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Sekerková G, Kilic S, Cheng YH, Fredrick N, Osmani A, Kim H, Opal P, Martina M. Phenotypical, genotypical and pathological characterization of the moonwalker mouse, a model of ataxia. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 195:106492. [PMID: 38575093 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106492] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
We performed a comprehensive study of the morphological, functional, and genetic features of moonwalker (MWK) mice, a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia caused by a gain of function of the TRPC3 channel. These mice show numerous behavioral symptoms including tremor, altered gait, circling behavior, impaired motor coordination, impaired motor learning and decreased limb strength. Cerebellar pathology is characterized by early and almost complete loss of unipolar brush cells as well as slowly progressive, moderate loss of Purkinje cell (PCs). Structural damage also includes loss of synaptic contacts from parallel fibers, swollen ER structures, and degenerating axons. Interestingly, no obvious correlation was observed between PC loss and severity of the symptoms, as the phenotype stabilizes around 2 months of age, while the cerebellar pathology is progressive. This is probably due to the fact that PC function is severely impaired much earlier than the appearance of PC loss. Indeed, PC firing is already impaired in 3 weeks old mice. An interesting feature of the MWK pathology that still remains to be explained consists in a strong lobule selectivity of the PC loss, which is puzzling considering that TRPC is expressed in every PC. Intriguingly, genetic analysis of MWK cerebella shows, among other alterations, changes in the expression of both apoptosis inducing and resistance factors possibly suggesting that damaged PCs initiate specific cellular pathways that protect them from overt cell loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Sekerková
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 300 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Sumeyra Kilic
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 300 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Yen-Hsin Cheng
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 300 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Natalie Fredrick
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 300 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Anne Osmani
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 300 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Haram Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 300 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Puneet Opal
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 300 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Marco Martina
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 300 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Homma H, Yoshioka Y, Fujita K, Shirai S, Hama Y, Komano H, Saito Y, Yabe I, Okano H, Sasaki H, Tanaka H, Okazawa H. Dynamic molecular network analysis of iPSC-Purkinje cells differentiation delineates roles of ISG15 in SCA1 at the earliest stage. Commun Biol 2024; 7:413. [PMID: 38594382 PMCID: PMC11003991 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06066-z] [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: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Better understanding of the earliest molecular pathologies of all neurodegenerative diseases is expected to improve human therapeutics. We investigated the earliest molecular pathology of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), a rare familial neurodegenerative disease that primarily induces death and dysfunction of cerebellum Purkinje cells. Extensive prior studies have identified involvement of transcription or RNA-splicing factors in the molecular pathology of SCA1. However, the regulatory network of SCA1 pathology, especially central regulators of the earliest developmental stages and inflammatory events, remains incompletely understood. Here, we elucidated the earliest developmental pathology of SCA1 using originally developed dynamic molecular network analyses of sequentially acquired RNA-seq data during differentiation of SCA1 patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to Purkinje cells. Dynamic molecular network analysis implicated histone genes and cytokine-relevant immune response genes at the earliest stages of development, and revealed relevance of ISG15 to the following degradation and accumulation of mutant ataxin-1 in Purkinje cells of SCA1 model mice and human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidenori Homma
- Department of Neuropathology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Yuki Yoshioka
- Department of Neuropathology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Kyota Fujita
- Department of Neuropathology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Shinichi Shirai
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan
| | - Yuka Hama
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan
| | - Hajime Komano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yuko Saito
- Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan
| | - Ichiro Yabe
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Hidenao Sasaki
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan
| | - Hikari Tanaka
- Department of Neuropathology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
| | - Hitoshi Okazawa
- Department of Neuropathology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
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Ferrera G, Izzo R, Ghezzi D, Nanetti L, Lamantea E, Ardissone A. A Novel Pathogenic Variant in the SCA25-Related Gene Expanding the Etiology of Early-Onset and Progressive Cerebellar Ataxia in Childhood. Neuropediatrics 2024; 55:135-139. [PMID: 37935417 DOI: 10.1055/a-2205-2402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are heterogeneous autosomal dominant progressive ataxic disorders. SCA25 has been linked to PNPT1 pathogenic variants. Although pediatric onset is not unusual, to date only one patient with onset in the first years of life has been reported. This study presents an additional case, wherein symptoms emerged during the toddler phase, accompanied by the identification of a novel PNPT1 variant. The child was seen at 3 years because of frequent falls. Neurological examination revealed cerebellar signs and psychomotor delay. Brain MRI showed cerebellar atrophy (CA), cerebellar cortex, and dentate nuclei hyperintensities. Metabolic and genetic testing was inconclusive. At follow-up (age 6), the child had clinically and radiologically worsened; electroneurography (ENG) revealed axonal sensory neuropathy. Screening of genes associated with ataxias and mitochondrial disease identified a novel, heterozygous variant in PNPT1, which was probably pathogenic. This variant was also detected in the proband's mother and maternal grandmother, both asymptomatic, which aligns with the previously documented incomplete penetrance of heterozygous PNPT1 variants. Our study confirms that SCA25 can have onset in early childhood and characterizes natural history in pediatric cases: progressive cerebellar ataxia with sensory neuropathy, which manifests during the course of the disease. We report for the first time cerebellar gray matter hyperintensities, suggesting that SCA25 should be included in the differential diagnosis of cerebellar ataxias associated with such brain imaging features. In summary, SCA25 should be considered in the diagnostic workup of early onset pediatric progressive ataxias. Additionally, we confirm an incomplete penetrance and highly variable expressivity of PNPT1-associated SCA25.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ferrera
- Department of Pediatric Neurosciences, Child Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Rossella Izzo
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Ghezzi
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Nanetti
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Lamantea
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Ardissone
- Department of Pediatric Neurosciences, Child Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
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Zahra S, Kapoor H, Ahmad I, Kamai A, Srivastava AK, Faruq M. Generation of an Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line (IGIBi011-A) from a Spinocerebellar ataxia type 12 gait dominant patient. Stem Cell Res 2024; 76:103319. [PMID: 38340452 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2024.103319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The PPP2R2B gene, expressed highly in the brain, harbours trinucleotide CAG repeats in the 5'UTR region, in the range of 7-42 repeats. Individuals carrying CAG repeats greater than 43 have been associated to manifest a neurodegenerative disease condition termed as Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 12 (SCA12). An iPSC line from an adult male diagnosed with SCA12 presenting symptoms of gait (Gait Dominance) was generated. It showed pluripotency and trilineage markers without any chromosomal abnormality. This line can be utilized as an essential resource in enhancing our understanding of the molecular pathogenic mechanisms underlying SCA12 by facilitating generation of various neuronal cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Zahra
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine Division, CSIR - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110007, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Himanshi Kapoor
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine Division, CSIR - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110007, India
| | - Istaq Ahmad
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine Division, CSIR - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110007, India; Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Asangla Kamai
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine Division, CSIR - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110007, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Achal Kumar Srivastava
- Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Mohammed Faruq
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine Division, CSIR - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110007, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India; Division of Investigations of Human Pathology by Application Genomics and Stem Cells (iHPSCs-AG).
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Nakayama K, Nemoto K, Arai T. Nucleus accumbens degeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: a preliminary study. Psychogeriatrics 2024; 24:345-354. [PMID: 38243757 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.13080] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) exhibits mainly cerebellar and oculomotor dysfunctions but also, frequently, cognitive impairment and neuropsychological symptoms. The mechanism of the progression of SCA2 remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate longitudinal structural changes in the brains of SCA2 patients based on atrophy rate. METHODS The OpenNeuro Dataset ds001378 was used. It comprises the demographic data and two magnetic resonance images each of nine SCA2 patients and 16 healthy controls. All structural images were preprocessed using FreeSurfer software, and each region's bilateral volume was summed. Atrophy rates were calculated based on the concept of symmetrised percent change and compared between SCA2 patients and healthy controls using non-parametric statistics. As post hoc analysis, correlation analysis was performed between infratentorial volume ratio and the accumbens area atrophy rates in SCA2 patients. RESULTS There were no significant differences between groups for age, gender, and the time between scans. Statistical analysis indicated a significantly larger atrophy rate of the accumbens area in SCA2 patients than in controls. Additionally, the infratentorial volume ratio and accumbens area atrophy rates showed moderate negative correlation. CONCLUSIONS This study found that nucleus accumbens (NAc) atrophy was significantly accelerated in SCA2 patients. Anatomically, the NAc is densely connected with infratentorial brain regions, so it is reasonable to posit that degeneration propagates from the cerebellum and brainstem to the NAc and other supratentorial areas. Functionally, the NAc is essential for appropriate behaviour, so NAc degeneration might contribute to neuropsychological symptoms in SCA2 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenjiro Nakayama
- Doctoral Program in Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Nemoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Tetsuaki Arai
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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Tokushige SI, Matsuda S, Tada M, Yabe I, Takeda A, Tanaka H, Hatakenaka M, Enomoto H, Kobayashi S, Shimizu K, Shimizu T, Kotsuki N, Inomata-Terada S, Furubayashi T, Ichikawa Y, Hanajima R, Tsuji S, Ugawa Y, Terao Y. Roles of the cerebellum and basal ganglia in temporal integration: Insights from a synchronized tapping task. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 158:1-15. [PMID: 38113692 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.11.018] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to clarify the roles of the cerebellum and basal ganglia for temporal integration. METHODS We studied 39 patients with spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), comprising spinocerebellar atrophy 6 (SCA6), SCA31, Machado-Joseph disease (MJD, also called SCA3), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Thirteen normal subjects participated as controls. Participants were instructed to tap on a button in synchrony with isochronous tones. We analyzed the inter-tap interval (ITI), synchronizing tapping error (STE), negative asynchrony, and proportion of delayed tapping as indicators of tapping performance. RESULTS The ITI coefficient of variation was increased only in MSA patients. The standard variation of STE was larger in SCD patients than in normal subjects, especially for MSA. Negative asynchrony, which is a tendency to tap the button before the tones, was prominent in SCA6 and MSA patients, with possible basal ganglia involvement. SCA31 patients exhibited normal to supranormal performance in terms of the variability of STE, which was surprising. CONCLUSIONS Cerebellar patients generally showed greater STE variability, except for SCA31. The pace of tapping was affected in patients with possible basal ganglia pathology. SIGNIFICANCE Our results suggest that interaction between the cerebellum and the basal ganglia is essential for temporal processing. The cerebellum and basal ganglia and their interaction regulate synchronized tapping, resulting in distinct tapping pattern abnormalities among different SCD subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ichi Tokushige
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan; Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan
| | - Shunichi Matsuda
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Tada
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachidori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Ichiro Yabe
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Atsushi Takeda
- Department of Neurology, Sendai Nishitaga Hospital, 2-11-11, Kagitori-honcho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai 982-8555, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Tanaka
- Department of Neurology, Sendai Nishitaga Hospital, 2-11-11, Kagitori-honcho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai 982-8555, Japan
| | - Megumi Hatakenaka
- Department of Neurology, Morinomiya Hospital, 2-1-88, Morinomiya, Joto-ku, Osaka 536-0025, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Enomoto
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Kobayashi
- Department of Neurology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo 173-8606, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Shimizu
- Division of Neurology, Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1, Nishicho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8504, Japan
| | - Takahiro Shimizu
- Department of Neurology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1, Kitazato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0375, Japan
| | - Naoki Kotsuki
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan
| | - Satomi Inomata-Terada
- Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, Kyorin University, 6-20-2, Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Furubayashi
- Graduate School of Health and Environment Science, Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University, 6-45-1 Kunimi, Sendai, Miyagi 981-8551, Japan
| | - Yaeko Ichikawa
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan
| | - Ritsuko Hanajima
- Division of Neurology, Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1, Nishicho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8504, Japan
| | - Shoji Tsuji
- Department of Molecular Neurology, the University of Tokyo and International University of Health and Welfare, 4-3, Kozunomori, Narita-shi, Chiba-ken 286-8686, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Ugawa
- Department of Human Neurophysiology, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Yasuo Terao
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan; Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, Kyorin University, 6-20-2, Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan.
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Hopf S, Tüscher O, Schuster AK. [Retinal OCT biomarkers and neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system beyond Alzheimer's disease]. Ophthalmologie 2024; 121:93-104. [PMID: 38263475 DOI: 10.1007/s00347-023-01974-7] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarkers are increasingly used by neurologists, psychiatrists, and ophthalmologists for the diagnosis, prognosis, and follow-up of neurodegenerative diseases. Long-term data on OCT biomarkers of selected primary and secondary neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson's disease, are already available in part. In addition, there are rare neurodegenerative diseases with early disease onset that may show OCT abnormalities. METHODS A literature review on the association of OCT biomarkers with neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS beyond Alzheimer's disease is presented. Parkinson's disease, MS, Friedreich's ataxia, Huntington's disease, spinocerebellar ataxia, and lysosomal storage diseases are addressed. RESULTS Relevant OCT biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases are the macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness. Different sectors may be affected depending on the disease entity in addition to global pRFNL reduction. OCT‑angiography (OCT-A) is also increasingly used as a biomarker in neurodegenerative diseases. CONCLUSION Optical coherence tomography biomarkers are used in an interdisciplinary context. Retinal pathologies should be excluded by an ophthalmologist. While OCT biomarkers are increasingly used clinically in MS, the benefit in other neurodegenerative diseases, especially the rare ones, is less well documented. Further longitudinal studies are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Hopf
- Augenklinik und Poliklinik der Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Deutschland.
| | - Oliver Tüscher
- Zentrum für seltene Erkrankungen des Nervensystems (ZSEN) Mainz und Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie der Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Alexander K Schuster
- Augenklinik und Poliklinik der Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Deutschland
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Pérot JB, Niewiadomska-Cimicka A, Brouillet E, Trottier Y, Flament J. Longitudinal MRI and 1H-MRS study of SCA7 mouse forebrain reveals progressive multiregional atrophy and early brain metabolite changes indicating early neuronal and glial dysfunction. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296790. [PMID: 38227598 PMCID: PMC10790999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
SpinoCerebellar Ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an inherited disorder caused by CAG triplet repeats encoding polyglutamine expansion in the ATXN7 protein, which is part of the transcriptional coactivator complex SAGA. The mutation primarily causes neurodegeneration in the cerebellum and retina, as well as several forebrain structures. The SCA7140Q/5Q knock-in mouse model recapitulates key disease features, including loss of vision and motor performance. To characterize the temporal progression of brain degeneration of this model, we performed a longitudinal study spanning from early to late symptomatic stages using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in vivo 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Compared to wild-type mouse littermates, MRI analysis of SCA7 mice shows progressive atrophy of defined brain structures, with the striatum, thalamus and cortex being the first and most severely affected. The volume loss of these structures coincided with increased motor impairments in SCA7 mice, suggesting an alteration of the sensory-motor network, as observed in SCA7 patients. MRI also reveals atrophy of the hippocampus and anterior commissure at mid-symptomatic stage and the midbrain and brain stem at late stage. 1H-MRS of hippocampus, a brain region previously shown to be dysfunctional in patients, reveals early and progressive metabolic alterations in SCA7 mice. Interestingly, abnormal glutamine accumulation precedes the hippocampal atrophy and the reduction in myo-inositol and total N-acetyl-aspartate concentrations, two markers of glial and neuronal damage, respectively. Together, our results indicate that non-cerebellar alterations and glial and neuronal metabolic impairments may play a crucial role in the development of SCA7 mouse pathology, particularly at early stages of the disease. Degenerative features of forebrain structures in SCA7 mice correspond to current observations made in patients. Our study thus provides potential biomarkers that could be used for the evaluation of future therapeutic trials using the SCA7140Q/5Q model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Pérot
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92260, France
- Institut du Cerveau–Paris Brain Institute–ICM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75013, France
| | - Anna Niewiadomska-Cimicka
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, 67404, France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92260, France
| | - Yvon Trottier
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, 67404, France
| | - Julien Flament
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92260, France
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Olmos V, Thompson EN, Gogia N, Luttik K, Veeranki V, Ni L, Sim S, Chen K, Krause DS, Lim J. Dysregulation of alternative splicing in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:138-149. [PMID: 37802886 PMCID: PMC10979408 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad170] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 is caused by an expansion of the polyglutamine tract in ATAXIN-1. Ataxin-1 is broadly expressed throughout the brain and is involved in regulating gene expression. However, it is not yet known if mutant ataxin-1 can impact the regulation of alternative splicing events. We performed RNA sequencing in mouse models of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and identified that mutant ataxin-1 expression abnormally leads to diverse splicing events in the mouse cerebellum of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. We found that the diverse splicing events occurred in a predominantly cell autonomous manner. A majority of the transcripts with misregulated alternative splicing events were previously unknown, thus allowing us to identify overall new biological pathways that are distinctive to those affected by differential gene expression in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. We also provide evidence that the splicing factor Rbfox1 mediates the effect of mutant ataxin-1 on misregulated alternative splicing and that genetic manipulation of Rbfox1 expression modifies neurodegenerative phenotypes in a Drosophila model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 in vivo. Together, this study provides novel molecular mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and identifies potential therapeutic strategies for spinocerebellar ataxia type 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Olmos
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Evrett N Thompson
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, 10 Amistad Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, 10 Amistad Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Neha Gogia
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Kimberly Luttik
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Vaishnavi Veeranki
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Luhan Ni
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Serena Sim
- Yale College, 433 Temple Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Kelly Chen
- Yale College, 433 Temple Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Diane S Krause
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, 10 Amistad Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, 10 Amistad Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, 10 Amistad Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 10 Amistad Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, 10 Amistad Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale School of Medicine, 100 College, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
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10
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Al-Arab N, Hannoun S. White matter integrity assessment in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) patients. Clin Radiol 2024; 79:67-72. [PMID: 37953094 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2023.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
AIM To assess the burden of white matter (WM) damage in the cerebrum and cerebellum of spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) patients in an attempt to identify key regions affected by the neurodegenerative processes using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). MATERIALS AND METHODS Nine SCA2 patients and 16 age-matched healthy controls were examined twice (SCA2 patients 3.6 ± 0.7 years and controls 3.3 ± 1.0 years apart) on the same 1.5 T scanner by acquiring T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted (b-value = 1,000 s/mm2) images. Using tract-based spatial statistics, DTI analysis on fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial (AD)/radial (RD) diffusivity was performed. RESULTS At baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), FA was significantly decreased in SCA2 patients in the corticospinal tracts, inferior and superior cerebellar peduncles, middle cerebellar peduncles, cerebral peduncles, right superior and posterior corona radiata. RD was only significantly increased in SCA2 patients in the middle cerebellar peduncles. No significant AD and MD changes were observed. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis between SCA2 patients at baseline and at follow-up showed no significant changes in any of the DTI metrics. CONCLUSIONS DTI is a sensitive tool for following the progression of WM neurodegeneration and severity assessment in patients with SCA2. These findings add to a better understanding of the neurological underpinnings of the symptoms experienced by SCA2 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Al-Arab
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - S Hannoun
- Medical Imaging Sciences Program, Division of Health Professions, Faculty of Public Health, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; Abu-Haidar Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
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11
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Chitre M, Emery P. ATXN2 is a target of N-terminal proteolysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0296085. [PMID: 38128014 PMCID: PMC10735043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of the poly-glutamine (polyQ) tract of Ataxin-2 (ATXN2). Other polyQ-containing proteins such as ATXN7 and huntingtin are associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases when their N-terminal polyQ domains are expanded. Furthermore, they undergo proteolytic processing events that produce N-terminal fragments that include the polyQ stretch, which are implicated in pathogenesis. Interestingly, N-terminal ATXN2 fragments were reported in a brain extract from a SCA2 patient, but it is currently unknown whether an expanded polyQ domain contributes to ATXN2 proteolytic susceptibility. Here, we used transient expression in HEK293 cells to determine whether ATXN2 is a target for specific N-terminal proteolysis. We found that ATXN2 proteins with either normal or expanded polyQ stretches undergo proteolytic cleavage releasing an N-terminal polyQ-containing fragment. We identified a short amino acid sequence downstream of the polyQ domain that is necessary for N-terminal cleavage of full-length ATXN2 and sufficient to induce proteolysis of a heterologous protein. However, this sequence is not required for cleavage of a short ATXN2 isoform produced from an alternative start codon located just upstream of the CAG repeats encoding the polyQ domain. Our study extends our understanding of ATXN2 posttranslational regulation by revealing that this protein can be the target of specific proteolytic cleavage events releasing polyQ-containing products that are modulated by the N-terminal domain of ATXN2. N-terminal ATXN2 proteolysis of expanded polyQ domains might contribute to SCA2 pathology, as observed in other neurodegenerative disorders caused by polyQ domain expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Chitre
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Patrick Emery
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
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12
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Kumar M, Tyagi N, Faruq M. The molecular mechanisms of spinocerebellar ataxias for DNA repeat expansion in disease. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:289-312. [PMID: 37668011 DOI: 10.1042/etls20230013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a heterogenous group of neurodegenerative disorders which commonly inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. They cause muscle incoordination due to degeneration of the cerebellum and other parts of nervous system. Out of all the characterized (>50) SCAs, 14 SCAs are caused due to microsatellite repeat expansion mutations. Repeat expansions can result in toxic protein gain-of-function, protein loss-of-function, and/or RNA gain-of-function effects. The location and the nature of mutation modulate the underlying disease pathophysiology resulting in varying disease manifestations. Potential toxic effects of these mutations likely affect key major cellular processes such as transcriptional regulation, mitochondrial functioning, ion channel dysfunction and synaptic transmission. Involvement of several common pathways suggests interlinked function of genes implicated in the disease pathogenesis. A better understanding of the shared and distinct molecular pathogenic mechanisms in these diseases is required to develop targeted therapeutic tools and interventions for disease management. The prime focus of this review is to elaborate on how expanded 'CAG' repeats contribute to the common modes of neurotoxicity and their possible therapeutic targets in management of such devastating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Nishu Tyagi
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Mohammed Faruq
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India
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13
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Ekenstedt KJ, Minor KM, Shelton GD, Hammond JJ, Miller AD, Taylor SM, Huang Y, Mickelson JR. A SACS deletion variant in Great Pyrenees dogs causes autosomal recessive neuronal degeneration. Hum Genet 2023; 142:1587-1601. [PMID: 37758910 PMCID: PMC10602964 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-023-02599-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
ARSACS (autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay) is a human neurological disorder characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia and peripheral neuropathy. A recently recognized disorder in Great Pyrenees dogs is similarly characterized by widespread central nervous system degeneration leading to progressive cerebellar ataxia and spasticity, combined with peripheral neuropathy. Onset of clinical signs occurred in puppies as young as 4 months of age, with slow progression over several years. A multi-generation pedigree suggested an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Histopathology revealed consistent cerebellar Purkinje cell degeneration, neuronal degeneration in brainstem nuclei, widespread spinal cord white matter degeneration, ganglion cell degeneration, inappropriately thin myelin sheaths or fully demyelinated peripheral nerve fibers, and normal or only mild patterns of denervation atrophy in skeletal muscles. Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype data was collected from 6 cases and 26 controls, where homozygosity mapping identified a 3.3 Mb region on CFA25 in which all cases were homozygous and all controls were either heterozygous or homozygous for alternate haplotypes. This region tagged the SACS gene where variants are known to cause ARSACS. Sanger sequencing of SACS in affected dogs identified a 4 bp deletion that causes a frame shift and truncates 343 amino acids from the C terminus of the encoded sacsin protein (p.Val4244AlafsTer32). Our clinical and histopathological descriptions of this canine disorder contribute to the description of human ARSACS and represents the first naturally occurring large animal model of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari J Ekenstedt
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, Lynn Hall, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Katie M Minor
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - G Diane Shelton
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - James J Hammond
- Department of Neurology, Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center, Middletown, CT, 06457, USA
| | - Andrew D Miller
- Section of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Susan M Taylor
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Yanyun Huang
- Prairie Diagnostic Services, Inc., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - James R Mickelson
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
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14
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Chai S, Liu D, Liu Y, Sang M. A Novel c.3636-4 A>G Mutation in the CCDC88C Plays a Causative Role in Familial Spinocerebellar Ataxia. Hum Hered 2023; 88:91-97. [PMID: 37899026 PMCID: PMC10659002 DOI: 10.1159/000534692] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease characterized by cerebellar neurological deficits. Specifically, its primary clinical manifestation is ataxia accompanied by peripheral nerve damage. A total of 48 causative genes of SCA have been identified. This study aimed to identify causative genes of autosomal dominant SCA in a four-generation Chinese kindred comprising eight affected individuals. METHODS Genomic DNA samples were extracted from the pedigree members, and genomic whole-exome sequencing was performed, followed by bidirectional Sanger sequencing, and minigene assays to identify mutation sites. RESULTS A novel pathogenic heterozygous mutation in the splice region of the coiled-coil domain containing the 88C (CCDC88C) gene (NM_001080414:c.3636-4 A>G) was identified in four affected members. The minigene assay results indicated that this mutation leads to the insertion of CAG bases (c.3636-1_3636-3 insCAG). CONCLUSION CCDC88C gene mutation leads to SCA40 (OMIM:616053), which is a rare subtype of SCA without symptoms during childhood. Our findings further demonstrated the role of the CCDC88C gene in SCA and indicated that the c.3636-4 A>G (NM_001080414) variant of CCDC88C is causative for a later-onset phenotype of SCA40. Our findings enrich the mutation spectrum of CCDC88C gene and provide a theoretical basis for the genetic counseling of SCA40.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senmao Chai
- Center for Translational Medicine, Hubei Clinical Research Center of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital, Xiangyang, China,
- Clinical Laboratory, Xian GEM Flower Changqing Hospital, Xian, China,
| | - Deyang Liu
- Center for Translational Medicine, Hubei Clinical Research Center of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital, Xiangyang, China
| | - Yajing Liu
- Clinical Laboratory, Xian GEM Flower Changqing Hospital, Xian, China
| | - Ming Sang
- Center for Translational Medicine, Hubei Clinical Research Center of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital, Xiangyang, China
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15
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Nanclares C, Noriega-Prieto JA, Labrada-Moncada FE, Cvetanovic M, Araque A, Kofuji P. Altered calcium signaling in Bergmann glia contributes to spinocerebellar ataxia type-1 in a mouse model of SCA1. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106318. [PMID: 37802154 PMCID: PMC10624966 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106318] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by an abnormal expansion of glutamine (Q) encoding CAG repeats in the ATAXIN1 (ATXN1) gene and characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia, dysarthria, and eventual deterioration of bulbar functions. SCA1 shows severe degeneration of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) and activation of Bergmann glia (BG), a type of cerebellar astroglia closely associated with PCs. Combining electrophysiological recordings, calcium imaging techniques, and chemogenetic approaches, we have investigated the electrical intrinsic and synaptic properties of PCs and the physiological properties of BG in SCA1 mouse model expressing mutant ATXN1 only in PCs. PCs of SCA1 mice displayed lower spontaneous firing rate and larger slow afterhyperpolarization currents (sIAHP) than wildtype mice, whereas the properties of the synaptic inputs were unaffected. BG of SCA1 mice showed higher calcium hyperactivity and gliotransmission, manifested by higher frequency of NMDAR-mediated slow inward currents (SICs) in PC. Preventing the BG calcium hyperexcitability of SCA1 mice by loading BG with the calcium chelator BAPTA restored sIAHP and spontaneous firing rate of PCs to similar levels of wildtype mice. Moreover, mimicking the BG hyperactivity by activating BG expressing Gq-DREADDs in wildtype mice reproduced the SCA1 pathological phenotype of PCs, i.e., enhancement of sIAHP and decrease of spontaneous firing rate. These results indicate that the intrinsic electrical properties of PCs, but not their synaptic properties, were altered in SCA1 mice and that these alterations were associated with the hyperexcitability of BG. Moreover, preventing BG hyperexcitability in SCA1 mice and promoting BG hyperexcitability in wildtype mice prevented and mimicked, respectively, the pathological electrophysiological phenotype of PCs. Therefore, BG plays a relevant role in the dysfunction of the electrical intrinsic properties of PCs in SCA1 mice, suggesting that they may serve as potential targets for therapeutic approaches to treat the spinocerebellar ataxia type 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Nanclares
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | | | - Marija Cvetanovic
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alfonso Araque
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Paulo Kofuji
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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16
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Yonenobu Y, Beck G, Kido K, Maeda N, Yamashita R, Inoue K, Saito Y, Hasegawa M, Ito H, Hasegawa K, Morii E, Iwaki T, Murayama S, Mochizuki H. Neuropathology of spinocerebellar ataxia type 8: Common features and unique tauopathy. Neuropathology 2023; 43:351-361. [PMID: 36703300 DOI: 10.1111/neup.12894] [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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 8 (SCA8) is a neurodegenerative condition that presents with several neurological symptoms, such as cerebellar ataxia, parkinsonism, and cognitive impairment. It is caused by a CTA/CTG repeat expansion on chromosome 13q21 (ataxin 8 opposite strand [ATXN8OS]). However, the pathological significance of this expansion remains unclear. Moreover, abnormal CTA/CTG repeat expansions in ATXN8OS have also been reported in other neurodegenerative diseases, including progressive supranuclear palsy. In this study, we analyzed all available autopsy cases in Japan to investigate common pathological features and profiles of tau pathology in each case. Severe neuronal loss in the substantia nigra and prominent loss of Purkinje cells, atrophy of the molecular layer, and proliferation of Bergmann glia in the cerebellum were common features. Regarding tauopathy, one case presented with progressive supranuclear palsy-like 4-repeat tauopathy in addition to mild Alzheimer-type 3- and 4-repeat tauopathy. Another case showed 3- and 4-repeat tauopathy accentuated in the brainstem. The other two cases lacked tauopathy after extensive immunohistochemical studies. The present study confirmed common pathological features of SCA8 as degeneration of the substantia nigra in addition to the cerebellum. Our study also confirmed unique tauopathy in two of four cases, indicating the necessity to further collect autopsy cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Yonenobu
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Goichi Beck
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Kansuke Kido
- Department of Pathology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Norihisa Maeda
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Rika Yamashita
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Kimiko Inoue
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, National Hospital Organization, Osaka Toneyama Medical Center, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Yuko Saito
- Department of Neurology and Neuropathology (Brain Bank for Aging Research), Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidefumi Ito
- Department of Neurology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama City, Japan
| | - Kazuko Hasegawa
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Sagamihara National Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Eiichi Morii
- Department of Pathology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Toru Iwaki
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
- Department of Neurology and Neuropathology (Brain Bank for Aging Research), Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
- Brain Bank for Neurodevelopmental, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Hideki Mochizuki
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
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17
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Torella A, Ricca I, Piluso G, Galatolo D, De Michele G, Zanobio M, Trovato R, De Michele G, Zeuli R, Pane C, Cocozza S, Saccà F, Santorelli FM, Nigro V, Filla A. A new genetic cause of spastic ataxia: the p.Glu415Lys variant in TUBA4A. J Neurol 2023; 270:5057-5063. [PMID: 37418012 PMCID: PMC10511369 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11816-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Tubulinopathies encompass neurodevelopmental disorders caused by mutations in genes encoding for different isotypes of α- and β-tubulins, the structural components of microtubules. Less frequently, mutations in tubulins may underlie neurodegenerative disorders. In the present study, we report two families, one with 11 affected individuals and the other with a single patient, carrying a novel, likely pathogenic, variant (p. Glu415Lys) in the TUBA4A gene (NM_006000). The phenotype, not previously described, is that of spastic ataxia. Our findings widen the phenotypic and genetic manifestations of TUBA4A variants and add a new type of spastic ataxia to be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalaura Torella
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania, Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Ivana Ricca
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulio Piluso
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania, Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe De Michele
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariateresa Zanobio
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania, Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Rosanna Trovato
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanna De Michele
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberta Zeuli
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania, Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Chiara Pane
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Sirio Cocozza
- Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Council of Research, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Saccà
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo Nigro
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania, Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Alessandro Filla
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
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18
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Patel N, Alam N, Libohova K, Dulay R, Todi SV, Sujkowski A. Phenotypic defects from the expression of wild-type and pathogenic TATA-binding proteins in new Drosophila models of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 17. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkad180. [PMID: 37551423 PMCID: PMC10542169 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad180] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 17 (SCA17) is the most recently identified member of the polyglutamine (polyQ) family of disorders, resulting from abnormal CAG/CAA expansion in the TATA box-binding protein (TBP), an initiation factor essential for of all eukaryotic transcription. A largely autosomal dominant inherited disease, SCA17, is unique in both its heterogeneous clinical presentation and low incidence of genetic anticipation, the phenomenon in which subsequent generations inherit longer polyQ expansions that yield earlier and more severe symptom onset. Like other polyQ disease family members, SCA17 patients experience progressive ataxia and dementia, and treatments are limited to preventing symptoms and increasing quality of life. Here, we report 2 new Drosophila models that express human TBP with polyQ repeats in either wild-type or SCA17 patient range. We find that TBP expression has age- and tissue-specific effects on neurodegeneration, with polyQ-expanded SCA17 protein expression generally having more severe effects. In addition, SCA17 model flies accumulate more aggregation-prone TBP, with a greater proportion localizing to the nucleus. These new lines provide a new resource for the biochemical characterization of SCA17 pathology and the future identification of therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Patel
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Nadir Alam
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Kozeta Libohova
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Ryan Dulay
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Sokol V Todi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Alyson Sujkowski
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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19
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de Oliveira CM, Leotti VB, Polita S, Anes M, Cappelli AH, Rocha AG, Ecco G, Bolzan G, Kersting N, Duarte JA, Saraiva-Pereira ML, Junior MCF, Rezende TJR, Jardim LB. The longitudinal progression of MRI changes in pre-ataxic carriers of SCA3/MJD. J Neurol 2023; 270:4276-4287. [PMID: 37193796 PMCID: PMC10187509 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11763-6] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The natural history of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pre-ataxic stages of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is not well known. We report cross-sectional and longitudinal data obtained at this stage. METHODS Baseline (follow-up) observations included 32 (17) pre-ataxic carriers (SARA < 3) and 20 (12) related controls. The mutation length was used to estimate the time to onset (TimeTo) of gait ataxia. Clinical scales and MRIs were performed at baseline and after a median (IQR) of 30 (7) months. Cerebellar volumetries (ACAPULCO), deep gray-matter (T1-Multiatlas), cortical thickness (FreeSurfer), cervical spinal cord area (SCT) and white matter (DTI-Multiatlas) were assessed. Baseline differences between groups were described; variables that presented a p < 0.1 after Bonferroni correction were assessed longitudinally, using TimeTo and study time. For TimeTo strategy, corrections for age, sex and intracranial volume were done with Z-score progression. A significance level of 5% was adopted. RESULTS SCT at C1 level distinguished pre-ataxic carriers from controls. DTI measures of the right inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP), bilateral middle cerebellar peduncles (MCP) and bilateral medial lemniscus (ML), also distinguished pre-ataxic carriers from controls, and progressed over TimeTo, with effect sizes varying from 0.11 to 0.20, larger than those of the clinical scales. No MRI variable showed progression over study time. DISCUSSION DTI parameters of the right ICP, left MCP and right ML were the best biomarkers for the pre-ataxic stage of SCA3/MJD. TimeTo is an interesting timescale, since it captured the longitudinal worsening of these structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Maria de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Bielefeldt Leotti
- Departamento de Estatística, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Sandra Polita
- Serviço de Radiologia, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Anes
- Serviço de Física Médica e Radioproteção, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Amanda Henz Cappelli
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriela Ecco
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Bolzan
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Nathalia Kersting
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Juliana Avila Duarte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Serviço de Radiologia, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria-Luiza Saraiva-Pereira
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marcondes Cavalcante França Junior
- Departamento de Neurologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Rua Vital Brasil, 89-99, Cidade Universitária "Zeferino Vaz", Campinas, SP, 13083-888, Brazil
| | - Thiago Junqueira Ribeiro Rezende
- Departamento de Neurologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil.
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Rua Vital Brasil, 89-99, Cidade Universitária "Zeferino Vaz", Campinas, SP, 13083-888, Brazil.
- Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil.
| | - Laura Bannach Jardim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil.
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20
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Marinina KS, Bezprozvanny IB, Egorova PA. A chlorzoxazone-folic acid combination improves cognitive affective decline in SCA2-58Q mice. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12588. [PMID: 37537226 PMCID: PMC10400576 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39331-y] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a polyglutamine disorder caused by a pathological expansion of CAG repeats in ATXN2 gene. SCA2 is accompanied by cerebellar degeneration and progressive motor decline. Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) seem to be primarily affected in this disorder. The majority of the ataxia research is focused on the motor decline observed in ataxic patients and animal models of the disease. However, recent evidence from patients and ataxic mice suggests that SCA2 can also share the symptoms of the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. We previously reported that SCA2-58Q PC-specific transgenic mice exhibit anxiolytic behavior, decline in spatial memory, and a depressive-like state. Here we studied the effect of the activation of the small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK channels) by chlorzoxazone (CHZ) combined with the folic acid (FA) on the PC firing and also motor, cognitive and affective symptoms in SCA2-58Q mice. We realized that CHZ-FA combination improved motor and cognitive decline as well as ameliorated mood alterations in SCA2-58Q mice without affecting the firing rate of their cerebellar PCs. Our results support the idea of the combination therapy for both ataxia and non-motor symptoms in ataxic mice without affecting the firing frequency of PCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenia S Marinina
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ilya B Bezprozvanny
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Polina A Egorova
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
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21
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Ferrero E, Di Gregorio E, Ferrero M, Ortolan E, Moon YA, Di Campli A, Pavinato L, Mancini C, Tripathy D, Manes M, Hoxha E, Costanzi C, Pozzi E, Rossi Sebastiano M, Mitro N, Tempia F, Caruso D, Borroni B, Basso M, Sallese M, Brusco A. Spinocerebellar ataxia 38: structure-function analysis shows ELOVL5 G230V is proteotoxic, conformationally altered and a mutational hotspot. Hum Genet 2023; 142:1055-1076. [PMID: 37199746 PMCID: PMC10449689 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-023-02572-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Fatty acid elongase ELOVL5 is part of a protein family of multipass transmembrane proteins that reside in the endoplasmic reticulum where they regulate long-chain fatty acid elongation. A missense variant (c.689G>T p.Gly230Val) in ELOVL5 causes Spinocerebellar Ataxia subtype 38 (SCA38), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by autosomal dominant inheritance, cerebellar Purkinje cell demise and adult-onset ataxia. Having previously showed aberrant accumulation of p.G230V in the Golgi complex, here we further investigated the pathogenic mechanisms triggered by p.G230V, integrating functional studies with bioinformatic analyses of protein sequence and structure. Biochemical analysis showed that p.G230V enzymatic activity was normal. In contrast, SCA38-derived fibroblasts showed reduced expression of ELOVL5, Golgi complex enlargement and increased proteasomal degradation with respect to controls. By heterologous overexpression, p.G230V was significantly more active than wild-type ELOVL5 in triggering the unfolded protein response and in decreasing viability in mouse cortical neurons. By homology modelling, we generated native and p.G230V protein structures whose superposition revealed a shift in Loop 6 in p.G230V that altered a highly conserved intramolecular disulphide bond. The conformation of this bond, connecting Loop 2 and Loop 6, appears to be elongase-specific. Alteration of this intramolecular interaction was also observed when comparing wild-type ELOVL4 and the p.W246G variant which causes SCA34. We demonstrate by sequence and structure analyses that ELOVL5 p.G230V and ELOVL4 p.W246G are position-equivalent missense variants. We conclude that SCA38 is a conformational disease and propose combined loss of function by mislocalization and gain of toxic function by ER/Golgi stress as early events in SCA38 pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enza Ferrero
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Via Santena 19, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Eleonora Di Gregorio
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Città della Salute e Della Scienza Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Marta Ferrero
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley, Turin, Italy
| | - Erika Ortolan
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Via Santena 19, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Young-Ah Moon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Antonella Di Campli
- Institute of Protein Biochemistry, Italian National Research Council, Naples, Italy
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Lisa Pavinato
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Via Santena 19, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Cecilia Mancini
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Via Santena 19, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Debasmita Tripathy
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Marta Manes
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Eriola Hoxha
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Orbassano and Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Elisa Pozzi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Via Santena 19, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Matteo Rossi Sebastiano
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Nico Mitro
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Filippo Tempia
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Orbassano and Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Borroni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Manuela Basso
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Michele Sallese
- Centre for Advanced Studies and Technology, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Alfredo Brusco
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Via Santena 19, 10126, Turin, Italy.
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Città della Salute e Della Scienza Hospital, Turin, Italy.
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22
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Koppenol R, Conceição A, Afonso IT, Afonso-Reis R, Costa RG, Tomé S, Teixeira D, da Silva JP, Côdesso JM, Brito DVC, Mendonça L, Marcelo A, Pereira de Almeida L, Matos CA, Nóbrega C. The stress granule protein G3BP1 alleviates spinocerebellar ataxia-associated deficits. Brain 2023; 146:2346-2363. [PMID: 36511898 PMCID: PMC10232246 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac473] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine diseases are a group of neurodegenerative disorders caused by an abnormal expansion of CAG repeat tracts in the codifying regions of nine, otherwise unrelated, genes. While the protein products of these genes are suggested to play diverse cellular roles, the pathogenic mutant proteins bearing an expanded polyglutamine sequence share a tendency to self-assemble, aggregate and engage in abnormal molecular interactions. Understanding the shared paths that link polyglutamine protein expansion to the nervous system dysfunction and the degeneration that takes place in these disorders is instrumental to the identification of targets for therapeutic intervention. Among polyglutamine diseases, spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) share many common aspects, including the fact that they involve dysfunction of the cerebellum, resulting in ataxia. Our work aimed at exploring a putative new therapeutic target for the two forms of SCA with higher worldwide prevalence, SCA type 2 (SCA2) and type 3 (SCA3), which are caused by expanded forms of ataxin-2 (ATXN2) and ataxin-3 (ATXN3), respectively. The pathophysiology of polyglutamine diseases has been described to involve an inability to properly respond to cell stress. We evaluated the ability of GTPase-activating protein-binding protein 1 (G3BP1), an RNA-binding protein involved in RNA metabolism regulation and stress responses, to counteract SCA2 and SCA3 pathology, using both in vitro and in vivo disease models. Our results indicate that G3BP1 overexpression in cell models leads to a reduction of ATXN2 and ATXN3 aggregation, associated with a decrease in protein expression. This protective effect of G3BP1 against polyglutamine protein aggregation was reinforced by the fact that silencing G3bp1 in the mouse brain increases human expanded ATXN2 and ATXN3 aggregation. Moreover, a decrease of G3BP1 levels was detected in cells derived from patients with SCA2 and SCA3, suggesting that G3BP1 function is compromised in the context of these diseases. In lentiviral mouse models of SCA2 and SCA3, G3BP1 overexpression not only decreased protein aggregation but also contributed to the preservation of neuronal cells. Finally, in an SCA3 transgenic mouse model with a severe ataxic phenotype, G3BP1 lentiviral delivery to the cerebellum led to amelioration of several motor behavioural deficits. Overall, our results indicate that a decrease in G3BP1 levels may be a contributing factor to SCA2 and SCA3 pathophysiology, and that administration of this protein through viral vector-mediated delivery may constitute a putative approach to therapy for these diseases, and possibly other polyglutamine disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah Koppenol
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- PhD Program in Biomedial Sciences, Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - André Conceição
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- PhD Program in Biomedial Sciences, Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Inês T Afonso
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Afonso-Reis
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Rafael G Costa
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Sandra Tomé
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diogo Teixeira
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | | | - José Miguel Côdesso
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- PhD Program in Biomedial Sciences, Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - David V C Brito
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Liliana Mendonça
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Adriana Marcelo
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carlos A Matos
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
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23
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Worssam MD, Lambert J, Oc S, Taylor JCK, Taylor AL, Dobnikar L, Chappell J, Harman JL, Figg NL, Finigan A, Foote K, Uryga AK, Bennett MR, Spivakov M, Jørgensen HF. Cellular mechanisms of oligoclonal vascular smooth muscle cell expansion in cardiovascular disease. Cardiovasc Res 2023; 119:1279-1294. [PMID: 35994249 PMCID: PMC10202649 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvac138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Quiescent, differentiated adult vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) can be induced to proliferate and switch phenotype. Such plasticity underlies blood vessel homeostasis and contributes to vascular disease development. Oligoclonal VSMC contribution is a hallmark of end-stage vascular disease. Here, we aim to understand cellular mechanisms underpinning generation of this VSMC oligoclonality. METHODS AND RESULTS We investigate the dynamics of VSMC clone formation using confocal microscopy and single-cell transcriptomics in VSMC-lineage-traced animal models. We find that activation of medial VSMC proliferation occurs at low frequency after vascular injury and that only a subset of expanding clones migrate, which together drives formation of oligoclonal neointimal lesions. VSMC contribution in small atherosclerotic lesions is typically from one or two clones, similar to observations in mature lesions. Low frequency (<0.1%) of clonal VSMC proliferation is also observed in vitro. Single-cell RNA-sequencing revealed progressive cell state changes across a contiguous VSMC population at onset of injury-induced proliferation. Proliferating VSMCs mapped selectively to one of two distinct trajectories and were associated with cells showing extensive phenotypic switching. A proliferation-associated transitory state shared pronounced similarities with atypical SCA1+ VSMCs from uninjured mouse arteries and VSMCs in healthy human aorta. We show functionally that clonal expansion of SCA1+ VSMCs from healthy arteries occurs at higher rate and frequency compared with SCA1- cells. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that activation of proliferation at low frequency is a general, cell-intrinsic feature of VSMCs. We show that rare VSMCs in healthy arteries display VSMC phenotypic switching akin to that observed in pathological vessel remodelling and that this is a conserved feature of mouse and human healthy arteries. The increased proliferation of modulated VSMCs from healthy arteries suggests that these cells respond more readily to disease-inducing cues and could drive oligoclonal VSMC expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt D Worssam
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Jordi Lambert
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Sebnem Oc
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - James C K Taylor
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Annabel L Taylor
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Lina Dobnikar
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
- Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joel Chappell
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Jennifer L Harman
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Nichola L Figg
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Alison Finigan
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Kirsty Foote
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Anna K Uryga
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Martin R Bennett
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
| | - Mikhail Spivakov
- Functional Gene Control Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Helle F Jørgensen
- Section of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Papworth Road, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0BB, UK
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24
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Tax CM, Genc S, MacIver CL, Nilsson M, Wardle M, Szczepankiewicz F, Jones DK, Peall KJ. Ultra-strong diffusion-weighted MRI reveals cerebellar grey matter abnormalities in movement disorders. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103419. [PMID: 37192563 PMCID: PMC10199248 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103419] [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: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Structural brain MRI has proven invaluable in understanding movement disorder pathophysiology. However, most work has focused on grey/white matter volumetric (macrostructural) and white matter microstructural effects, limiting understanding of frequently implicated grey matter microstructural differences. Using ultra-strong spherical tensor encoding diffusion-weighted MRI, a persistent MRI signal was seen in healthy cerebellar grey matter even at high diffusion-weightings (b ≥ 10,000 s/mm2). Quantifying the proportion of this signal (denoted fs), previously ascertained to originate from inside small spherical spaces, provides a potential proxy for cell body density. In this work, this approach was applied for the first time to a clinical cohort, including patients with diagnosed movement disorders in which the cerebellum has been implicated in symptom pathophysiology. Five control participants (control group 1, median age 24.5 years (20-39 years), imaged at two timepoints, demonstrated consistency in measurement of all three measures - MD (Mean Diffusivity) fs, and Ds (dot diffusivity)- with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of 0.98, 0.86 and 0.76, respectively. Comparison with an older control group (control group 2 (n = 5), median age 51 years (43-58 years)) found no significant differences, neither with morphometric nor microstructural (MD (p = 0.36), fs (p = 0.17) and Ds (p = 0.22)) measures. The movement disorder cohort (Parkinson's Disease, n = 5, dystonia, n = 5. Spinocerebellar Ataxia 6, n = 5) when compared to the age-matched control cohort (Control Group 2) identified significantly lower MD (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001) and higher fs values (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001) in SCA6 and dystonia cohorts respectively. Lobar division of the cerebellum found these same differences in the superior and inferior posterior lobes, while no differences were seen in either the anterior lobes or with Ds measurements. In contrast to more conventional measures from diffusion tensor imaging, this framework provides enhanced specificity to differences in restricted spherical spaces in grey matter (including small cells) by eliminating signals from cerebrospinal fluid and axons. In the context of human and animal histopathology studies, these findings potentially implicate the cerebellar Purkinje and granule cells as contributors to the observed signal differences, with both cell types having been implicated in several neurological disorders through both postmortem and animal model studies. This novel microstructural imaging approach shows promise for improving movement disorder diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal M.W. Tax
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sila Genc
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Neuroscience Advanced Clinical Imaging Service (NACIS), Department of Neurosurgery, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Claire L MacIver
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Diagnostic Radiology, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mark Wardle
- Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, University Hospital of Wales Cardiff, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - Filip Szczepankiewicz
- Diagnostic Radiology, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Medical Radiation Physics, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Derek K. Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kathryn J. Peall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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25
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Jäschke D, Steiner KM, Chang DI, Claaßen J, Uslar E, Thieme A, Gerwig M, Pfaffenrot V, Hulst T, Gussew A, Maderwald S, Göricke SL, Minnerop M, Ladd ME, Reichenbach JR, Timmann D, Deistung A. Age-related differences of cerebellar cortex and nuclei: MRI findings in healthy controls and its application to spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA6) patients. Neuroimage 2023; 270:119950. [PMID: 36822250 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119950] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding cerebellar alterations due to healthy aging provides a reference point against which pathological findings in late-onset disease, for example spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), can be contrasted. In the present study, we investigated the impact of aging on the cerebellar nuclei and cerebellar cortex in 109 healthy controls (age range: 16 - 78 years) using 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Findings were compared with 25 SCA6 patients (age range: 38 - 78 years). A subset of 16 SCA6 (included: 14) patients and 50 controls (included: 45) received an additional MRI scan at 7 Tesla and were re-scanned after one year. MRI included T1-weighted, T2-weighted FLAIR, and multi-echo T2*-weighted imaging. The T2*-weighted phase images were converted to quantitative susceptibility maps (QSM). Since the cerebellar nuclei are characterized by elevated iron content with respect to their surroundings, two independent raters manually outlined them on the susceptibility maps. T1-weighted images acquired at 3T were utilized to automatically identify the cerebellar gray matter (GM) volume. Linear correlations revealed significant atrophy of the cerebellum due to tissue loss of cerebellar cortical GM in healthy controls with increasing age. Reduction of the cerebellar GM was substantially stronger in SCA6 patients. The volume of the dentate nuclei did not exhibit a significant relationship with age, at least in the age range between 18 and 78 years, whereas mean susceptibilities of the dentate nuclei increased with age. As previously shown, the dentate nuclei volumes were smaller and magnetic susceptibilities were lower in SCA6 patients compared to age- and sex-matched controls. The significant dentate volume loss in SCA6 patients could also be confirmed with 7T MRI. Linear mixed effects models and individual paired t-tests accounting for multiple comparisons revealed no statistical significant change in volume and susceptibility of the dentate nuclei after one year in neither patients nor controls. Importantly, dentate volumes were more sensitive to differentiate between SCA6 (Cohen's d = 3.02) and matched controls than the cerebellar cortex volume (d = 2.04). In addition to age-related decline of the cerebellar cortex and atrophy in SCA6 patients, age-related increase of susceptibility of the dentate nuclei was found in controls, whereas dentate volume and susceptibility was significantly decreased in SCA6 patients. Because no significant changes of any of these parameters was found at follow-up, these measures do not allow to monitor disease progression at short intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Jäschke
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel 4031, Switzerland
| | - Katharina M Steiner
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany; LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Dae-In Chang
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany; Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44791, Germany
| | - Jens Claaßen
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany; Fachklinik für Neurologie, MEDICLIN Klinik Reichshof, Reichshof-Eckenhagen 51580, Germany
| | - Ellen Uslar
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Andreas Thieme
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Marcus Gerwig
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Viktor Pfaffenrot
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45141, Germany
| | - Thomas Hulst
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany; Erasmus University College, Rotterdam 3011 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander Gussew
- University Clinic and Outpatient Clinic for Radiology, Department for Radiation Medicine, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Stefan Maderwald
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45141, Germany
| | - Sophia L Göricke
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45141, Germany
| | - Martina Minnerop
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Juelich, Juelich 52425, Germany; Department of Neurology, Center for Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany; Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Mark E Ladd
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45141, Germany; Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Faculty of Physics and Astronomy and Faculty of Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Jürgen R Reichenbach
- Medical Physics Group, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Dagmar Timmann
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany; Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45141, Germany
| | - Andreas Deistung
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany; University Clinic and Outpatient Clinic for Radiology, Department for Radiation Medicine, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany; Medical Physics Group, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07743, Germany.
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Louis ED, Martuscello RT, Gionco JT, Hartstone WG, Musacchio JB, Portenti M, McCreary M, Kuo SH, Vonsattel JPG, Faust PL. Histopathology of the cerebellar cortex in essential tremor and other neurodegenerative motor disorders: comparative analysis of 320 brains. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 145:265-283. [PMID: 36607423 PMCID: PMC10461794 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02535-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, numerous morphologic changes have been identified in the essential tremor (ET) cerebellar cortex, distinguishing ET from control brains. These findings have not been fully contextualized within a broader degenerative disease spectrum, thus limiting their interpretability. Building off our prior study and now doubling the sample size, we conducted comparative analyses in a postmortem series of 320 brains on the severity and patterning of cerebellar cortex degenerative changes in ET (n = 100), other neurodegenerative disorders of the cerebellum [spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs, n = 47, including 13 SCA3 and 34 SCA1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 14); Friedreich's ataxia (FA, n = 13); multiple system atrophy (MSA), n = 29], and other disorders that may involve the cerebellum [Parkinson's disease (PD), n = 62; dystonia, n = 19] versus controls (n = 50). We generated data on 37 quantitative morphologic metrics, grouped into 8 broad categories: Purkinje cell (PC) loss, heterotopic PCs, PC dendritic changes, PC axonal changes (torpedoes), PC axonal changes (other than torpedoes), PC axonal changes (torpedo-associated), basket cell axonal hypertrophy, and climbing fiber-PC synaptic changes. Principal component analysis of z scored raw data across all diagnoses (11,651 data items) revealed that diagnostic groups were not uniform with respect to pathology. Dystonia and PD each differed from controls in only 4/37 and 5/37 metrics, respectively, whereas ET differed in 21, FA in 10, SCA3 in 10, MSA in 21, and SCA1/2/6/7/8/14 in 27. Pathological changes were generally on the milder end of the degenerative spectrum in ET, FA and SCA3, and on the more severe end of that spectrum in SCA1/2/6/7/8/14. Comparative analyses across morphologic categories demonstrated differences in relative expression, defining distinctive patterns of changes in these groups. In summary, we present a robust and reproducible method that identifies somewhat distinctive signatures of degenerative changes in the cerebellar cortex that mark each of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elan D Louis
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75390-8813, USA.
| | - Regina T Martuscello
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - John T Gionco
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Whitney G Hartstone
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jessica B Musacchio
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marisa Portenti
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Morgan McCreary
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75390-8813, USA
| | - Sheng-Han Kuo
- Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jean-Paul G Vonsattel
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Phyllis L Faust
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
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27
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Putka AF, McLoughlin HS. Diverse regional mechanisms drive spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 phenotypes. Neuron 2023; 111:447-449. [PMID: 36796325 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
In this issue of Neuron, a pair of studies (Handler et al.1 and Coffin et al.2) elucidate new insights into spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) pathogenesis by genetically assessing mechanistic drivers of regional vulnerability and their relationships to SCA1 phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra F Putka
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hayley S McLoughlin
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA.
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28
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Miller W, Pruett CLH, Stone W, Eide C, Riddle M, Popp C, Yousefzadeh M, Lees C, Seelig D, Thompson E, Orr H, Niedernhofer L, Tolar J. Accumulation of senescence observed in spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 mouse model. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275580. [PMID: 36251631 PMCID: PMC9576077 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a trinucleotide CAG repeat. SCA7 predominantly causes a loss of photoreceptors in the retina and Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. Severe infantile-onset SCA7 also causes renal and cardiac irregularities. Previous reports have shown that SCA7 results in increased susceptibility to DNA damage. Since DNA damage can lead to accumulation of senescent cells, we hypothesized that SCA7 causes an accumulation of senescent cells over the course of disease. A 140-CAG repeat SCA7 mouse model was evaluated for signs of disease-specific involvement in the kidney, heart, and cerebellum, tissues that are commonly affected in the infantile form. We found evidence of significant renal abnormality that coincided with an accumulation of senescent cells in the kidneys of SCA7140Q/5Q mice, based on histology findings in addition to RT-qPCR for the cell cycle inhibitors p16Ink4a and p21Cip1 and senescence-associated ß-galactosidase (SA-ßgal) staining, respectively. The Purkinje layer in the cerebellum of SCA7140Q/5Q mice also displayed SA-ßgal+ cells. These novel findings offer evidence that senescent cells accumulate in affected tissues and may possibly contribute to SCA7’s specific phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | | | - William Stone
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Cindy Eide
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Megan Riddle
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Courtney Popp
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Matthew Yousefzadeh
- Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Christopher Lees
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Davis Seelig
- Comparative Pathology Shared Resource, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Thompson
- Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Harry Orr
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Laura Niedernhofer
- Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Jakub Tolar
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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29
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Luttik K, Olmos V, Owens A, Khan A, Yun J, Driessen T, Lim J. Identifying Disease Signatures in the Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 Mouse Cortex. Cells 2022; 11:cells11172632. [PMID: 36078042 PMCID: PMC9454518 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is known to lead to the progressive degeneration of specific neuronal populations, including cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs), brainstem cranial nerve nuclei and inferior olive nuclei, and spinocerebellar tracts. The disease-causing protein ataxin-1 is fairly ubiquitously expressed throughout the brain and spinal cord, but most studies have primarily focused on the role of ataxin-1 in the cerebellum and brainstem. Therefore, the functions of ataxin-1 and the effects of SCA1 mutations in other brain regions including the cortex are not well-known. Here, we characterized pathology in the motor cortex of a SCA1 mouse model and performed RNA sequencing in this brain region to investigate the impact of mutant ataxin-1 towards transcriptomic alterations. We identified progressive cortical pathology and significant transcriptomic changes in the motor cortex of a SCA1 mouse model. We also identified progressive, region-specific, colocalization of p62 protein with mutant ataxin-1 aggregates in broad brain regions, but not the cerebellum or brainstem. A cross-regional comparison of the SCA1 cortical and cerebellar transcriptomic changes identified both common and unique gene expression changes between the two regions, including shared synaptic dysfunction and region-specific kinase regulation. These findings suggest that the cortex is progressively impacted via both shared and region-specific mechanisms in SCA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Luttik
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Victor Olmos
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Ashley Owens
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Joy Yun
- Yale College, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Terri Driessen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-203-737-6268
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30
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Luttik K, Tejwani L, Ju H, Driessen T, Smeets CJLM, Edamakanti CR, Khan A, Yun J, Opal P, Lim J. Differential effects of Wnt-β-catenin signaling in Purkinje cells and Bergmann glia in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2208513119. [PMID: 35969780 PMCID: PMC9407543 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208513119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive ataxia and degeneration of specific neuronal populations, including Purkinje cells (PCs) in the cerebellum. Previous studies have demonstrated a critical role for various evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways in cerebellar patterning, such as the Wnt-β-catenin pathway; however, the roles of these pathways in adult cerebellar function and cerebellar neurodegeneration are largely unknown. In this study, we found that Wnt-β-catenin signaling activity was progressively enhanced in multiple cell types in the adult SCA1 mouse cerebellum, and that activation of this signaling occurs in an ataxin-1 polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion-dependent manner. Genetic manipulation of the Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathway in specific cerebellar cell populations revealed that activation of Wnt-β-catenin signaling in PCs alone was not sufficient to induce SCA1-like phenotypes, while its activation in astrocytes, including Bergmann glia (BG), resulted in gliosis and disrupted BG localization, which was replicated in SCA1 mouse models. Our studies identify a mechanism in which polyQ-expanded ataxin-1 positively regulates Wnt-β-catenin signaling and demonstrate that different cell types have distinct responses to the enhanced Wnt-β-catenin signaling in the SCA1 cerebellum, underscoring an important role of BG in SCA1 pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Luttik
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Leon Tejwani
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Hyoungseok Ju
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Terri Driessen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
| | | | | | | | - Joy Yun
- Yale College, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Puneet Opal
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
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31
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Wu QW, Kapfhammer JP. The Emerging Key Role of the mGluR1-PKCγ Signaling Pathway in the Pathogenesis of Spinocerebellar Ataxias: A Neurodevelopmental Viewpoint. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169169. [PMID: 36012439 PMCID: PMC9409119 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a heterogeneous group of autosomal dominantly inherited progressive disorders with degeneration and dysfunction of the cerebellum. Although different subtypes of SCAs are classified according to the disease-associated causative genes, the clinical syndrome of the ataxia is shared, pointing towards a possible convergent pathogenic pathway among SCAs. In this review, we summarize the role of SCA-associated gene function during cerebellar Purkinje cell development and discuss the relationship between SCA pathogenesis and neurodevelopment. We will summarize recent studies on molecules involved in SCA pathogenesis and will focus on the mGluR1-PKCγ signaling pathway evaluating the possibility that this might be a common pathway which contributes to these diseases.
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32
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Mezey SE, Kapfhammer JP, Shimobayashi E. Transcriptome Profile of a New Mouse Model of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 14 Implies Changes in Cerebellar Development. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081417. [PMID: 36011327 PMCID: PMC9407720 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The autosomal dominant inherited spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by cerebellar atrophy and loss of Purkinje neurons. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 14 (SCA14) is a rare variant of SCAs caused by missense mutations or deletions in the PRKCG gene encoding the protein kinase C γ (PKCγ). Although mutated PKCγs are responsible for SCA14, it is still unclear exactly how mutated PKCγs are involved in SCA14 pathogenesis. Therefore, it is important to study how PKCγ signaling is altered in the cerebellum, which genes or signaling pathways are affected, and how this leads to neurological disease. In this study, we used a mouse line carrying a knock-in pseudo-substrate domain mutation in PKCγ (PKCγ-A24E) as an SCA14 model and performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis at an early developmental timepoint (postnatal day 15) to investigate changes in the gene profile compared to wildtype mice. We analyzed both heterozygous (Het) PKCγ-A24E mice and homozygous (Homo) PKCγ-A24E mice for transcriptomic changes. The Het PKCγ-A24E mice reflects the situation observed in human SCA14 patient, while Homo PKCγ-A24E mice display stronger phenotypes with respect to Purkinje cell development and behavior. Our findings highlight an abundance of modifications affecting genes involved in developmental processes, suggesting that at least a part of the final phenotype is shaped by altered cerebellar development and is not only caused by changes in mature animals.
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El-Sayed NS, Nam YW, Egorova PA, Nguyen HM, Orfali R, Rahman MA, Yang G, Wulff H, Bezprozvanny I, Parang K, Zhang M. Structure-Activity Relationship Study of Subtype-Selective Positive Modulators of K Ca2 Channels. J Med Chem 2022; 65:303-322. [PMID: 34962403 PMCID: PMC8758555 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
A series of modified N-cyclohexyl-2-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-6-methylpyrimidin-4-amine (CyPPA) analogues were synthesized by replacing the cyclohexane moiety with different 4-substituted cyclohexane rings, tyrosine analogues, or mono- and dihalophenyl rings and were subsequently studied for their potentiation of KCa2 channel activity. Among the N-benzene-N-[2-(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-6-methyl-4-pyrimidinamine derivatives, halogen decoration at positions 2 and 5 of benzene-substituted 4-pyrimidineamine in compound 2q conferred a ∼10-fold higher potency, while halogen substitution at positions 3 and 4 of benzene-substituted 4-pyrimidineamine in compound 2o conferred a ∼7-fold higher potency on potentiating KCa2.2a channels, compared to that of the parent template CyPPA. Both compounds retained the KCa2.2a/KCa2.3 subtype selectivity. Based on the initial evaluation, compounds 2o and 2q were selected for testing in an electrophysiological model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2). Both compounds were able to normalize the abnormal firing of Purkinje cells in cerebellar slices from SCA2 mice, suggesting the potential therapeutic usefulness of these compounds for treating symptoms of ataxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naglaa Salem El-Sayed
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Young-Woo Nam
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Polina A Egorova
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Politekhnicheskaya Ulitsa, 29, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Hai Minh Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Razan Orfali
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Mohammad Asikur Rahman
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Grace Yang
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Heike Wulff
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ilya Bezprozvanny
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Politekhnicheskaya Ulitsa, 29, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6001 Forest Park Road, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Keykavous Parang
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Miao Zhang
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
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Li PP, Moulick R, Feng H, Sun X, Arbez N, Jin J, Marque LO, Hedglen E, Chan HE, Ross CA, Pulst SM, Margolis RL, Woodson S, Rudnicki DD. RNA Toxicity and Perturbation of rRNA Processing in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. Mov Disord 2021; 36:2519-2529. [PMID: 34390268 PMCID: PMC8884117 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28729] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a CAG repeat in Ataxin-2 (ATXN2) gene. The mutant ATXN2 protein with a polyglutamine tract is known to be toxic and contributes to the SCA2 pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE Here, we tested the hypothesis that the mutant ATXN2 transcript with an expanded CAG repeat (expATXN2) is also toxic and contributes to SCA2 pathogenesis. METHODS The toxic effect of expATXN2 transcripts on SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cells and primary mouse cortical neurons was evaluated by caspase 3/7 activity and nuclear condensation assay, respectively. RNA immunoprecipitation assay was performed to identify RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that bind to expATXN2 RNA. Quantitative PCR was used to examine if ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing is disrupted in SCA2 and Huntington's disease (HD) human brain tissue. RESULTS expATXN2 RNA induces neuronal cell death, and aberrantly interacts with RBPs involved in RNA metabolism. One of the RBPs, transducin β-like protein 3 (TBL3), involved in rRNA processing, binds to both expATXN2 and expanded huntingtin (expHTT) RNA in vitro. rRNA processing is disrupted in both SCA2 and HD human brain tissue. CONCLUSION These findings provide the first evidence of a contributory role of expATXN2 transcripts in SCA2 pathogenesis, and further support the role of expHTT transcripts in HD pathogenesis. The disruption of rRNA processing, mediated by aberrant interaction of RBPs with expATXN2 and expHTT transcripts, suggest a point of convergence in the pathogeneses of repeat expansion diseases with potential therapeutic implications. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan P. Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Roumita Moulick
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Hongxuan Feng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Xin Sun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Jing Jin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Leonard O. Marque
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Erin Hedglen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - H.Y. Edwin Chan
- Biochemistry Program, School of Life SciencesThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Christopher A. Ross
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of NeurologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Stefan M. Pulst
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | - Russell L. Margolis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of NeurologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Sarah Woodson
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Dobrila D. Rudnicki
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
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Wozniak EAL, Chen Z, Paul S, Yang P, Figueroa KP, Friedrich J, Tschumperlin T, Berken M, Ingram M, Henzler C, Pulst SM, Orr HT. Cholecystokinin 1 receptor activation restores normal mTORC1 signaling and is protective to Purkinje cells of SCA mice. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109831. [PMID: 34644575 PMCID: PMC8916043 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive ataxia and neurodegeneration, often in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. A SCA1 mouse model, Pcp2-ATXN1[30Q]D776, has severe ataxia in absence of progressive Purkinje neuron degeneration and death. Previous RNA-seq analyses identify cerebellar upregulation of the peptide hormone cholecystokinin (Cck) in Pcp2-ATXN1[30Q]D776 mice. Importantly, absence of Cck1 receptor (Cck1R) in Pcp2-ATXN1[30Q]D776 mice confers a progressive disease with Purkinje neuron death. Administration of a Cck1R agonist, A71623, to Pcp2-ATXN1[30Q]D776;Cck-/- and Pcp2-AXTN1[82Q] mice dampens Purkinje neuron pathology and associated deficits in motor performance. In addition, A71623 administration improves motor performance of Pcp2-ATXN2[127Q] SCA2 mice. Moreover, the Cck1R agonist A71623 corrects mTORC1 signaling and improves expression of calbindin in cerebella of AXTN1[82Q] and ATXN2[127Q] mice. These results indicate that manipulation of the Cck-Cck1R pathway is a potential therapeutic target for treatment of diseases involving Purkinje neuron degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A L Wozniak
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Zhao Chen
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Sharan Paul
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Praseuth Yang
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Karla P Figueroa
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jill Friedrich
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Tyler Tschumperlin
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Michael Berken
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Melissa Ingram
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Christine Henzler
- RISS Bioinformatics, Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Stefan M Pulst
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Harry T Orr
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Marsili L, Sharma J, Espay AJ, Migazzi A, Abdelghany E, Hill EJ, Duque KR, Hagen MC, Stephen CD, Kovacs GG, Lang AE, Hadjivassiliou M, Basso M, Kauffman MA, Sturchio A. Neither a Novel Tau Proteinopathy nor an Expansion of a Phenotype: Reappraising Clinicopathology-Based Nosology. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147292. [PMID: 34298918 PMCID: PMC8329925 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The gold standard for classification of neurodegenerative diseases is postmortem histopathology; however, the diagnostic odyssey of this case challenges such a clinicopathologic model. We evaluated a 60-year-old woman with a 7-year history of a progressive dystonia–ataxia syndrome with supranuclear gaze palsy, suspected to represent Niemann–Pick disease Type C. Postmortem evaluation unexpectedly demonstrated neurodegeneration with 4-repeat tau deposition in a distribution diagnostic of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Whole-exome sequencing revealed a new heterozygous variant in TGM6, associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 35 (SCA35). This novel TGM6 variant reduced transglutaminase activity in vitro, suggesting it was pathogenic. This case could be interpreted as expanding: (1) the PSP phenotype to include a spinocerebellar variant; (2) SCA35 as a tau proteinopathy; or (3) TGM6 as a novel genetic variant underlying a SCA35 phenotype with PSP pathology. None of these interpretations seem adequate. We instead hypothesize that impairment in the crosslinking of tau by the TGM6-encoded transglutaminase enzyme may compromise tau functionally and structurally, leading to its aggregation in a pattern currently classified as PSP. The lessons from this case study encourage a reassessment of our clinicopathology-based nosology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Marsili
- Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA; (J.S.); (A.J.E.); (E.A.); (E.J.H.); (K.R.D.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(513)558-4050
| | - Jennifer Sharma
- Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA; (J.S.); (A.J.E.); (E.A.); (E.J.H.); (K.R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Alberto J. Espay
- Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA; (J.S.); (A.J.E.); (E.A.); (E.J.H.); (K.R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Alice Migazzi
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Neurobiology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology—CIBIO, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy; (A.M.); (M.B.)
| | - Elhusseini Abdelghany
- Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA; (J.S.); (A.J.E.); (E.A.); (E.J.H.); (K.R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Emily J. Hill
- Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA; (J.S.); (A.J.E.); (E.A.); (E.J.H.); (K.R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Kevin R. Duque
- Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA; (J.S.); (A.J.E.); (E.A.); (E.J.H.); (K.R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Matthew C. Hagen
- Department of Pathology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA;
| | - Christopher D. Stephen
- Ataxia Center, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA;
| | - Gabor G. Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CRND), Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 60 Leonard Ave, Krembil Discovery Tower, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada;
- Laboratory Medicine Program and Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 1M8, Canada
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson’s Disease, Rossy Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Program and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada;
| | - Anthony E. Lang
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson’s Disease, Rossy Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Program and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada;
| | - Marios Hadjivassiliou
- Academic Department of Neurosciences, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK;
| | - Manuela Basso
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Neurobiology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology—CIBIO, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy; (A.M.); (M.B.)
| | - Marcelo A. Kauffman
- Consultorio y Laboratorio de Neurogenética, Centro Universitario de Neurología José María Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires C1221ADC, Argentina;
| | - Andrea Sturchio
- Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA; (J.S.); (A.J.E.); (E.A.); (E.J.H.); (K.R.D.); (A.S.)
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Fusco AF, Pucci LA, Switonski PM, Biswas DD, McCall AL, Kahn AF, Dhindsa JS, Strickland LM, La Spada AR, ElMallah MK. Respiratory dysfunction in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 7. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:dmm048893. [PMID: 34160002 PMCID: PMC8319550 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.048893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the coding region of the ataxin-7 gene. Infantile-onset SCA7 patients display extremely large repeat expansions (>200 CAGs) and exhibit progressive ataxia, dysarthria, dysphagia and retinal degeneration. Severe hypotonia, aspiration pneumonia and respiratory failure often contribute to death in affected infants. To better understand the features of respiratory and upper airway dysfunction in SCA7, we examined breathing and putative phrenic and hypoglossal neuropathology in a knock-in mouse model of early-onset SCA7 carrying an expanded allele with 266 CAG repeats. Whole-body plethysmography was used to measure awake spontaneously breathing SCA7-266Q knock-in mice at baseline in normoxia and during a hypercapnic/hypoxic respiratory challenge at 4 and 8 weeks, before and after the onset of disease. Postmortem studies included quantification of putative phrenic and hypoglossal motor neurons and microglia, and analysis of ataxin-7 aggregation at end stage. SCA7-266Q mice had profound breathing deficits during a respiratory challenge, exhibiting reduced respiratory output and a greater percentage of time in apnea. Histologically, putative phrenic and hypoglossal motor neurons of SCA7 mice exhibited a reduction in number accompanied by increased microglial activation, indicating neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, intranuclear ataxin-7 accumulation was observed in cells neighboring putative phrenic and hypoglossal motor neurons in SCA7 mice. These findings reveal the importance of phrenic and hypoglossal motor neuron pathology associated with respiratory failure and upper airway dysfunction, which are observed in infantile-onset SCA7 patients and likely contribute to their early death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna F. Fusco
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Logan A. Pucci
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Pawel M. Switonski
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14 Str., 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Debolina D. Biswas
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Angela L. McCall
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Amanda F. Kahn
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Justin S. Dhindsa
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Laura M. Strickland
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Albert R. La Spada
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- UCI Institute for Neurotherapeutics, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Mai K. ElMallah
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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Niewiadomska-Cimicka A, Doussau F, Perot JB, Roux MJ, Keime C, Hache A, Piguet F, Novati A, Weber C, Yalcin B, Meziane H, Champy MF, Grandgirard E, Karam A, Messaddeq N, Eisenmann A, Brouillet E, Nguyen HHP, Flament J, Isope P, Trottier Y. SCA7 Mouse Cerebellar Pathology Reveals Preferential Downregulation of Key Purkinje Cell-Identity Genes and Shared Disease Signature with SCA1 and SCA2. J Neurosci 2021; 41:4910-4936. [PMID: 33888607 PMCID: PMC8260160 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1882-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [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: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease mainly characterized by motor incoordination because of progressive cerebellar degeneration. SCA7 is caused by polyglutamine expansion in ATXN7, a subunit of the transcriptional coactivator SAGA, which harbors histone modification activities. Polyglutamine expansions in specific proteins are also responsible for SCA1-SCA3, SCA6, and SCA17; however, the converging and diverging pathomechanisms remain poorly understood. Using a new SCA7 knock-in mouse, SCA7140Q/5Q, we analyzed gene expression in the cerebellum and assigned gene deregulation to specific cell types using published datasets. Gene deregulation affects all cerebellar cell types, although at variable degree, and correlates with alterations of SAGA-dependent epigenetic marks. Purkinje cells (PCs) are by far the most affected neurons and show reduced expression of 83 cell-type identity genes, including these critical for their spontaneous firing activity and synaptic functions. PC gene downregulation precedes morphologic alterations, pacemaker dysfunction, and motor incoordination. Strikingly, most PC genes downregulated in SCA7 have also decreased expression in SCA1 and SCA2 mice, revealing converging pathomechanisms and a common disease signature involving cGMP-PKG and phosphatidylinositol signaling pathways and LTD. Our study thus points out molecular targets for therapeutic development, which may prove beneficial for several SCAs. Furthermore, we show that SCA7140Q/5Q males and females exhibit the major disease features observed in patients, including cerebellar damage, cerebral atrophy, peripheral nerves pathology, and photoreceptor dystrophy, which account for progressive impairment of behavior, motor, and visual functions. SCA7140Q/5Q mice represent an accurate model for the investigation of different aspects of SCA7 pathogenesis.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Spinocerebellar ataxia 7 (SCA7) is one of the several forms of inherited SCAs characterized by cerebellar degeneration because of polyglutamine expansion in specific proteins. The ATXN7 involved in SCA7 is a subunit of SAGA transcriptional coactivator complex. To understand the pathomechanisms of SCA7, we determined the cell type-specific gene deregulation in SCA7 mouse cerebellum. We found that the Purkinje cells are the most affected cerebellar cell type and show downregulation of a large subset of neuronal identity genes, critical for their spontaneous firing and synaptic functions. Strikingly, the same Purkinje cell genes are downregulated in mouse models of two other SCAs. Thus, our work reveals a disease signature shared among several SCAs and uncovers potential molecular targets for their treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Niewiadomska-Cimicka
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Frédéric Doussau
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UPR3212, Strasbourg 67000, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Perot
- Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale, Institut de biologie François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Fontenay-aux-Roses 92260, France
| | - Michel J Roux
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Celine Keime
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Antoine Hache
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Françoise Piguet
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Ariana Novati
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076, Germany
- Department of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Chantal Weber
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Binnaz Yalcin
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Hamid Meziane
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
- Celphedia, Phenomin, Institut Clinique de la Souris, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Marie-France Champy
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
- Celphedia, Phenomin, Institut Clinique de la Souris, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Erwan Grandgirard
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Alice Karam
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Nadia Messaddeq
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Aurélie Eisenmann
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale, Institut de biologie François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Fontenay-aux-Roses 92260, France
| | - Hoa Huu Phuc Nguyen
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076, Germany
- Department of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Julien Flament
- Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale, Institut de biologie François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Fontenay-aux-Roses 92260, France
| | - Philippe Isope
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UPR3212, Strasbourg 67000, France
| | - Yvon Trottier
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch 67404, U964, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
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Dennis AG, Almaguer-Mederos LE, Raúl RA, Roberto RL, Luis VP, Dany CA, Yanetza GZ, Yaimeé VM, Annelié ED, Arnoy PA, Reydenis TV. Redox Imbalance Associates with Clinical Worsening in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. Oxid Med Cell Longev 2021; 2021:9875639. [PMID: 33688396 PMCID: PMC7920744 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9875639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a neurodegenerative disease presenting with redox imbalance. However, the nature and implications of redox imbalance in SCA2 physiopathology have not been fully understood. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to assess the redox imbalance and its association with disease severity in SCA2 mutation carriers. METHODS A case-control study was conducted involving molecularly confirmed SCA2 patients, presymptomatic individuals, and healthy controls. Several antioxidant parameters were assessed, including serum thiol concentration and the superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase enzymatic activities. Also, several prooxidant parameters were evaluated, including thiobarbituric acid-reactive species and protein carbonyl concentrations. Damage, protective, and OXY scores were computed. Clinical correlates were established. RESULTS Significant differences were found between comparison groups for redox markers, including protein carbonyl concentration (F = 3.30; p = 0.041), glutathione S-transferase activity (F = 4.88; p = 0.009), and damage (F = 3.20; p = 0.045), protection (F = 12.75; p < 0.001), and OXY (F = 7.29; p = 0.001) scores. Protein carbonyl concentration was positively correlated with CAG repeat length (r = 0.27; p = 0.022), while both protein carbonyl concentration (r = -0.27; p = 0.018) and OXY score (r = -0.25; p = 0.013) were inversely correlated to the disease duration. Increasing levels of antioxidants and decreasing levels of prooxidant parameters were associated with clinical worsening. CONCLUSIONS There is a disruption of redox balance in SCA2 mutation carriers which depends on the disease stage. Besides, redox changes associate with markers of disease severity, suggesting a link between disruption of redox balance and SCA2 physiopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almaguer-Gotay Dennis
- Center for the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), Holguín, Cuba
- University of Medical Sciences of Holguín, Cuba
| | - Luis E. Almaguer-Mederos
- Center for the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), Holguín, Cuba
- University of Medical Sciences of Holguín, Cuba
| | - Rodríguez-Aguilera Raúl
- Center for the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), Holguín, Cuba
- University of Medical Sciences of Holguín, Cuba
| | | | - Velázquez-Pérez Luis
- Center for the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), Holguín, Cuba
- Cuban Academy of Sciences, Cuba
| | - Cuello-Almarales Dany
- Center for the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), Holguín, Cuba
- University of Medical Sciences of Holguín, Cuba
| | - González-Zaldívar Yanetza
- Center for the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), Holguín, Cuba
- University of Medical Sciences of Holguín, Cuba
| | - Vázquez-Mojena Yaimeé
- Center for the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), Holguín, Cuba
| | | | - Peña-Acosta Arnoy
- Center for the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), Holguín, Cuba
| | - Torres-Vega Reydenis
- Center for the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), Holguín, Cuba
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40
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Sheeler C, Rosa JG, Borgenheimer E, Mellesmoen A, Rainwater O, Cvetanovic M. Post-symptomatic Delivery of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Ameliorates Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 (SCA1) Pathogenesis. Cerebellum 2021; 20:420-429. [PMID: 33394333 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-020-01226-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by an abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the Ataxin1 (ATXN1) gene. SCA1 is characterized by motor deficits, cerebellar neurodegeneration, and gliosis and gene expression changes. Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), growth factor important for the survival and function of cerebellar neurons, is decreased in ATXN1[82Q] mice, the Purkinje neuron specific transgenic mouse model of SCA1. As this decrease in BDNF expression may contribute to cerebellar neurodegeneration, we tested whether delivery of extrinsic human BDNF via osmotic ALZET pumps has a beneficial effect on disease severity in this mouse model of SCA1. Additionally, to test the effects of BDNF on established and progressing cerebellar pathogenesis and motor deficits, we delivered BDNF post-symptomatically. We have found that post-symptomatic delivery of extrinsic BDNF ameliorated motor deficits and cerebellar pathology (i.e., dendritic atrophy of Purkinje cells, and astrogliosis) indicating therapeutic potential of BDNF even after the onset of symptoms in SCA1. However, BDNF did not alter Purkinje cell gene expression changes indicating that certain aspects of disease pathogenesis cannot be ameliorated/slowed down with BDNF and that combinational therapies may be needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Sheeler
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Juao-Guilherme Rosa
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Ella Borgenheimer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Aaron Mellesmoen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Orion Rainwater
- Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, 55455, USA
| | - Marija Cvetanovic
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 2101 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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Rebbeck RT, Andrick AK, Denha SA, Svensson B, Guhathakurta P, Thomas DD, Hays TS, Avery AW. Novel drug discovery platform for spinocerebellar ataxia, using fluorescence technology targeting β-III-spectrin. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100215. [PMID: 33839680 PMCID: PMC7948455 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous diseases are linked to mutations in the actin-binding domains (ABDs) of conserved cytoskeletal proteins, including β-III-spectrin, α-actinin, filamin, and dystrophin. A β-III-spectrin ABD mutation (L253P) linked to spinocerebellar ataxia type 5 (SCA5) causes a dramatic increase in actin binding. Reducing actin binding of L253P is thus a potential therapeutic approach for SCA5 pathogenesis. Here, we validate a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay to discover potential disrupters of the interaction between the mutant β-III-spectrin ABD and actin in live cells. This assay monitors FRET between fluorescent proteins fused to the mutant ABD and the actin-binding peptide Lifeact, in HEK293-6E cells. Using a specific and high-affinity actin-binding tool compound, swinholide A, we demonstrate HTS compatibility with an excellent Z'-factor of 0.67 ± 0.03. Screening a library of 1280 pharmacologically active compounds in 1536-well plates to determine assay robustness, we demonstrate high reproducibility across plates and across days. We identified nine Hits that reduced FRET between Lifeact and ABD. Four of those Hits were found to reduce Lifeact cosedimentation with actin, thus establishing the potential of our assay for detection of actin-binding modulators. Concurrent to our primary FRET assay, we also developed a high-throughput compatible counter screen to remove undesirable FRET Hits. Using the FRET Hits, we show that our counter screen is sensitive to undesirable compounds that cause cell toxicity or ABD aggregation. Overall, our FRET-based HTS platform sets the stage to screen large compound libraries for modulators of β-III-spectrin, or disease-linked spectrin-related proteins, for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn T Rebbeck
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Anna K Andrick
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sarah A Denha
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA
| | - Bengt Svensson
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Piyali Guhathakurta
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - David D Thomas
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Thomas S Hays
- Department of Genetics, Cellular Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Adam W Avery
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA; Department of Genetics, Cellular Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
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Burman RJ, Watson LM, Smith DC, Raimondo JV, Ballo R, Scholefield J, Cowley SA, Wood MJA, Kidson SH, Greenberg LJ. Molecular and electrophysiological features of spinocerebellar ataxia type seven in induced pluripotent stem cells. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247434. [PMID: 33626063 PMCID: PMC7904216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine repeat expansion in the ATXN7 gene. Patients with this disease suffer from a degeneration of their cerebellar Purkinje neurons and retinal photoreceptors that result in a progressive ataxia and loss of vision. As with many neurodegenerative diseases, studies of pathogenesis have been hindered by a lack of disease-relevant models. To this end, we have generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a cohort of SCA7 patients in South Africa. First, we differentiated the SCA7 affected iPSCs into neurons which showed evidence of a transcriptional phenotype affecting components of STAGA (ATXN7 and KAT2A) and the heat shock protein pathway (DNAJA1 and HSP70). We then performed electrophysiology on the SCA7 iPSC-derived neurons and found that these cells show features of functional aberrations. Lastly, we were able to differentiate the SCA7 iPSCs into retinal photoreceptors that also showed similar transcriptional aberrations to the SCA7 neurons. Our findings give technical insights on how iPSC-derived neurons and photoreceptors can be derived from SCA7 patients and demonstrate that these cells express molecular and electrophysiological differences that may be indicative of impaired neuronal health. We hope that these findings will contribute towards the ongoing efforts to establish the cell-derived models of neurodegenerative diseases that are needed to develop patient-specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J. Burman
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Lauren M. Watson
- Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Danielle C. Smith
- Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph V. Raimondo
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Robea Ballo
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Janine Scholefield
- Gene Expression & Biophysics Group, Synthetic Biology ERA, CSIR Biosciences, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Sally A. Cowley
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J. A. Wood
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Susan H. Kidson
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Leslie J. Greenberg
- Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
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Sen NE, Arsovic A, Meierhofer D, Brodesser S, Oberschmidt C, Canet-Pons J, Kaya ZE, Halbach MV, Gispert S, Sandhoff K, Auburger G. In Human and Mouse Spino-Cerebellar Tissue, Ataxin-2 Expansion Affects Ceramide-Sphingomyelin Metabolism. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5854. [PMID: 31766565 PMCID: PMC6928749 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20235854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ataxin-2 (human gene symbol ATXN2) acts during stress responses, modulating mRNA translation and nutrient metabolism. Ataxin-2 knockout mice exhibit progressive obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Conversely, the progressive ATXN2 gain of function due to the fact of polyglutamine (polyQ) expansions leads to a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative process named spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) with early adipose tissue loss and late muscle atrophy. We tried to understand lipid dysregulation in a SCA2 patient brain and in an authentic mouse model. Thin layer chromatography of a patient cerebellum was compared to the lipid metabolome of Atxn2-CAG100-Knockin (KIN) mouse spinocerebellar tissue. The human pathology caused deficits of sulfatide, galactosylceramide, cholesterol, C22/24-sphingomyelin, and gangliosides GM1a/GD1b despite quite normal levels of C18-sphingomyelin. Cerebellum and spinal cord from the KIN mouse showed a consistent decrease of various ceramides with a significant elevation of sphingosine in the more severely affected spinal cord. Deficiency of C24/26-sphingomyelins contrasted with excess C18/20-sphingomyelin. Spinocerebellar expression profiling revealed consistent reductions of CERS protein isoforms, Sptlc2 and Smpd3, but upregulation of Cers2 mRNA, as prominent anomalies in the ceramide-sphingosine metabolism. Reduction of Asah2 mRNA correlated to deficient S1P levels. In addition, downregulations for the elongase Elovl1, Elovl4, Elovl5 mRNAs and ELOVL4 protein explain the deficit of very long-chain sphingomyelin. Reduced ASMase protein levels correlated to the accumulation of long-chain sphingomyelin. Overall, a deficit of myelin lipids was prominent in SCA2 nervous tissue at prefinal stage and not compensated by transcriptional adaptation of several metabolic enzymes. Myelination is controlled by mTORC1 signals; thus, our human and murine observations are in agreement with the known role of ATXN2 yeast, nematode, and mouse orthologs as mTORC1 inhibitors and autophagy promoters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesli-Ece Sen
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Goethe-University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Aleksandar Arsovic
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - David Meierhofer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Susanne Brodesser
- Membrane Biology and Lipid Biochemistry Unit, Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Carola Oberschmidt
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - Júlia Canet-Pons
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - Zeynep-Ece Kaya
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
- Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, 34098 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Melanie-Vanessa Halbach
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - Suzana Gispert
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - Konrad Sandhoff
- Membrane Biology and Lipid Biochemistry Unit, Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Georg Auburger
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
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Mutlu-Albayrak H, Kırat E, Gürbüz G. Childhood-onset autosomal recessive ataxias: a cross-sectional study from Turkey. Neurogenetics 2019; 21:59-66. [PMID: 31741144 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-019-00597-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Autosomal recessive ataxias (ARAs) are a heterogeneous group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders that affect the cerebellum, the spinocerebellar tract, and/or the sensory tracts of the spinal cord. This study is aimed at establishing molecular classification and phenotypic correlation of childhood-onset ARAs in Southeast Anatolia of Turkey. Sixty-five children (aged 0 to 18) from 40 unrelated families who were analyzed through hereditary ataxia NGS panel between the years of 2015-2018 were selected for the study. Seventeen different, clinically significant ARA-related pathogenic variants were detected in 33 of 40 families (82.5%), 12 of which were noted to be unreported variants. Among these 33 families, 24 had ATM-related (72.72%), four had SACS-related (12.12%), three had COQ8A-related (9.09%), and two had APTX-related (6.06%) pathogenic variants. The c.3576G>A (p.K1192=) was the most common homozygous pathogenic ATM variant (33.33%) that was associated with milder phenotype of ataxia telangiectasia (AT) with the onset of age of 3. Patients with SACS variants demonstrated developmental delay and progressive ataxia before the age of 3. Slowly progressive ataxia and intellectual disability were the common clinical manifestations of the patients with homozygous c.1396delG (p. E466Rfs*11) pathogenic variant in COQ8A. Homozygous APTX c.689T>G (p.V230G) pathogenic variant was identified in two patients who had chief complaint of ataxic gait onset after puberty. The most common types of ARAs in this region are AT- and Charlevoix-Saguenay-type spastic ataxia. ATM gene analysis should be performed foremost on children presenting early-onset ataxia from Southeastern Anatolia. If there is a concomitant peripheral neuron involvement, SACS gene analysis should be preferred. This valuable data will be a guide for the first step molecular diagnostic approach before requesting the NGS panel for ARA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice Mutlu-Albayrak
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Cengiz Gökcek Maternity & Children's Hospital, 15 Temmuz mh. 62 nolu cd, 27010, Gaziantep, Turkey.
| | - Emre Kırat
- Department of Medical Genetics, Ersin Arslan Education and Research Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - Gürkan Gürbüz
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Cengiz Gökcek Maternity & Children's Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey
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Nóbrega C, Mendonça L, Marcelo A, Lamazière A, Tomé S, Despres G, Matos CA, Mechmet F, Langui D, den Dunnen W, de Almeida LP, Cartier N, Alves S. Restoring brain cholesterol turnover improves autophagy and has therapeutic potential in mouse models of spinocerebellar ataxia. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 138:837-858. [PMID: 31197505 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02019-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are devastating neurodegenerative disorders for which no curative or preventive therapies are available. Deregulation of brain cholesterol metabolism and impaired brain cholesterol turnover have been associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. SCA3 or Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is the most prevalent ataxia worldwide. We show that cholesterol 24-hydroxylase (CYP46A1), the key enzyme allowing efflux of brain cholesterol and activating brain cholesterol turnover, is decreased in cerebellar extracts from SCA3 patients and SCA3 mice. We investigated whether reinstating CYP46A1 expression would improve the disease phenotype of SCA3 mouse models. We show that administration of adeno-associated viral vectors encoding CYP46A1 to a lentiviral-based SCA3 mouse model reduces mutant ataxin-3 accumulation, which is a hallmark of SCA3, and preserves neuronal markers. In a transgenic SCA3 model with a severe motor phenotype we confirm that cerebellar delivery of AAVrh10-CYP46A1 is strongly neuroprotective in adult mice with established pathology. CYP46A1 significantly decreases ataxin-3 protein aggregation, alleviates motor impairments and improves SCA3-associated neuropathology. In particular, improvement in Purkinje cell number and reduction of cerebellar atrophy are observed in AAVrh10-CYP46A1-treated mice. Conversely, we show that knocking-down CYP46A1 in normal mouse brain impairs cholesterol metabolism, induces motor deficits and produces strong neurodegeneration with impairment of the endosomal-lysosomal pathway, a phenotype closely resembling that of SCA3. Remarkably, we demonstrate for the first time both in vitro, in a SCA3 cellular model, and in vivo, in mouse brain, that CYP46A1 activates autophagy, which is impaired in SCA3, leading to decreased mutant ataxin-3 deposition. More broadly, we show that the beneficial effect of CYP46A1 is also observed with mutant ataxin-2 aggregates. Altogether, our results confirm a pivotal role for CYP46A1 and brain cholesterol metabolism in neuronal function, pointing to a key contribution of the neuronal cholesterol pathway in mechanisms mediating clearance of aggregate-prone proteins. This study identifies CYP46A1 as a relevant therapeutic target not only for SCA3 but also for other SCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clévio Nóbrega
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Liliana Mendonça
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Adriana Marcelo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Antonin Lamazière
- INSERM, Saint-Antoine Research Center, Sorbonne Université, Faculté de Médecine, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Département PM2, Paris, France
| | - Sandra Tomé
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Gaetan Despres
- INSERM, Saint-Antoine Research Center, Sorbonne Université, Faculté de Médecine, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Département PM2, Paris, France
| | - Carlos A Matos
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Fatich Mechmet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Dominique Langui
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bd de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Wilfred den Dunnen
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Luis Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Nathalie Cartier
- INSERM U1169 92265 Fontenay aux Roses and Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France.
- INSERM U1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bd de l'hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.
| | - Sandro Alves
- Brainvectis, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital Paris, 75646, Paris, CEDEX 13, France.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Hereditary myelopathies are very diverse genetic disorders, and many of them represent a widespread neurodegenerative process rather than isolated spinal cord dysfunction. This article reviews various types of inherited myelopathies, with emphasis on hereditary spastic paraplegias and spastic ataxias. RECENT FINDINGS The ever-growing number of myelopathy-causing genes and broadening of phenotype-genotype correlations makes the molecular diagnosis of inherited myelopathies a daunting task. This article emphasizes the main phenotypic clusters among inherited myelopathies that can facilitate the diagnostic process. This article focuses on newly identified genetic causes and the most important identifying clinical features that can aid the diagnosis, including the presence of a characteristic age of onset and additional neurologic signs such as leukodystrophy, thin corpus callosum, or amyotrophy. SUMMARY The exclusion of potentially treatable causes of myelopathy remains the most important diagnostic step. Syndromic diagnosis can be supported by molecular diagnosis, but the genetic diagnosis at present does not change the management. Moreover, a negative genetic test does not exclude the diagnosis of a hereditary myelopathy because comprehensive molecular testing is not yet available, and many disease-causing genes remain unknown.
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Rinaldi L, Delle Donne R, Catalanotti B, Torres-Quesada O, Enzler F, Moraca F, Nisticò R, Chiuso F, Piccinin S, Bachmann V, Lindner HH, Garbi C, Scorziello A, Russo NA, Synofzik M, Stelzl U, Annunziato L, Stefan E, Feliciello A. Feedback inhibition of cAMP effector signaling by a chaperone-assisted ubiquitin system. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2572. [PMID: 31189917 PMCID: PMC6561907 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10037-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of G-protein coupled receptors elevates cAMP levels promoting dissociation of protein kinase A (PKA) holoenzymes and release of catalytic subunits (PKAc). This results in PKAc-mediated phosphorylation of compartmentalized substrates that control central aspects of cell physiology. The mechanism of PKAc activation and signaling have been largely characterized. However, the modes of PKAc inactivation by regulated proteolysis were unknown. Here, we identify a regulatory mechanism that precisely tunes PKAc stability and downstream signaling. Following agonist stimulation, the recruitment of the chaperone-bound E3 ligase CHIP promotes ubiquitylation and proteolysis of PKAc, thus attenuating cAMP signaling. Genetic inactivation of CHIP or pharmacological inhibition of HSP70 enhances PKAc signaling and sustains hippocampal long-term potentiation. Interestingly, primary fibroblasts from autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia 16 (SCAR16) patients carrying germline inactivating mutations of CHIP show a dramatic dysregulation of PKA signaling. This suggests the existence of a negative feedback mechanism for restricting hormonally controlled PKA activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rinaldi
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Rossella Delle Donne
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Bruno Catalanotti
- Department of Pharmacy, University Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Omar Torres-Quesada
- Institute of Biochemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Florian Enzler
- Institute of Biochemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Federica Moraca
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Robert Nisticò
- European Brain Research Institute, Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation and Department of Biology, University Tor Vergata, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Chiuso
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Sonia Piccinin
- European Brain Research Institute, Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation and Department of Biology, University Tor Vergata, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Verena Bachmann
- Institute of Biochemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Herbert H Lindner
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Corrado Garbi
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Scorziello
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Matthis Synofzik
- Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tübingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Stelzl
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz and BioTechMed-Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Eduard Stefan
- Institute of Biochemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Antonio Feliciello
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy.
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Letko A, Dietschi E, Nieburg M, Jagannathan V, Gurtner C, Oevermann A, Drögemüller C. A Missense Variant in SCN8A in Alpine Dachsbracke Dogs Affected by Spinocerebellar Ataxia. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E362. [PMID: 31083464 PMCID: PMC6562999 DOI: 10.3390/genes10050362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias is an umbrella term for clinically- and neuropathologically-heterogeneous early-onset hereditary neurodegenerative diseases affecting several dog breeds. The purpose of this study is to identify the causative genetic variant associated with ataxia, tremor, and loss of balance in Alpine Dachsbracke dogs. We investigated two related litters in which four cases were reported. Neuropathology of two dogs revealed spongy degeneration associated with axonal degeneration. Combined genetic linkage and autozygosity analyses in four cases and eight related controls showed one critical disease-associated interval on chromosomes 27. Private whole-genome sequence variants of one ataxia case against 600 unrelated controls revealed one protein-changing variant within the critical interval in the SCN8A gene (c.4898G>T; p.Gly1633Val). Perfect segregation with the phenotype was confirmed by genotyping >200 Alpine Dachsbracke dogs. SCN8A encodes a voltage-gated sodium channel and the missense variant was predicted deleterious by three different in silico prediction tools. Pathogenic variants in SCN8A were previously reported in humans with ataxia, pancerebellar atrophy, and cognitive disability. Furthermore, cerebellar ataxia syndrome in the 'jolting' mutant mice is caused by a missense variant in Scn8a. Therefore, we considered the SCN8A:c.4898G>T variant to be the most likely cause for recessively inherited spinocerebellar ataxia in Alpine Dachsbracke dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Letko
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Elisabeth Dietschi
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | | | - Vidhya Jagannathan
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Corinne Gurtner
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Anna Oevermann
- Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Cord Drögemüller
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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49
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Zheng J, Croteau DL, Bohr VA, Akbari M. Diminished OPA1 expression and impaired mitochondrial morphology and homeostasis in Aprataxin-deficient cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:4086-4110. [PMID: 30986824 PMCID: PMC6486572 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [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] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 (AOA1) is an early onset progressive spinocerebellar ataxia caused by mutation in aprataxin (APTX). APTX removes 5'-AMP groups from DNA, a product of abortive ligation during DNA repair and replication. APTX deficiency has been suggested to compromise mitochondrial function; however, a detailed characterization of mitochondrial homeostasis in APTX-deficient cells is not available. Here, we show that cells lacking APTX undergo mitochondrial stress and display significant changes in the expression of the mitochondrial inner membrane fusion protein optic atrophy type 1, and components of the oxidative phosphorylation complexes. At the cellular level, APTX deficiency impairs mitochondrial morphology and network formation, and autophagic removal of damaged mitochondria by mitophagy. Thus, our results show that aberrant mitochondrial function is a key component of AOA1 pathology. This work corroborates the emerging evidence that impaired mitochondrial function is a characteristic of an increasing number of genetically diverse neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zheng
- Center for Healthy Aging, SUND, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Deborah L Croteau
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Vilhelm A Bohr
- Center for Healthy Aging, SUND, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Mansour Akbari
- Center for Healthy Aging, SUND, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
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50
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Ricca I, Morani F, Bacci GM, Nesti C, Caputo R, Tessa A, Santorelli FM. Clinical and molecular studies in two new cases of ARSACS. Neurogenetics 2019; 20:45-49. [PMID: 30680480 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-019-00564-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is an early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the association of spastic ataxia and sensorimotor neuropathy. Additional features include retinal changes and cognitive impairment. Today, next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques are allowing the rapid identification of a growing number of missense variants, even in less typical forms of the disease, but the pathogenic significance of these changes is often difficult to establish on the basis of classic bioinformatics criteria and genotype/phenotype correlations. Herein, we describe two novel cases of missense mutations in SACS. The two individuals were identified during the genetic screening of a large cohort of patients with inherited ataxias. We discuss how protein studies and specialized ophthalmological investigations could represent useful pointers for the interpretation of genetic data. Combination of these tools with NGS for rapid genotyping might help to identify new true ARSACS cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Ricca
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2 Calambrone, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federica Morani
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2 Calambrone, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giacomo Maria Bacci
- Pediatric Ophthalmology Unit, Meyer Children's Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Claudia Nesti
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2 Calambrone, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roberto Caputo
- Pediatric Ophthalmology Unit, Meyer Children's Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandra Tessa
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2 Calambrone, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Maria Santorelli
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2 Calambrone, 56128, Pisa, Italy.
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