles across all aspects of mRNA processing. The role of these proteins in neurodegeneration is far from understood. Here, we review some of the unifying mechanisms by which hnRNPs have been directly or indirectly linked with FTD/ALS pathogenesis, including their incorporation into pathological inclusions and their best-known roles in pre-mRNA splicing regulation. We also discuss the broader functionalities of hnRNPs including their roles in cryptic exon repression, stress granule assembly and in co-ordinating the DNA damage response, which are all emerging pathogenic themes in both diseases. We then present an integrated model that depicts how a broad-ranging network of pathogenic events can arise from declining levels of functional hnRNPs that are inadequately compensated for by autoregulatory means. Finally, we provide a comprehensive overview of the most functionally relevant cellular roles, in the context of FTD/ALS pathogenesis, for hnRNPs A1-U.
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37
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Xiao J, Lu Y, Yang X. THRIL mediates endothelial progenitor cells autophagy via AKT pathway and FUS. Mol Med 2020; 26:86. [PMID: 32907536 PMCID: PMC7488174 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-020-00201-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This study focused on the roles of lncRNA THRIL in coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CAD) through regulating AKT signaling pathway and directly interacting with FUS. Methods QRT-PCR was conducted to detect the expression of THRIL in CAD blood samples and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Cell autophagy of EPCs was examined through Cyto-ID Autophagy Detection Kit. CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were carried out to assess cell viability and apoptosis under various interference conditions. Western blotting was conducted to detect the expression of interest proteins. The expression levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were measured by qRT-PCR. The direct interactions between HCG18 and FUS was confirmed through RNA electrophoretic mobility shift assay (RNA EMSA) and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Results THRIL was upregulated in CAD blood samples and EPCs. Knockdown of THRIL in EPCs promoted cell viability, inhibited cell autophagy and further suppressed the development of CAD. Over-expression of THRIL induced inactivation of AKT pathway, while knockdown of THRIL played reversed effects. THRIL directly interacted with FUS protein and knockdown of FUS reversed the over-expressing effect of THRIL on cell proliferation, autophagy and the status of AKT pathway. Conclusion THRIL inhibits the proliferation and mediates autophagy of endothelial progenitor cells via AKT pathway and FUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiandong Xiao
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.8 Gongren Tiyuchang Nanlu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100020, China.,Department of Cardiology, Hengshui People's Hospital, Hengshui, 053400, Hebei Province, China
| | - Yuli Lu
- Department of Endocrine, Hengshui People's Hospital, Hengshui, 053400, Hebei Province, China
| | - Xinchun Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.8 Gongren Tiyuchang Nanlu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100020, China.
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38
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Richard P, Feng S, Tsai YL, Li W, Rinchetti P, Muhith U, Irizarry-Cole J, Stolz K, Sanz LA, Hartono S, Hoque M, Tadesse S, Seitz H, Lotti F, Hirano M, Chédin F, Tian B, Manley JL. SETX (senataxin), the helicase mutated in AOA2 and ALS4, functions in autophagy regulation. Autophagy 2020; 17:1889-1906. [PMID: 32686621 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1796292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
SETX (senataxin) is an RNA/DNA helicase that has been implicated in transcriptional regulation and the DNA damage response through resolution of R-loop structures. Mutations in SETX result in either of two distinct neurodegenerative disorders. SETX dominant mutations result in a juvenile form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) called ALS4, whereas recessive mutations are responsible for ataxia called ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2). How mutations in the same protein can lead to different phenotypes is still unclear. To elucidate AOA2 disease mechanisms, we first examined gene expression changes following SETX depletion. We observed the effects on both transcription and RNA processing, but surprisingly observed decreased R-loop accumulation in SETX-depleted cells. Importantly, we discovered a strong connection between SETX and the macroautophagy/autophagy pathway, reflecting a direct effect on transcription of autophagy genes. We show that SETX depletion inhibits the progression of autophagy, leading to an accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, decreased ability to clear protein aggregates, as well as mitochondrial defects. Analysis of AOA2 patient fibroblasts also revealed a perturbation of the autophagy pathway. Our work has thus identified a novel function for SETX in the regulation of autophagy, whose modulation may have a therapeutic impact for AOA2.Abbreviations: 3'READS: 3' region extraction and deep sequencing; ACTB: actin beta; ALS4: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis type 4; AOA2: ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2; APA: alternative polyadenylation; AS: alternative splicing; ATG7: autophagy-related 7; ATP6V0D2: ATPase H+ transporting V0 subunit D2; BAF: bafilomycin A1; BECN1: beclin 1; ChIP: chromatin IP; Chloro: chloroquine; CPT: camptothecin; DDR: DNA damage response; DNMT1: DNA methyltransferase 1; DRIP: DNA/RNA IP; DSBs: double strand breaks; EBs: embryoid bodies; FTD: frontotemporal dementia; GABARAP: GABA type A receptor-associated protein; GO: gene ontology; HR: homologous recombination; HTT: huntingtin; IF: immunofluorescence; IP: immunoprecipitation; iPSCs: induced pluripotent stem cells; KD: knockdown; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MN: motor neuron; MTORC1: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase complex 1; PASS: PolyA Site Supporting; PFA: paraformaldehyde; RNAPII: RNA polymerase II; SCA: spinocerebellar ataxia; SETX: senataxin; SMA: spinal muscular atrophy; SMN1: survival of motor neuron 1, telomeric; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TFEB: transcription factor EB; TSS: transcription start site; TTS: transcription termination site; ULK1: unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1; WB: western blot; WIPI2: WD repeat domain, phosphoinositide interacting 2; XRN2: 5'-3' exoribonuclease 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Richard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Stellate Therapeutics, JLABS @ NYC, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Yueh-Lin Tsai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wencheng Li
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Paola Rinchetti
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Dino Ferrari Centre, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ubayed Muhith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Juan Irizarry-Cole
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katharine Stolz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lionel A Sanz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Stella Hartono
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mainul Hoque
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Saba Tadesse
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hervé Seitz
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, UMR 9002 CNRS and Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Francesco Lotti
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michio Hirano
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frédéric Chédin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Bin Tian
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.,Gene Expression and Regulation Program, and Center for Systems and Computational Biology, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James L Manley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Aksoy YA, Deng W, Stoddart J, Chung R, Guillemin G, Cole NJ, Neely GG, Hesselson D. "STRESSED OUT": The role of FUS and TDP-43 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2020; 126:105821. [PMID: 32758633 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2020.105821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in fused-in-sarcoma (FUS) and TAR DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43; TARDBP) are known to cause the severe adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Proteinopathy caused by cellular stresses such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, oxidative stress, mitochondrial stress and proteasomal stress and the formation of stress granules (SGs), cytoplasmic aggregates and inclusions is a hallmark of ALS. FUS and TDP-43, which are DNA/RNA binding proteins that regulate transcription, RNA homeostasis and protein translation are implicated in ALS proteinopathy. Disease-causing mutations in FUS and TDP-43 cause sequestration of these proteins and their interacting partners in the cytoplasm, which leads to aggregation. This mislocalization and formation of aggregates and SGs is cytotoxic and a contributor to neuronal death. We explore how loss-of-nuclear-function and gain-of-cytoplasmic function mechanisms that affect FUS and TPD-43 localization can generate a 'stressed out' neuronal pathology and proteinopathy that drives ALS progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yagiz Alp Aksoy
- Diabetes and Metabolism Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Wei Deng
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Jack Stoddart
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Roger Chung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gilles Guillemin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas James Cole
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Graham Gregory Neely
- The Dr. John and Anne Chong Laboratory for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre, Centenary Institute, and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; Genome Editing Initiative, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Daniel Hesselson
- Diabetes and Metabolism Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Australia; Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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40
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Humphrey J, Birsa N, Milioto C, McLaughlin M, Ule AM, Robaldo D, Eberle AB, Kräuchi R, Bentham M, Brown AL, Jarvis S, Bodo C, Garone M, Devoy A, Soraru G, Rosa A, Bozzoni I, Fisher EMC, Mühlemann O, Schiavo G, Ruepp MD, Isaacs AM, Plagnol V, Fratta P. FUS ALS-causative mutations impair FUS autoregulation and splicing factor networks through intron retention. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:6889-6905. [PMID: 32479602 PMCID: PMC7337901 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the RNA-binding protein FUS cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating neurodegenerative disease. FUS plays a role in numerous aspects of RNA metabolism, including mRNA splicing. However, the impact of ALS-causative mutations on splicing has not been fully characterized, as most disease models have been based on overexpressing mutant FUS, which will alter RNA processing due to FUS autoregulation. We and others have recently created knockin models that overcome the overexpression problem, and have generated high depth RNA-sequencing on FUS mutants in parallel to FUS knockout, allowing us to compare mutation-induced changes to genuine loss of function. We find that FUS-ALS mutations induce a widespread loss of function on expression and splicing. Specifically, we find that mutant FUS directly alters intron retention levels in RNA-binding proteins. Moreover, we identify an intron retention event in FUS itself that is associated with its autoregulation. Altered FUS levels have been linked to disease, and we show here that this novel autoregulation mechanism is altered by FUS mutations. Crucially, we also observe this phenomenon in other genetic forms of ALS, including those caused by TDP-43, VCP and SOD1 mutations, supporting the concept that multiple ALS genes interact in a regulatory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Humphrey
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nicol Birsa
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute
| | - Carmelo Milioto
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Martha McLaughlin
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Agnieszka M Ule
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - David Robaldo
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Andrea B Eberle
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Rahel Kräuchi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Matthew Bentham
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Anna-Leigh Brown
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Seth Jarvis
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Cristian Bodo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | - Anny Devoy
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Gianni Soraru
- Department of Neurosciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova 35121, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Oliver Mühlemann
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Giampietro Schiavo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, University College London Campus, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Marc-David Ruepp
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Vincent Plagnol
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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41
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Wu JJ, Cai A, Greenslade JE, Higgins NR, Fan C, Le NTT, Tatman M, Whiteley AM, Prado MA, Dieriks BV, Curtis MA, Shaw CE, Siddique T, Faull RLM, Scotter EL, Finley D, Monteiro MJ. ALS/FTD mutations in UBQLN2 impede autophagy by reducing autophagosome acidification through loss of function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:15230-15241. [PMID: 32513711 PMCID: PMC7334651 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917371117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in UBQLN2 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other neurodegenerations. However, the mechanism by which the UBQLN2 mutations cause disease remains unclear. Alterations in proteins involved in autophagy are prominent in neuronal tissue of human ALS UBQLN2 patients and in a transgenic P497S UBQLN2 mouse model of ALS/FTD, suggesting a pathogenic link. Here, we show UBQLN2 functions in autophagy and that ALS/FTD mutant proteins compromise this function. Inactivation of UBQLN2 expression in HeLa cells reduced autophagic flux and autophagosome acidification. The defect in acidification was rescued by reexpression of wild type (WT) UBQLN2 but not by any of the five different UBQLN2 ALS/FTD mutants tested. Proteomic analysis and immunoblot studies revealed P497S mutant mice and UBQLN2 knockout HeLa and NSC34 cells have reduced expression of ATP6v1g1, a critical subunit of the vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) pump. Knockout of UBQLN2 expression in HeLa cells decreased turnover of ATP6v1g1, while overexpression of WT UBQLN2 increased biogenesis of ATP6v1g1 compared with P497S mutant UBQLN2 protein. In vitro interaction studies showed that ATP6v1g1 binds more strongly to WT UBQLN2 than to ALS/FTD mutant UBQLN2 proteins. Intriguingly, overexpression of ATP6v1g1 in UBQLN2 knockout HeLa cells increased autophagosome acidification, suggesting a therapeutic approach to overcome the acidification defect. Taken together, our findings suggest that UBQLN2 mutations drive pathogenesis through a dominant-negative loss-of-function mechanism in autophagy and that UBQLN2 functions as an important regulator of the expression and stability of ATP6v1g1. These findings may have important implications for devising therapies to treat UBQLN2-linked ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine J Wu
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Ashley Cai
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Jessie E Greenslade
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Nicole R Higgins
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Cong Fan
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Nhat T T Le
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Micaela Tatman
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | | | - Miguel A Prado
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Birger V Dieriks
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A Curtis
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Christopher E Shaw
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute, King's College London, WC2R 2LS London, United Kingdom
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, SE5 9RT London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, WC2R 2LS London, United Kingdom
| | - Teepu Siddique
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Richard L M Faull
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Emma L Scotter
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Daniel Finley
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Mervyn J Monteiro
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201;
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42
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Ho WY, Chang JC, Tyan SH, Yen YC, Lim K, Tan BSY, Ong J, Tucker-Kellogg G, Wong P, Koo E, Ling SC. FUS-mediated dysregulation of Sema5a, an autism-related gene, in FUS mice with hippocampus-dependent cognitive deficits. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:3777-3791. [PMID: 31509188 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathological fused in sarcoma (FUS) inclusions are found in 10% of patients with frontotemporal dementia and those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) carrying FUS mutations. Current work indicates that FUS mutations may incur gain-of-toxic functions to drive ALS pathogenesis. However, how FUS dysfunction may affect cognition remains elusive. Using a mouse model expressing wild-type human FUS mimicking the endogenous expression pattern and level within the central nervous system, we found that they developed hippocampus-mediated cognitive deficits accompanied by an age-dependent reduction in spine density and long-term potentiation in their hippocampus. However, there were no apparent FUS aggregates, nuclear envelope defects and cytosolic FUS accumulation. These suggest that these proposed pathogenic mechanisms may not be the underlying causes for the observed cognitive deficits. Unbiased transcriptomic analysis identified expression changes in a small set of genes with preferential expression in the neurons and oligodendrocyte lineage cells. Of these, we focused on Sema5a, a gene involved in axon guidance, spine dynamics, Parkinson's disease and autism spectrum disorders. Critically, FUS binds directly to Sema5a mRNA and regulates Sema5a expression in a FUS-dose-dependent manner. Taken together, our data suggest that FUS-driven Sema5a deregulation may underlie the cognitive deficits in FUS transgenic mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Yun Ho
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Jer-Cherng Chang
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Sheue-Houy Tyan
- Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Yi-Chun Yen
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Kenneth Lim
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Bernice Siu Yan Tan
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Jolynn Ong
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Greg Tucker-Kellogg
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Peiyan Wong
- Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Edward Koo
- Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Shuo-Chien Ling
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore.,Neurobiology/Ageing Programme, National University of Singapore, 117549, Singapore.,Program in Neuroscience and Behavior Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore
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43
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Forcina L, Cosentino M, Musarò A. Mechanisms Regulating Muscle Regeneration: Insights into the Interrelated and Time-Dependent Phases of Tissue Healing. Cells 2020; 9:E1297. [PMID: 32456017 PMCID: PMC7290814 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a massive body of knowledge which has been produced related to the mechanisms guiding muscle regeneration, great interest still moves the scientific community toward the study of different aspects of skeletal muscle homeostasis, plasticity, and regeneration. Indeed, the lack of effective therapies for several physiopathologic conditions suggests that a comprehensive knowledge of the different aspects of cellular behavior and molecular pathways, regulating each regenerative stage, has to be still devised. Hence, it is important to perform even more focused studies, taking the advantage of robust markers, reliable techniques, and reproducible protocols. Here, we provide an overview about the general aspects of muscle regeneration and discuss the different approaches to study the interrelated and time-dependent phases of muscle healing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonio Musarò
- Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, DAHFMO-Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa, 14, 00161 Rome, Italy; (L.F.); (M.C.)
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44
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Autophagy in motor neuron diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 172:157-202. [PMID: 32620242 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are a wide group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the degeneration of a specific neuronal type located in the central nervous system, the motor neuron (MN). There are two main types of MNs, spinal and cortical MNs and depending on the type of MND, one or both types are affected. Cortical MNs innervate spinal MNs and these control a variety of cellular targets, being skeletal muscle their main one which is also affected in MNDs. A correct functionality of autophagy is necessary for the survival of all cellular types and it is particularly crucial for neurons, given their postmitotic and highly specialized nature. Numerous studies have identified alterations of autophagy activity in multiple MNDs. The scientific community has been particularly prolific in reporting the role that autophagy plays in the most common adult MND, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, although many studies have started to identify physiological and pathological functions of this catabolic system in other MNDs, such as spinal muscular atrophy and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. The degradation of selective cargo by autophagy and how this process is altered upon the presence of MND-causing mutations is currently also a matter of intense investigation, particularly regarding the selective autophagic clearance of mitochondria. Thorough reviews on this field have been recently published. This chapter will cover the current knowledge on the functionality of autophagy and lysosomal homeostasis in the main MNDs and other autophagy-related topics in the MND field that have risen special interest in the research community.
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45
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Ito D, Taguchi R, Deguchi M, Ogasawara H, Inoue E. Extensive splicing changes in an ALS/FTD transgenic mouse model overexpressing cytoplasmic fused in sarcoma. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4857. [PMID: 32184412 PMCID: PMC7078223 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61676-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) such as TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS) are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Recent evidence suggests that RNA dysregulation mediated by aberrant RBPs may play a critical role in neurodegeneration, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we performed whole transcriptome profiling of various brain tissues of a transgenic (Tg) mouse model of ALS/FTD overexpressing the exogenous nuclear localization signal deletion mutant of human FUS (ΔNLS-FUS) to investigate changes associated with the early stages of ALS/FTD. Although there were not many differences in expression profiles between wild-type and Tg mice, we found that Sema3g was significantly upregulated in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of Tg mice. Interestingly, analysis of alternative splicing events identified widespread exons that were differentially regulated in Tg mice in a tissue-specific manner. Our study thus identified aberrant splicing regulation mediated by mutant FUS during the early stages of ALS/FTD. Targeting this aberrant splicing regulation represents a potential therapeutic strategy for ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Ito
- Departments of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
| | - Ryota Taguchi
- KAN Research Institute, Inc., 6-8-2 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Maki Deguchi
- KAN Research Institute, Inc., 6-8-2 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hideaki Ogasawara
- KAN Research Institute, Inc., 6-8-2 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Eiji Inoue
- KAN Research Institute, Inc., 6-8-2 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
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46
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Picchiarelli G, Dupuis L. Role of RNA Binding Proteins with prion-like domains in muscle and neuromuscular diseases. Cell Stress 2020; 4:76-91. [PMID: 32292882 PMCID: PMC7146060 DOI: 10.15698/cst2020.04.217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of neuromuscular and muscular diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and several myopathies, are associated to mutations in related RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), including TDP-43, FUS, MATR3 or hnRNPA1/B2. These proteins harbor similar modular primary sequence with RNA binding motifs and low complexity domains, that enables them to phase separate and create liquid microdomains. These RBPs have been shown to critically regulate multiple events of RNA lifecycle, including transcriptional events, splicing and RNA trafficking and sequestration. Here, we review the roles of these disease-related RBPs in muscle and motor neurons, and how their dysfunction in these cell types might contribute to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Picchiarelli
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, UMR_S 1118, Strasbourg, France
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, UMR_S 1118, Strasbourg, France
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47
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Casterton RL, Hunt RJ, Fanto M. Pathomechanism Heterogeneity in the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia Disease Spectrum: Providing Focus Through the Lens of Autophagy. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:2692-2713. [PMID: 32119873 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) constitute aggressive neurodegenerative pathologies that lead to the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons and of neocortical areas, respectively. In the past decade, the identification of several genes that cause these disorders indicated that the two diseases overlap in a multifaceted spectrum of conditions. The autophagy-lysosome system has been identified as a main intersection for the onset and progression of neurodegeneration in ALS/FTD. Genetic evidence has revealed that several genes with a mechanistic role at different stages of the autophagy process are mutated in patients with ALS/FTD. Moreover, the three main proteins aggregating in ALS/FTD, including in sporadic cases, are also targeted by autophagy and affect this process. Here, we examine the varied dysfunctions and degrees of involvement of the autophagy-lysosome system that have been discovered in ALS/FTD. We argue that these findings shed light on the pathological mechanisms in the ALS/FTD spectrum and conclude that they have important consequences both for treatment options and for the basic biomolecular understanding of how this process intersects with RNA metabolism, the other major cellular process reported to be dysfunctional in part of the ALS/FTD spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Casterton
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, 125 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9NU London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel J Hunt
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, 125 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9NU London, United Kingdom
| | - Manolis Fanto
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, 125 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9NU London, United Kingdom; Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), 47, bd de l'hôpital, F-75013 Paris, France.
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48
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Vicencio E, Beltrán S, Labrador L, Manque P, Nassif M, Woehlbier U. Implications of Selective Autophagy Dysfunction for ALS Pathology. Cells 2020; 9:cells9020381. [PMID: 32046060 PMCID: PMC7072226 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal neurodegenerative disorder that progressively affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Due to the biological complexity of the disease, its etiology remains unknown. Several cellular mechanisms involved in the neurodegenerative process in ALS have been found, including the loss of RNA and protein homeostasis, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. Insoluble protein aggregates, damaged mitochondria, and stress granules, which contain RNA and protein components, are recognized and degraded by the autophagy machinery in a process known as selective autophagy. Autophagy is a highly dynamic process whose dysregulation has now been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, by numerous studies. In ALS, the autophagy process has been found deregulated in both familial and sporadic cases of the disease. Likewise, mutations in genes coding for proteins involved in the autophagy machinery have been reported in ALS patients, including selective autophagy receptors. In this review, we focus on the role of selective autophagy in ALS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Vicencio
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
| | - Sebastián Beltrán
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
| | - Luis Labrador
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
| | - Patricio Manque
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile
| | - Melissa Nassif
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
- Escuela de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile
- Correspondence: (U.W.); (M.N.)
| | - Ute Woehlbier
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile; (E.V.); (S.B.); (L.L.); (P.M.)
- Escuela de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile
- Correspondence: (U.W.); (M.N.)
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49
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Abramzon YA, Fratta P, Traynor BJ, Chia R. The Overlapping Genetics of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:42. [PMID: 32116499 PMCID: PMC7012787 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two diseases that form a broad neurodegenerative continuum. Considerable effort has been made to unravel the genetics of these disorders, and, based on this work, it is now clear that ALS and FTD have a significant genetic overlap. TARDBP, SQSTM1, VCP, FUS, TBK1, CHCHD10, and most importantly C9orf72, are the critical genetic players in these neurological disorders. Discoveries of these genes have implicated autophagy, RNA regulation, and vesicle and inclusion formation as the central pathways involved in neurodegeneration. Here we provide a summary of the significant genes identified in these two intrinsically linked neurodegenerative diseases and highlight the genetic and pathological overlaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yevgeniya A. Abramzon
- Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bryan J. Traynor
- Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Neurology, Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ruth Chia
- Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Lo Piccolo L, Mochizuki H, Nagai Y. The lncRNA hsrω regulates arginine dimethylation of human FUS to cause its proteasomal degradation in Drosophila. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.236836. [PMID: 31519807 PMCID: PMC6826006 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.236836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have structural and regulatory effects on RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). However, the mechanisms by which lncRNAs regulate the neurodegenerative-causative RBP like FUS protein remain poorly understood. Here, we show that knockdown of the Drosophila lncRNA hsrω causes a shift in the methylation status of human FUS from mono- (MMA) to di-methylated (DMA) arginine via upregulation of the arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5, known as ART5 in flies). We found this novel regulatory role to be critical for FUS toxicity since the PRMT5-dependent dimethylation of FUS is required for its proteasomal degradation and causes a reduction of high levels of FUS. Moreover, we show that an increase of FUS causes a decline of both PRMT1 (known as ART1 in flies) and PRMT5 transcripts, leading to an accumulation of neurotoxic MMA-FUS. Therefore, overexpression of either PRMT1 or PRMT5 is able to rescue the FUS toxicity. These results highlight a novel role of lncRNAs in post-translation modification (PTM) of FUS and suggest a causal relationship between lncRNAs and dysfunctional PRMTs in the pathogenesis of FUSopathies. Summary: The lncRNA hsrω regulates the arginine methyltransferases type I and II to modify the human FUS RNA-binding protein, recombinantly expressed in flies, in a fashion that controls both its cellular localization and homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Lo Piccolo
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hideki Mochizuki
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Nagai
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan .,Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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