1
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Hansen CE, Kamermans A, Mol K, Berve K, Rodriguez-Mogeda C, Fung WK, van Het Hof B, Fontijn RD, van der Pol SMA, Michalick L, Kuebler WM, Kenkhuis B, van Roon-Mom W, Liedtke W, Engelhardt B, Kooij G, Witte ME, de Vries HE. Inflammation-induced TRPV4 channels exacerbate blood-brain barrier dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:72. [PMID: 38521959 PMCID: PMC10960997 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03069-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and immune cell migration into the central nervous system (CNS) are pathogenic drivers of multiple sclerosis (MS). Ways to reinstate BBB function and subsequently limit neuroinflammation present promising strategies to restrict disease progression. However, to date, the molecular players directing BBB impairment in MS remain poorly understood. One suggested candidate to impact BBB function is the transient receptor potential vanilloid-type 4 ion channel (TRPV4), but its specific role in MS pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of TRPV4 in BBB dysfunction in MS. MAIN TEXT In human post-mortem MS brain tissue, we observed a region-specific increase in endothelial TRPV4 expression around mixed active/inactive lesions, which coincided with perivascular microglia enrichment in the same area. Using in vitro models, we identified that microglia-derived tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) induced brain endothelial TRPV4 expression. Also, we found that TRPV4 levels influenced brain endothelial barrier formation via expression of the brain endothelial tight junction molecule claudin-5. In contrast, during an inflammatory insult, TRPV4 promoted a pathological endothelial molecular signature, as evidenced by enhanced expression of inflammatory mediators and cell adhesion molecules. Moreover, TRPV4 activity mediated T cell extravasation across the brain endothelium. CONCLUSION Collectively, our findings suggest a novel role for endothelial TRPV4 in MS, in which enhanced expression contributes to MS pathogenesis by driving BBB dysfunction and immune cell migration.
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Grants
- 813294 European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (ENTRAIN)
- 813294 European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (ENTRAIN)
- 813294 European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (ENTRAIN)
- 813294 European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (ENTRAIN)
- 91719305 Dutch Research Council, NWO, Vidi grant
- 91719305 Dutch Research Council, NWO, Vidi grant
- 91719305 Dutch Research Council, NWO, Vidi grant
- 18-1023MS Stichting MS Research
- 20-1106MS Stichting MS Research
- 20-1106MS Stichting MS Research
- 18-1023MS Stichting MS Research
- 20-1106MS Stichting MS Research
- 81X3100216 Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislaufforschung
- SFB-TR84 : subprojects A02 & C09, SFB-1449 subproject B01, SFB 1470 subproject A04, KU1218/9-1, KU1218/11-1, and KU1218/12-1 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- PROVID (01KI20160A) and SYMPATH (01ZX1906A) Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- HA2016-02-02 Hersenstichting
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathrin E Hansen
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Alwin Kamermans
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kevin Mol
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina Berve
- Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carla Rodriguez-Mogeda
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wing Ka Fung
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bert van Het Hof
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud D Fontijn
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne M A van der Pol
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Michalick
- Institute of Physiology, Corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität to Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wolfgang M Kuebler
- Institute of Physiology, Corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität to Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Departments of Surgery and Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Boyd Kenkhuis
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wolfgang Liedtke
- Department of Neurology, Duke University, Durham, NY, USA
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, USA
| | | | - Gijs Kooij
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten E Witte
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Helga E de Vries
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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2
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Lauffer MC, van Roon-Mom W, Aartsma-Rus A. Possibilities and limitations of antisense oligonucleotide therapies for the treatment of monogenic disorders. Commun Med (Lond) 2024; 4:6. [PMID: 38182878 PMCID: PMC10770028 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-023-00419-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are incredibly versatile molecules that can be designed to specifically target and modify RNA transcripts to slow down or halt rare genetic disease progression. They offer the potential to target groups of patients or can be tailored for individual cases. Nonetheless, not all genetic variants and disorders are amenable to ASO-based treatments, and hence, it is important to consider several factors before embarking on the drug development journey. Here, we discuss which genetic disorders have the potential to benefit from a specific type of ASO approach, based on the pathophysiology of the disease and pathogenic variant type, as well as those disorders that might not be suitable for ASO therapies. We further explore additional aspects, such as the target tissues, intervention time points, and potential clinical benefits, which need to be considered before developing a compound. Overall, we provide an overview of the current potentials and limitations of ASO-based therapeutics for the treatment of monogenic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlen C Lauffer
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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3
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Kuijper EC, Overzier M, Suidgeest E, Dzyubachyk O, Maguin C, Pérot JB, Flament J, Ariyurek Y, Mei H, Buijsen RAM, van der Weerd L, van Roon-Mom W. Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated disruption of HTT caspase-6 cleavage site ameliorates the phenotype of YAC128 Huntington disease mice. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 190:106368. [PMID: 38040383 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In Huntington disease, cellular toxicity is particularly caused by toxic protein fragments generated from the mutant huntingtin (HTT) protein. By modifying the HTT protein, we aim to reduce proteolytic cleavage and ameliorate the consequences of mutant HTT without lowering total HTT levels. To that end, we use an antisense oligonucleotide (AON) that targets HTT pre-mRNA and induces partial skipping of exon 12, which contains the critical caspase-6 cleavage site. Here, we show that AON-treatment can partially restore the phenotype of YAC128 mice, a mouse model expressing the full-length human HTT gene including 128 CAG-repeats. Wild-type and YAC128 mice were treated intracerebroventricularly with AON12.1, scrambled AON or vehicle starting at 6 months of age and followed up to 12 months of age, when MRI was performed and mice were sacrificed. AON12.1 treatment induced around 40% exon skip and protein modification. The phenotype on body weight and activity, but not rotarod, was restored by AON treatment. Genes differentially expressed in YAC128 striatum changed toward wild-type levels and striatal volume was preserved upon AON12.1 treatment. However, scrambled AON also showed a restorative effect on gene expression and appeared to generally increase brain volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa C Kuijper
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands.
| | - Maurice Overzier
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Ernst Suidgeest
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Oleh Dzyubachyk
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Cécile Maguin
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pérot
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, France; Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Sorbonne Université, France
| | - Julien Flament
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, France
| | - Yavuz Ariyurek
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Hailiang Mei
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald A M Buijsen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Louise van der Weerd
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
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4
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van Roon-Mom W, Ferguson C, Aartsma-Rus A. From Failure to Meet the Clinical Endpoint to U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approval: 15th Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy Approved Qalsody (Tofersen) for Treatment of SOD1 Mutated Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:234-237. [PMID: 37581487 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Chantal Ferguson
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Department of Human Genetics, Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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5
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Aartsma-Rus A, van Roon-Mom W, Lauffer M, Siezen C, Duijndam B, Coenen-de Roo T, Schüle R, Synofzik M, Graessner H. Development of tailored splice-switching oligonucleotides for progressive brain disorders in Europe: development, regulation, and implementation considerations. RNA 2023; 29:446-454. [PMID: 36669889 PMCID: PMC10019362 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079540.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Splice-modulating antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) offer treatment options for rare neurological diseases, including those with very rare mutations, where patient-specific, individualized ASOs have to be developed. Inspired by the development of milasen, the 1 Mutation 1 Medicine (1M1M) and Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics (DCRT) aim to develop patient-specific ASOs and treat eligible patients within Europe and the Netherlands, respectively. Treatment will be provided under a named patient setting. Our initiatives benefited from regulatory advice from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) with regard to preclinical proof-of-concept studies, safety studies, compounding and measuring benefit and safety in treated patients. We here outline the most important considerations from these interactions and how we implemented this advice into our plan to develop and treat eligible patients within Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics and Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
- 1 Mutation 1 Medicine, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics and Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
- 1 Mutation 1 Medicine, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlen Lauffer
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics and Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Britt Duijndam
- Medicines Evaluation Board, 3531 AH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tineke Coenen-de Roo
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics and Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Animal and Transgenesis Facility, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca Schüle
- 1 Mutation 1 Medicine, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Neurology and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- European Reference Network for Rare Neurological Diseases
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- 1 Mutation 1 Medicine, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Center for Neurology and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Division of Translational Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie-Institute of Clinical Brain Research & Center of Neurology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- European Reference Network for Rare Neurological Diseases
| | - Holm Graessner
- 1 Mutation 1 Medicine, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Center for Rare Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- European Reference Network for Rare Neurological Diseases
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6
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Aartsma-Rus A, Garanto A, van Roon-Mom W, McConnell EM, Suslovitch V, Yan WX, Watts JK, Yu TW. Consensus Guidelines for the Design and In Vitro Preclinical Efficacy Testing N-of-1 Exon Skipping Antisense Oligonucleotides. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:17-25. [PMID: 36516128 PMCID: PMC9940807 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2022.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) can modulate pre-mRNA splicing. This offers therapeutic opportunities for numerous genetic diseases, often in a mutation-specific and sometimes even individual-specific manner. Developing therapeutic ASOs for as few as even a single patient has been shown feasible with the development of Milasen for an individual with Batten disease. Efforts to develop individualized ASOs for patients with different genetic diseases are ongoing globally. The N = 1 Collaborative (N1C) is an umbrella organization dedicated to supporting the nascent field of individualized medicine. N1C recently organized a workshop to discuss and advance standards for the rigorous design and testing of splice-switching ASOs. In this study, we present guidelines resulting from that meeting and the key recommendations: (1) dissemination of standardized experimental designs, (2) use of standardized reference ASOs, and (3) a commitment to data sharing and exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, the Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,N = 1 Collaborative
| | - Alejandro Garanto
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, the Netherlands.,Department of Pediatrics and Department of Human Genetics, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, the Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Victoria Suslovitch
- N = 1 Collaborative.,Department of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Jonathan K Watts
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Timothy W Yu
- N = 1 Collaborative.,Department of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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7
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Heinz A, Schilling J, van Roon-Mom W, Krauß S. The MID1 Protein: A Promising Therapeutic Target in Huntington's Disease. Front Genet 2021; 12:761714. [PMID: 34659371 PMCID: PMC8517220 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.761714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expansion mutation of a CAG repeat in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene, that encodes an expanded polyglutamine tract in the HTT protein. HD is characterized by progressive psychiatric and cognitive symptoms associated with a progressive movement disorder. HTT is ubiquitously expressed, but the pathological changes caused by the mutation are most prominent in the central nervous system. Since the mutation was discovered, research has mainly focused on the mutant HTT protein. But what if the polyglutamine protein is not the only cause of the neurotoxicity? Recent studies show that the mutant RNA transcript is also involved in cellular dysfunction. Here we discuss the abnormal interaction of the mutant HTT transcript with a protein complex containing the MID1 protein. MID1 aberrantly binds to CAG repeats and this binding increases with CAG repeat length. Since MID1 is a translation regulator, association of the MID1 complex stimulates translation of mutant HTT mRNA, resulting in an overproduction of polyglutamine protein. Thus, blocking the interaction between MID1 and mutant HTT mRNA is a promising therapeutic approach. Additionally, we show that MID1 expression in the brain of both HD patients and HD mice is aberrantly increased. This finding further supports the concept of blocking the interaction between MID1 and mutant HTT mRNA to counteract mutant HTT translation as a valuable therapeutic strategy. In line, recent studies in which either compounds affecting the assembly of the MID1 complex or molecules targeting HTT RNA, show promising results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Heinz
- University of Siegen, Institute of Biology, Human Biology / Neurobiology, Siegen, Germany
| | - Judith Schilling
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sybille Krauß
- University of Siegen, Institute of Biology, Human Biology / Neurobiology, Siegen, Germany
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8
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Bulk M, Hegeman-Kleinn I, Kenkhuis B, Suidgeest E, van Roon-Mom W, Lewerenz J, van Duinen S, Ronen I, van der Weerd L. Pathological characterization of T2*-weighted MRI contrast in the striatum of Huntington's disease patients. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 28:102498. [PMID: 33395988 PMCID: PMC7677121 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Previous MRI studies consistently reported iron accumulation within the striatum of patients with Huntington's disease (HD). However, the pattern and origin of iron accumulation is poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize the histopathological correlates of iron-sensitive ex vivo MRI contrast change in HD brains. To this end, T2*-weighted 7T MRI was performed on postmortem tissue of the striatum of three control subjects and 10 HD patients followed by histological examination. In addition, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded material of three control subjects and 14 HD patients was selected for only histology to identify the cellular localization of iron using stainings for iron, myelin, microglia and astrocytes. As expected HD striata showed prominent atrophy. Compared to controls, the striatum of HD patients was in general more hypointense on T2*-weighted high-field MRI and showed a more intense histopathological staining for iron. In addition, T2*-weighted MRI identified large focal hypointensities within the striatum of HD patients. Upon histological examination, these large focal hypointensities frequently colocalized with enlarged perivascular spaces and iron was found within the vessel wall and reactive astrocytes. In conclusion, we show that the striatum of HD patients has a distinctive phenotype on T2*-weighted MRI compared to control subjects. On ex vivo MRI, these contrast changes are heavily biased by enlarged perivascular spaces from which it is currently unknown whether this is a fixation artefact or a disease specific observation. Clinically, the observation of iron within reactive astrocytes is of importance for the interpretation and understanding of the potential underlying mechanisms of T2*-weighted MRI results in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein Bulk
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Boyd Kenkhuis
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ernst Suidgeest
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Lewerenz
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sjoerd van Duinen
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Itamar Ronen
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Louise van der Weerd
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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9
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Schilling J, Broemer M, Atanassov I, Duernberger Y, Vorberg I, Dieterich C, Dagane A, Dittmar G, Wanker E, van Roon-Mom W, Winter J, Krauß S. Deregulated Splicing Is a Major Mechanism of RNA-Induced Toxicity in Huntington's Disease. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:1869-1877. [PMID: 30711541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, translating into an elongated polyglutamine stretch. In addition to the neurotoxic mutant HTT protein, the mutant CAG repeat RNA can exert toxic functions by trapping RNA-binding proteins. While few examples of proteins that aberrantly bind to mutant HTT RNA and execute abnormal function in conjunction with the CAG repeat RNA have been described, an unbiased approach to identify the interactome of mutant HTT RNA is missing. Here, we describe the analysis of proteins that preferentially bind mutant HTT RNA using a mass spectrometry approach. We show that (I) the majority of proteins captured by mutant HTT RNA belong to the spliceosome pathway, (II) expression of mutant CAG repeat RNA induces mis-splicing in a HD cell model, (III) overexpression of one of the splice factors trapped by mutant HTT ameliorates the HD phenotype in a fly model and (VI) deregulated splicing occurs in human HD brain. Our data suggest that deregulated splicing is a prominent mechanism of RNA-induced toxicity in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Schilling
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127, Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Meike Broemer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127, Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Ilian Atanassov
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Yvonne Duernberger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127, Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Ina Vorberg
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127, Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Christoph Dieterich
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Alina Dagane
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13092 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gunnar Dittmar
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13092 Berlin, Germany; Luxembourg Institute of Health, 1445 Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Erich Wanker
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13092 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Jennifer Winter
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
| | - Sybille Krauß
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127, Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
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10
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Mahinrad S, Bulk M, van der Velpen I, Mahfouz A, van Roon-Mom W, Fedarko N, Yasar S, Sabayan B, van Heemst D, van der Weerd L. Natriuretic Peptides in Post-mortem Brain Tissue and Cerebrospinal Fluid of Non-demented Humans and Alzheimer's Disease Patients. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:864. [PMID: 30534047 PMCID: PMC6275179 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal studies suggest the involvement of natriuretic peptides (NP) in several brain functions that are known to be disturbed during Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains unclear whether such findings extend to humans. In this study, we aimed to: (1) map the gene expression and localization of NP and their receptors (NPR) in human post-mortem brain tissue; (2) compare the relative amounts of NP and NPR between the brain tissue of AD patients and non-demented controls, and (3) compare the relative amounts of NP between the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD patients and non-demented controls. Using the publicly available Allen Human Brain Atlas dataset, we mapped the gene expression of NP and NPR in healthy humans. Using immunohistochemistry, we visualized the localization of NP and NPR in the frontal cortex of AD patients (n = 10, mean age 85.8 ± 6.2 years) and non-demented controls (mean age = 80.2 ± 9.1 years). Using Western blotting and ELISA, we quantified the relative amounts of NP and NPR in the brain tissue and CSF of these AD patients and non-demented controls. Our results showed that NP and NPR genes were ubiquitously expressed throughout the brain in healthy humans. NP and NPR were present in various cellular structures including in neurons, astrocyte-like structures, and cerebral vessels in both AD patients and non-demented controls. Furthermore, we found higher amounts of NPR type-A in the brain of AD patients (p = 0.045) and lower amounts of NP type-B in the CSF of AD patients (p = 0.029). In conclusion, this study shows the abundance of NP and NPR in the brain of humans suggesting involvement of NP in various brain functions. In addition, our findings suggest alterations of NP levels in the brain of AD patients. The role of NP in the development and progression of AD remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin Mahinrad
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Marjolein Bulk
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Percuros BV, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Isabelle van der Velpen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ahmed Mahfouz
- Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Neal Fedarko
- Clinical Research Core Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sevil Yasar
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Behnam Sabayan
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Diana van Heemst
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Louise van der Weerd
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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11
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Mina E, Roon-Mom WV, Hettne K, van Zwet EW, Goeman JJ, Neri C, ’t Hoen PAC, Mons B, Roos M. B16 Common disease signatures from gene expression analysis in huntington’s disease human blood and brain. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2016. [DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-314597.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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12
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Mina E, van Roon-Mom W, Hettne K, van Zwet E, Goeman J, Neri C, A.C. ’t Hoen P, Mons B, Roos M. Common disease signatures from gene expression analysis in Huntington's disease human blood and brain. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2016; 11:97. [PMID: 27476530 PMCID: PMC4968014 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-016-0475-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating brain disorder with no effective treatment or cure available. The scarcity of brain tissue makes it hard to study changes in the brain and impossible to perform longitudinal studies. However, peripheral pathology in HD suggests that it is possible to study the disease using peripheral tissue as a monitoring tool for disease progression and/or efficacy of novel therapies. In this study, we investigated if blood can be used to monitor disease severity and progression in brain. Since previous attempts using only gene expression proved unsuccessful, we compared blood and brain Huntington's disease signatures in a functional context. METHODS Microarray HD gene expression profiles from three brain regions were compared to the transcriptome of HD blood generated by next generation sequencing. The comparison was performed with a combination of weighted gene co-expression network analysis and literature based functional analysis (Concept Profile Analysis). Uniquely, our comparison of blood and brain datasets was not based on (the very limited) gene overlap but on the similarity between the gene annotations in four different semantic categories: "biological process", "cellular component", "molecular function" and "disease or syndrome". RESULTS We identified signatures in HD blood reflecting a broad pathophysiological spectrum, including alterations in the immune response, sphingolipid biosynthetic processes, lipid transport, cell signaling, protein modification, spliceosome, RNA splicing, vesicle transport, cell signaling and synaptic transmission. Part of this spectrum was reminiscent of the brain pathology. The HD signatures in caudate nucleus and BA4 exhibited the highest similarity with blood, irrespective of the category of semantic annotations used. BA9 exhibited an intermediate similarity, while cerebellum had the least similarity. We present two signatures that were shared between blood and brain: immune response and spinocerebellar ataxias. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that HD blood exhibits dysregulation that is similar to brain at a functional level, but not necessarily at the level of individual genes. We report two common signatures that can be used to monitor the pathology in brain of HD patients in a non-invasive manner. Our results are an exemplar of how signals in blood data can be used to represent brain disorders. Our methodology can be used to study disease specific signatures in diseases where heterogeneous tissues are involved in the pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Mina
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Kristina Hettne
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Erik van Zwet
- Department of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Jelle Goeman
- Department of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Christian Neri
- CNRS, UMR 8256, Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Biology and Pathology, Institute of Biology Paris-Seine, 9 quai Saint Bernard, Paris, 75005 France
- Sorbonnes Universités, University Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC) Univ Paris 06, 4 place Jussieu, Paris, 75005 France
| | - Peter A.C. ’t Hoen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Barend Mons
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Marco Roos
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
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Mastrokolias A, Pool R, Mina E, Hettne KM, van Duijn E, van der Mast RC, van Ommen G, ‘t Hoen PAC, Prehn C, Adamski J, van Roon-Mom W. Integration of targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics identifies deregulation of phosphatidylcholine metabolism in Huntington's disease peripheral blood samples. Metabolomics 2016; 12:137. [PMID: 27524956 PMCID: PMC4963448 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-016-1084-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Metabolic changes have been frequently associated with Huntington's disease (HD). At the same time peripheral blood represents a minimally invasive sampling avenue with little distress to Huntington's disease patients especially when brain or other tissue samples are difficult to collect. OBJECTIVES We investigated the levels of 163 metabolites in HD patient and control serum samples in order to identify disease related changes. Additionally, we integrated the metabolomics data with our previously published next generation sequencing-based gene expression data from the same patients in order to interconnect the metabolomics changes with transcriptional alterations. METHODS This analysis was performed using targeted metabolomics and flow injection electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in 133 serum samples from 97 Huntington's disease patients (29 pre-symptomatic and 68 symptomatic) and 36 controls. RESULTS By comparing HD mutation carriers with controls we identified 3 metabolites significantly changed in HD (serine and threonine and one phosphatidylcholine-PC ae C36:0) and an additional 8 phosphatidylcholines (PC aa C38:6, PC aa C36:0, PC ae C38:0, PC aa C38:0, PC ae C38:6, PC ae C42:0, PC aa C36:5 and PC ae C36:0) that exhibited a significant association with disease severity. Using workflow based exploitation of pathway databases and by integrating our metabolomics data with our gene expression data from the same patients we identified 4 deregulated phosphatidylcholine metabolism related genes (ALDH1B1, MBOAT1, MTRR and PLB1) that showed significant association with the changes in metabolite concentrations. CONCLUSION Our results support the notion that phosphatidylcholine metabolism is deregulated in HD blood and that these metabolite alterations are associated with specific gene expression changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Mastrokolias
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rene Pool
- Department of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- The EMGO + Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eleni Mina
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina M. Hettne
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Erik van Duijn
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Center for Mental Health Care Delfland, Jorisweg 2, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Roos C. van der Mast
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - GertJan van Ommen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Peter A. C. ‘t Hoen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelia Prehn
- Helmholtz Zentrum, München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Genome Analysis Center, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jerzy Adamski
- Helmholtz Zentrum, München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Genome Analysis Center, Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Genetik, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
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Tippett LJ, Waldvogel HJ, Thomas SJ, Hogg VM, van Roon-Mom W, Synek BJ, Graybiel AM, Faull RLM. Striosomes and mood dysfunction in Huntington's disease. Brain 2006; 130:206-21. [PMID: 17040921 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awl243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Variable phenotype is common in neurological disorders with single-gene inheritance patterns. In Huntington's disease, mood and cognitive symptoms are variably co-expressed with motor symptoms. There is also variable degeneration of neurons in the two major neurochemical compartments of the striatum, the striosomes and the extrastriosomal matrix. To determine whether the phenotypic variability in Huntington's disease is related to this compartmental organization, we carried out a double-blind study in which we used GABA(A) receptor immunohistochemistry to analyse the status of striosomes and matrix in the brains of 35 Huntington's disease cases and 13 control cases, and collected detailed data on the clinical symptomatology expressed by the patients from family members and records. We report here a significant association between pronounced mood dysfunction in Huntington's disease patients and differential loss of the GABA(A) receptor marker in striosomes of the striatum. This association held for both clinical onset and end-stage assessments of symptoms. The cases with accentuated striosome abnormality further exhibited later onset age, lower disease grade and lower CAG repeat length in the HD gene. We found no independent association, however, between CAG repeat length or age of onset and mood dysfunction. We suggest that variation in clinical symptomatology in Huntington's disease is associated with variation in the relative abnormality of GABA(A) receptor expression in the striosome and matrix compartments of the striatum, and that striosome-related circuits may modulate mood functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynette J Tippett
- Department of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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