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Martinelli I, Mandrioli J, Ghezzi A, Zucchi E, Gianferrari G, Simonini C, Cavallieri F, Valzania F. Multifaceted superoxide dismutase 1 expression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: a rare occurrence? Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:130-138. [PMID: 38767482 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular condition resulting from the progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. While the typical clinical phenotype of ALS involves both upper and lower motor neurons, human and animal studies over the years have highlighted the potential spread to other motor and non-motor regions, expanding the phenotype of ALS. Although superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mutations represent a minority of ALS cases, the SOD1 gene remains a milestone in ALS research as it represents the first genetic target for personalized therapies. Despite numerous single case reports or case series exhibiting extramotor symptoms in patients with ALS mutations in SOD1 (SOD1-ALS), no studies have comprehensively explored the full spectrum of extramotor neurological manifestations in this subpopulation. In this narrative review, we analyze and discuss the available literature on extrapyramidal and non-motor features during SOD1-ALS. The multifaceted expression of SOD1 could deepen our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms, pointing towards a multidisciplinary approach for affected patients in light of new therapeutic strategies for SOD1-ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Martinelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine Ph.D. Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Jessica Mandrioli
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Andrea Ghezzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Zucchi
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Giulia Gianferrari
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Simonini
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesco Cavallieri
- Neurology Unit, Neuromotor & Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Franco Valzania
- Neurology Unit, Neuromotor & Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
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2
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Juarez D, Handal-Silva A, Morán-Perales JL, Torres-Cifuentes DM, Flores G, Treviño S, Moreno-Rodriguez A, Guevara J, Diaz A. New insights into sodium phenylbutyrate as a pharmacotherapeutic option for neurological disorders. Synapse 2024; 78:e22301. [PMID: 38819491 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Neurological disorders (NDs) are diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems that affect more than one billion people worldwide. The risk of developing an ND increases with age due to the vulnerability of the different organs and systems to genetic, environmental, and social changes that consequently cause motor and cognitive deficits that disable the person from their daily activities and individual and social productivity. Intrinsic factors (genetic factors, age, gender) and extrinsic factors (addictions, infections, or lifestyle) favor the persistence of systemic inflammatory processes that contribute to the evolution of NDs. Neuroinflammation is recognized as a common etiopathogenic factor of ND. The study of new pharmacological options for the treatment of ND should focus on improving the characteristic symptoms and attacking specific molecular targets that allow the delay of damage processes such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, cellular metabolic dysfunction, and deregulation of transcriptional processes. In this review, we describe the possible role of sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, hepatic encephalopathy, aging, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; in addition, we describe the mechanism of action of NaPB and its beneficial effects that have been shown in various in vivo and in vitro studies to delay the evolution of any ND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Juarez
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Benemeritus Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Anabella Handal-Silva
- Department of Reproductive Biology and Toxicology, Institute of Sciences. Benemeritus Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Jose Luis Morán-Perales
- Department of Reproductive Biology and Toxicology, Institute of Sciences. Benemeritus Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Diana M Torres-Cifuentes
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Benemeritus Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Institute of Physiology, Benemeritus Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Samuel Treviño
- Institute of Physiology, Benemeritus Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Albino Moreno-Rodriguez
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Benemeritus Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Jorge Guevara
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alfonso Diaz
- Institute of Physiology, Benemeritus Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
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3
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Lambert-Smith IA, Shephard VK, McAlary L, Yerbury JJ, Saunders DN. High-content analysis of proteostasis capacity in cellular models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Sci Rep 2024; 14:13844. [PMID: 38879591 PMCID: PMC11180180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64366-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Disrupted proteome homeostasis (proteostasis) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been a major focus of research in the past two decades. However, the proteostasis processes that become disturbed in ALS are not fully understood. Obtaining more detailed knowledge of proteostasis disruption in association with different ALS-causing mutations will improve our understanding of ALS pathophysiology and may identify novel therapeutic targets and strategies for ALS patients. Here we describe the development and use of a novel high-content analysis (HCA) assay to investigate proteostasis disturbances caused by the expression of several ALS-causing gene variants. This assay involves the use of conformationally-destabilised mutants of firefly luciferase (Fluc) to examine protein folding/re-folding capacity in NSC-34 cells expressing ALS-associated mutations in the genes encoding superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1A4V) and cyclin F (CCNFS621G). We demonstrate that these Fluc isoforms can be used in high-throughput format to report on reductions in the activity of the chaperone network that result from the expression of SOD1A4V, providing multiplexed information at single-cell resolution. In addition to SOD1A4V and CCNFS621G, NSC-34 models of ALS-associated TDP-43, FUS, UBQLN2, OPTN, VCP and VAPB mutants were generated that could be screened using this assay in future work. For ALS-associated mutant proteins that do cause reductions in protein quality control capacity, such as SOD1A4V, this assay has potential to be applied in drug screening studies to identify candidate compounds that can ameliorate this deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella A Lambert-Smith
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
| | - Victoria K Shephard
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Luke McAlary
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Justin J Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Darren N Saunders
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
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4
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Wang H, Zeng R. Aberrant protein aggregation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 2024:10.1007/s00415-024-12485-z. [PMID: 38869826 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12485-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease. As its pathological mechanisms are not well understood, there are no efficient therapeutics for it at present. While it is highly heterogenous both etiologically and clinically, it has a common salient hallmark, i.e., aberrant protein aggregation (APA). The upstream pathogenesis and the downstream effects of APA in ALS are sophisticated and the investigation of this pathology would be of consequence for understanding ALS. In this paper, the pathomechanism of APA in ALS and the candidate treatment strategies for it are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaixiu Wang
- Department Neurology, Shanxi Provincial Peoples Hospital: Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, China.
- Beijing Ai-Si-Kang Medical Technology Co. Ltd., No. 18 11th St Economical & Technological Development Zone, Beijing, 100176, China.
| | - Rong Zeng
- Department Neurology, Shanxi Provincial Peoples Hospital: Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030012, China
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Parakh S, Perri ER, Vidal M, Takalloo Z, Jagaraj CJ, Mehta P, Yang S, Thomas CJ, Blair IP, Hong Y, Atkin JD. Protein Disulfide Isomerase Endoplasmic Reticulum Protein 57 (ERp57) is Protective Against ALS-Associated Mutant TDP-43 in Neuronal Cells. Neuromolecular Med 2024; 26:23. [PMID: 38861223 PMCID: PMC11166824 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-024-08787-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. Pathological forms of Tar-DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43), involving its mislocalisation to the cytoplasm and the formation of misfolded inclusions, are present in almost all ALS cases (97%), and ~ 50% cases of the related condition, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), highlighting its importance in neurodegeneration. Previous studies have shown that endoplasmic reticulum protein 57 (ERp57), a member of the protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) family of redox chaperones, is protective against ALS-linked mutant superoxide dismutase (SOD1) in neuronal cells and transgenic SOD1G93A mouse models. However, it remains unclear whether ERp57 is protective against pathological TDP-43 in ALS. Here, we demonstrate that ERp57 is protective against key features of TDP-43 pathology in neuronal cells. ERp57 inhibited the mislocalisation of TDP-43M337V from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. In addition, ERp57 inhibited the number of inclusions formed by ALS-associated variant TDP-43M337V and reduced the size of these inclusions. ERp57 was also protective against ER stress and induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, ERp57 modulated the steady-state expression levels of TDP-43. This study therefore demonstrates a novel mechanism of action of ERp57 in ALS. It also implies that ERp57 may have potential as a novel therapeutic target to prevent the TDP-43 pathology associated with neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonam Parakh
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Emma R Perri
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Marta Vidal
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Zeinab Takalloo
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Cyril J Jagaraj
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Prachi Mehta
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Shu Yang
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Colleen J Thomas
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Ian P Blair
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Yuning Hong
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Julie D Atkin
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia.
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.
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López-Carbonero JI, García-Toledo I, Fernández-Hernández L, Bascuñana P, Gil-Moreno MJ, Matías-Guiu JA, Corrochano S. In vivo diagnosis of TDP-43 proteinopathies: in search of biomarkers of clinical use. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:29. [PMID: 38831349 PMCID: PMC11149336 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-024-00419-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
TDP-43 proteinopathies are a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders that share the presence of aberrant, misfolded and mislocalized deposits of the protein TDP-43, as in the case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and some, but not all, pathological variants of frontotemporal dementia. In recent years, many other diseases have been reported to have primary or secondary TDP-43 proteinopathy, such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease or the recently described limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, highlighting the need for new and accurate methods for the early detection of TDP-43 proteinopathy to help on the stratification of patients with overlapping clinical diagnosis. Currently, TDP-43 proteinopathy remains a post-mortem pathologic diagnosis. Although the main aim is to determine the pathologic TDP-43 proteinopathy in the central nervous system (CNS), the ubiquitous expression of TDP-43 in biofluids and cells outside the CNS facilitates the use of other accessible target tissues that might reflect the potential TDP-43 alterations in the brain. In this review, we describe the main developments in the early detection of TDP-43 proteinopathies, and their potential implications on diagnosis and future treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan I López-Carbonero
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene García-Toledo
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Fernández-Hernández
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Bascuñana
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - María J Gil-Moreno
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi A Matías-Guiu
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Corrochano
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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7
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McAlary L, Nan JR, Shyu C, Sher M, Plotkin SS, Cashman NR. Amyloidogenic regions in beta-strands II and III modulate the aggregation and toxicity of SOD1 in living cells. Open Biol 2024; 14:230418. [PMID: 38835240 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the protein superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) promote its misfolding and aggregation, ultimately causing familial forms of the debilitating neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Currently, over 220 (mostly missense) ALS-causing mutations in the SOD1 protein have been identified, indicating that common structural features are responsible for aggregation and toxicity. Using in silico tools, we predicted amyloidogenic regions in the ALS-associated SOD1-G85R mutant, finding seven regions throughout the structure. Introduction of proline residues into β-strands II (I18P) or III (I35P) reduced the aggregation propensity and toxicity of SOD1-G85R in cells, significantly more so than proline mutations in other amyloidogenic regions. The I18P and I35P mutations also reduced the capability of SOD1-G85R to template onto previously formed non-proline mutant SOD1 aggregates as measured by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Finally, we found that, while the I18P and I35P mutants are less structurally stable than SOD1-G85R, the proline mutants are less aggregation-prone during proteasome inhibition, and less toxic to cells overall. Our research highlights the importance of a previously underappreciated SOD1 amyloidogenic region in β-strand II (15QGIINF20) to the aggregation and toxicity of SOD1 in ALS mutants, and suggests that β-strands II and III may be good targets for the development of SOD1-associated ALS therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke McAlary
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jeremy R Nan
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Clay Shyu
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mine Sher
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Steven S Plotkin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Genome Sciences and Technology Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Neil R Cashman
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Fernández Comaduran M, Minotti S, Jacob-Tomas S, Rizwan J, Larochelle N, Robitaille R, Sephton CF, Vera M, Nalbantoglu JN, Durham HD. Impact of histone deacetylase inhibition and arimoclomol on heat shock protein expression and disease biomarkers in primary culture models of familial ALS. Cell Stress Chaperones 2024; 29:359-380. [PMID: 38570009 PMCID: PMC11015512 DOI: 10.1016/j.cstres.2024.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding and mislocalization are common themes in neurodegenerative disorders, including motor neuron disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Maintaining proteostasis is a crosscutting therapeutic target, including the upregulation of heat shock proteins (HSP) to increase chaperoning capacity. Motor neurons have a high threshold for upregulating stress-inducible HSPA1A, but constitutively express high levels of HSPA8. This study compared the expression of these HSPs in cultured motor neurons expressing three variants linked to familial ALS: TAR DNA binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43)G348C, fused in sarcoma (FUS)R521G, or superoxide dismutase I (SOD1)G93A. All variants were poor inducers of Hspa1a, and reduced levels of Hspa8 mRNA and protein, indicating multiple compromises in chaperoning capacity. To promote HSP expression, cultures were treated with the putative HSP coinducer, arimoclomol, and class I histone deacetylase inhibitors, to promote active chromatin for transcription, and with the combination. Treatments had variable, often different effects on the expression of Hspa1a and Hspa8, depending on the ALS variant expressed, mRNA distribution (somata and dendrites), and biomarker of toxicity measured (histone acetylation, maintaining nuclear TDP-43 and the neuronal Brm/Brg-associated factor chromatin remodeling complex component Brg1, mitochondrial transport, FUS aggregation). Overall, histone deacetylase inhibition alone was effective on more measures than arimoclomol. As in the FUS model, arimoclomol failed to induce HSPA1A or preserve Hspa8 mRNA in the TDP-43 model, despite preserving nuclear TDP-43 and Brg1, indicating neuroprotective properties other than HSP induction. The data speak to the complexity of drug mechanisms against multiple biomarkers of ALS pathogenesis, as well as to the importance of HSPA8 for neuronal proteostasis in both somata and dendrites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Fernández Comaduran
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery and Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sandra Minotti
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery and Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Javeria Rizwan
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nancy Larochelle
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery and Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard Robitaille
- Département de Neurosciences and Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Université de Montréal, and Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'apprentissage, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Chantelle F Sephton
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, CERVO Brain Research Centre, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maria Vera
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Josephine N Nalbantoglu
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery and Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Heather D Durham
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery and Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Costantino I, Meng A, Ravits J. Alternatively spliced ELAVL3 cryptic exon 4a causes ELAVL3 downregulation in ALS TDP-43 proteinopathy. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:93. [PMID: 38814471 PMCID: PMC11139733 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02732-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Costantino
- Department of Neurosciences, ALS Translational Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alex Meng
- Department of Neurosciences, ALS Translational Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - John Ravits
- Department of Neurosciences, ALS Translational Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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10
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Bjelica B, Bartels MB, Hesebeck-Brinckmann J, Petri S. Non-motor symptoms in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: current state and future directions. J Neurol 2024:10.1007/s00415-024-12455-5. [PMID: 38805053 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12455-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons. A defining histopathological feature in approximately 97% of all ALS cases is the accumulation of phosphorylated trans-activation response (TAR) DNA-binding protein 43 protein (pTDP-43) aggregates in the cytoplasm of neurons and glial cells within the central nervous system. Traditionally, it was believed that the accumulation of TDP-43 aggregates and subsequent neurodegeneration primarily occurs in motor neurons. However, contemporary evidence suggests that as the disease progresses, other systems and brain regions are also affected. Despite this, there has been a limited number of clinical studies assessing the non-motor symptoms in ALS patients. These studies often employ various outcome measures, resulting in a wide range of reported frequencies of non-motor symptoms in ALS patients. The importance of assessing the non-motor symptoms reflects in a fact that they have a significant impact on patients' quality of life, yet they frequently go underdiagnosed and unreported during clinical evaluations. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the current knowledge concerning non-motor symptoms in ALS. Furthermore, we address their diagnosis and treatment in everyday clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Bjelica
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 1, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Maj-Britt Bartels
- Precision Neurology of Neuromuscular and Motoneuron Diseases, University of Luebeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jasper Hesebeck-Brinckmann
- Neurology Department, Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim Center for Translational Medicine, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 1, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse, 30625, Hannover, Germany
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11
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Tsekrekou M, Giannakou M, Papanikolopoulou K, Skretas G. Protein aggregation and therapeutic strategies in SOD1- and TDP-43- linked ALS. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1383453. [PMID: 38855322 PMCID: PMC11157337 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1383453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with severe socio-economic impact. A hallmark of ALS pathology is the presence of aberrant cytoplasmic inclusions composed of misfolded and aggregated proteins, including both wild-type and mutant forms. This review highlights the critical role of misfolded protein species in ALS pathogenesis, particularly focusing on Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), and emphasizes the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies targeting these misfolded proteins directly. Despite significant advancements in understanding ALS mechanisms, the disease remains incurable, with current treatments offering limited clinical benefits. Through a comprehensive analysis, the review focuses on the direct modulation of the misfolded proteins and presents recent discoveries in small molecules and peptides that inhibit SOD1 and TDP-43 aggregation, underscoring their potential as effective treatments to modify disease progression and improve clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tsekrekou
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Giannakou
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
- ResQ Biotech, Patras Science Park, Rio, Greece
| | - Georgios Skretas
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
- ResQ Biotech, Patras Science Park, Rio, Greece
- Institute for Bio-innovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
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12
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Murage B, Tan H, Mashimo T, Jackson M, Skehel PA. Spinal cord neurone loss and foot placement changes in a rat knock-in model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Type 8. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae184. [PMID: 38846532 PMCID: PMC11154649 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is an age-dependent cell type-selective degenerative disease. Genetic studies indicate that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is part of a spectrum of disorders, ranging from spinal muscular atrophy to frontotemporal dementia that share common pathological mechanisms. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Type 8 is a familial disease caused by mis-sense mutations in VAPB. VAPB is localized to the cytoplasmic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum, where it serves as a docking point for cytoplasmic proteins and mediates inter-organelle interactions with the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. A gene knock-in model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Type 8 based on the VapBP56S mutation and VapB gene deletion has been generated in rats. These animals display a range of age-dependent phenotypes distinct from those previously reported in mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Type 8. A loss of motor neurones in VapBP56S/+ and VapBP56S/P56S animals is indicated by a reduction in the number of large choline acetyl transferase-staining cells in the spinal cord. VapB-/- animals exhibit a relative increase in cytoplasmic TDP-43 levels compared with the nucleus, but no large protein aggregates. Concomitant with these spinal cord pathologies VapBP56S/+ , VapBP56S/P56S and VapB-/- animals exhibit age-dependent changes in paw placement and exerted pressures when traversing a CatWalk apparatus, consistent with a somatosensory dysfunction. Extramotor dysfunction is reported in half the cases of motor neurone disease, and this is the first indication of an associated sensory dysfunction in a rodent model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Different rodent models may offer complementary experimental platforms with which to understand the human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Murage
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Han Tan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Tomoji Mashimo
- Division of Animal Genetics, Laboratory Animal Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Mandy Jackson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Paul A Skehel
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
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13
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Zhu L, Bai D, Wang X, Ou K, Li B, Jia Q, Tan Z, Liang J, He D, Yan S, Wang L, Li S, Li XJ, Yin P. Pathologic TDP-43 downregulates myelin gene expression in the monkey brain. Brain Pathol 2024:e13277. [PMID: 38779803 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that non-neuronal oligodendrocyte plays an important role in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. In patient's brain, the impaired myelin structure is a pathological feature with the observation of TDP-43 in cytoplasm of oligodendrocyte. However, the mechanism underlying the gain of function by TDP-43 in oligodendrocytes, which are vital for the axonal integrity, remains unclear. Recently, we found that the primate-specific cleavage of truncated TDP-43 fragments occurred in cytoplasm of monkey neural cells. This finding opened up the avenue to investigate the myelin integrity affected by pathogenic TDP-43 in oligodendrocytes. In current study, we demonstrated that the truncated TDP-35 in oligodendrocytes specifically, could lead to the dysfunctional demyelination in corpus callosum of monkey. As a consequence of the interaction of myelin regulatory factor with the accumulated TDP-35 in cytoplasm, the downstream myelin-associated genes expression was downregulated at the transcriptional level. Our study aims to investigate the potential effect on myelin structure injury, affected by the truncated TDP-43 in oligodendrocyte, which provided the additional clues on the gain of function during the progressive pathogenesis and symptoms in TDP-43 related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longhong Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dazhang Bai
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Institute of Neurological Diseases, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kaili Ou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingqing Jia
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Tan
- Department of Medical Imaging, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiahui Liang
- Department of Medical Imaging, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dajian He
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sen Yan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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14
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Evans LJ, O'Brien D, Shaw PJ. Current neuroprotective therapies and future prospects for motor neuron disease. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 176:327-384. [PMID: 38802178 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Four medications with neuroprotective disease-modifying effects are now in use for motor neuron disease (MND). With FDA approvals for tofersen, relyvrio and edaravone in just the past year, 2022 ended a quarter of a century when riluzole was the sole such drug to offer to patients. The acceleration of approvals may mean we are witnessing the beginning of a step-change in how MND can be treated. Improvements in understanding underlying disease biology has led to more therapies being developed to target specific and multiple disease mechanisms. Consideration for how the pipeline of new therapeutic agents coming through in clinical and preclinical development can be more effectively evaluated with biomarkers, advances in patient stratification and clinical trial design pave the way for more successful translation for this archetypal complex neurodegenerative disease. While it must be cautioned that only slowed rates of progression have so far been demonstrated, pre-empting rapid neurodegeneration by using neurofilament biomarkers to signal when to treat, as is currently being trialled with tofersen, may be more effective for patients with known genetic predisposition to MND. Early intervention with personalized medicines could mean that for some patients at least, in future we may be able to substantially treat what is considered by many to be one of the most distressing diseases in medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Evans
- The Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, and the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - David O'Brien
- The Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, and the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- The Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, and the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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15
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Nementzik LR, Thumbadoo KM, Murray HC, Gordon D, Yang S, Blair IP, Turner C, Faull RLM, Curtis MA, McLean C, Nicholson GA, Swanson MEV, Scotter EL. Distribution of ubiquilin 2 and TDP-43 aggregates throughout the CNS in UBQLN2 p.T487I-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Brain Pathol 2024; 34:e13230. [PMID: 38115557 PMCID: PMC11007053 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the UBQLN2 gene cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The neuropathology of such UBQLN2-linked cases of ALS/FTD is characterised by aggregates of the ubiquilin 2 protein in addition to aggregates of the transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43). ALS and FTD without UBQLN2 mutations are also characterised by TDP-43 aggregates, that may or may not colocalise with wildtype ubiquilin 2. Despite this, the relative contributions of TDP-43 and ubiquilin 2 to disease pathogenesis remain largely under-characterised, as does their relative deposition as aggregates across the central nervous system (CNS). Here we conducted multiplex immunohistochemistry of three UBQLN2 p.T487I-linked ALS/FTD cases, three non-UBQLN2-linked (sporadic) ALS cases, and 8 non-neurodegenerative disease controls, covering 40 CNS regions. We then quantified ubiquilin 2 aggregates, TDP-43 aggregates and aggregates containing both proteins in regions of interest to determine how UBQLN2-linked and non-UBQLN2-linked proteinopathy differ. We find that ubiquilin 2 aggregates that are negative for TDP-43 are predominantly small and punctate and are abundant in the hippocampal formation, spinal cord, all tested regions of neocortex, medulla and substantia nigra in UBQLN2-linked ALS/FTD but not sporadic ALS. Curiously, the striatum harboured small punctate ubiquilin 2 aggregates in all cases examined, while large diffuse striatal ubiquilin 2 aggregates were specific to UBQLN2-linked ALS/FTD. Overall, ubiquilin 2 is mainly deposited in clinically unaffected regions throughout the CNS such that symptomology in UBQLN2-linked cases maps best to the aggregation of TDP-43.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura R. Nementzik
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Centre for Brain ResearchUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Kyrah M. Thumbadoo
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Centre for Brain ResearchUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Helen C. Murray
- Centre for Brain ResearchUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical ImagingUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - David Gordon
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Centre for Brain ResearchUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Shu Yang
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversityNorth RydeNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Ian P. Blair
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversityNorth RydeNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Clinton Turner
- Centre for Brain ResearchUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical ImagingUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, LabPlusAuckland City HospitalAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Richard L. M. Faull
- Centre for Brain ResearchUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical ImagingUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Maurice A. Curtis
- Centre for Brain ResearchUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical ImagingUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Catriona McLean
- Department of Anatomical PathologyAlfred HealthMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Garth A. Nicholson
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversityNorth RydeNew South WalesAustralia
- Northcott Neuroscience LaboratoryANZAC Research InstituteSydneyAustralia
- Molecular Medicine LaboratoryConcord Repatriation General HospitalSydneyAustralia
| | - Molly E. V. Swanson
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Centre for Brain ResearchUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Emma L. Scotter
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Centre for Brain ResearchUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
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16
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Ayala I, Bahrami A, Pan Y, Spencer C, Flanagan ME, Mesulam MM, Gefen T, Geula C. Loss and microglia phagocytosis of synaptic proteins in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 proteinopathy. Neurochem Int 2024; 175:105719. [PMID: 38452814 PMCID: PMC11003416 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2024.105719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Cortical synaptic loss has emerged as an early abnormality in Alzheimer's disease (AD) with a strong relationship to cognitive performance. However, the status of synapses in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) has received meager experimental attention. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in cortical synaptic proteins in FTLD with tar DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) proteinopathy. A second aim was to study phagocytosis of synaptic proteins by microglia as a surrogate for synaptic pruning. Western blot analysis in frozen tissue from the middle frontal gyrus revealed decreased levels of the presynaptic protein synaptophysin, but slightly increased levels of the postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in FTLD-TDP. Levels of the dendritic spine protein spinophilin displayed the largest decrease. Double immunofluorescent staining visualized aggregate or punctate synaptic protein immunoreactivity in microglia. Overall, the proportion of microglia containing synaptic proteins was larger in FTLD-TDP when compared with normal controls. The increase in PSD95 levels may represent reactive upregulation of this protein, as suggested in AD. While greater numbers of microglia containing synaptic proteins is consistent with loss of synapses in FTLD-TDP, it may also be an indication of abnormal synaptic pruning by microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Ayala
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Atousa Bahrami
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yuting Pan
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Callen Spencer
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Margaret E Flanagan
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - M-Marsel Mesulam
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tamar Gefen
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Changiz Geula
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
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17
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De Cock L, Bercier V, Van Den Bosch L. New developments in pre-clinical models of ALS to guide translation. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 176:477-524. [PMID: 38802181 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which selective death of motor neurons leads to muscle weakness and paralysis. Most research has focused on understanding and treating monogenic familial forms, most frequently caused by mutations in SOD1, FUS, TARDBP and C9orf72, although ALS is mostly sporadic and without a clear genetic cause. Rodent models have been developed to study monogenic ALS, but despite numerous pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, few disease-modifying therapies are available. ALS is a heterogeneous disease with complex underlying mechanisms where several genes and molecular pathways appear to play a role. One reason for the high failure rate of clinical translation from the current models could be oversimplification in pre-clinical studies. Here, we review advances in pre-clinical models to better capture the heterogeneous nature of ALS and discuss the value of novel model systems to guide translation and aid in the development of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenja De Cock
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valérie Bercier
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.
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18
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Thal DR, Gawor K, Moonen S. Regulated cell death and its role in Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:69. [PMID: 38583129 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02722-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Despite considerable research efforts, it is still not clear which mechanisms underlie neuronal cell death in neurodegenerative diseases. During the last 20 years, multiple pathways have been identified that can execute regulated cell death (RCD). Among these RCD pathways, apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, autophagy-related cell death, and lysosome-dependent cell death have been intensively investigated. Although RCD consists of numerous individual pathways, multiple common proteins have been identified that allow shifting from one cell death pathway to another. Another layer of complexity is added by mechanisms such as the endosomal machinery, able to regulate the activation of some RCD pathways, preventing cell death. In addition, restricted axonal degeneration and synaptic pruning can occur as a result of RCD activation without loss of the cell body. RCD plays a complex role in neurodegenerative processes, varying across different disorders. It has been shown that RCD is differentially involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), among the most common neurodegenerative diseases. In AD, neuronal loss is associated with the activation of not only necroptosis, but also pyroptosis. In ALS, on the other hand, motor neuron death is not linked to canonical necroptosis, whereas pyroptosis pathway activation is seen in white matter microglia. Despite these differences in the activation of RCD pathways in AD and ALS, the accumulation of protein aggregates immunoreactive for p62/SQSTM1 (sequestosome 1) is a common event in both diseases and many other neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we describe the major RCD pathways with clear activation in AD and ALS, the main interactions between these pathways, as well as their differential and similar involvement in these disorders. Finally, we will discuss targeting RCD as an innovative therapeutic concept for neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD and ALS. Considering that the execution of RCD or "cellular suicide" represents the final stage in neurodegeneration, it seems crucial to prevent neuronal death in patients by targeting RCD. This would offer valuable time to address upstream events in the pathological cascade by keeping the neurons alive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU-Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Klara Gawor
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU-Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Moonen
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU-Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
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19
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Godoy-Corchuelo JM, Ali Z, Brito Armas JM, Martins-Bach AB, García-Toledo I, Fernández-Beltrán LC, López-Carbonero JI, Bascuñana P, Spring S, Jimenez-Coca I, Muñoz de Bustillo Alfaro RA, Sánchez-Barrena MJ, Nair RR, Nieman BJ, Lerch JP, Miller KL, Ozdinler HP, Fisher EMC, Cunningham TJ, Acevedo-Arozena A, Corrochano S. TDP-43-M323K causes abnormal brain development and progressive cognitive and motor deficits associated with mislocalised and increased levels of TDP-43. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 193:106437. [PMID: 38367882 PMCID: PMC10988218 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
TDP-43 pathology is found in several neurodegenerative disorders, collectively referred to as "TDP-43 proteinopathies". Aggregates of TDP-43 are present in the brains and spinal cords of >97% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and in brains of ∼50% of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients. While mutations in the TDP-43 gene (TARDBP) are usually associated with ALS, many clinical reports have linked these mutations to cognitive impairments and/or FTD, but also to other neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinsonism (PD) or progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). TDP-43 is a ubiquitously expressed, highly conserved RNA-binding protein that is involved in many cellular processes, mainly RNA metabolism. To investigate systemic pathological mechanisms in TDP-43 proteinopathies, aiming to capture the pleiotropic effects of TDP-43 mutations, we have further characterised a mouse model carrying a point mutation (M323K) within the endogenous Tardbp gene. Homozygous mutant mice developed cognitive and behavioural deficits as early as 3 months of age. This was coupled with significant brain structural abnormalities, mainly in the cortex, hippocampus, and white matter fibres, together with progressive cortical interneuron degeneration and neuroinflammation. At the motor level, progressive phenotypes appeared around 6 months of age. Thus, cognitive phenotypes appeared to be of a developmental origin with a mild associated progressive neurodegeneration, while the motor and neuromuscular phenotypes seemed neurodegenerative, underlined by a progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons as well as distal denervation. This is accompanied by progressive elevated TDP-43 protein and mRNA levels in cortex and spinal cord of homozygous mutant mice from 3 months of age, together with increased cytoplasmic TDP-43 mislocalisation in cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and spinal cord at 12 months of age. In conclusion, we find that Tardbp M323K homozygous mutant mice model many aspects of human TDP-43 proteinopathies, evidencing a dual role for TDP-43 in brain morphogenesis as well as in the maintenance of the motor system, making them an ideal in vivo model system to study the complex biology of TDP-43.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Godoy-Corchuelo
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Zeinab Ali
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain; MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Jose M Brito Armas
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, ITB-ULL and CIBERNED, La Laguna, Spain
| | | | - Irene García-Toledo
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Luis C Fernández-Beltrán
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain; Department of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan I López-Carbonero
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Pablo Bascuñana
- Brain Mapping Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Shoshana Spring
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Irene Jimenez-Coca
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain
| | | | - Maria J Sánchez-Barrena
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Institute of Physical Chemistry "Blas Cabrera", CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Remya R Nair
- MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK; Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA), Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Brian J Nieman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Karla L Miller
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hande P Ozdinler
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL, Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Thomas J Cunningham
- MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK; MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Abraham Acevedo-Arozena
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, ITB-ULL and CIBERNED, La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Silvia Corrochano
- Neurological Disorders Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdiSSC), Madrid 28040, Spain; MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, UK.
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20
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Jadhav VS, Stair JG, Eck RJ, Smukowski SN, Currey HN, Toscano LG, Hincks JC, Latimer CS, Valdmanis PN, Kraemer BC, Liachko NF. Transcriptomic evaluation of tau and TDP-43 synergism shows tauopathy predominance and reveals potential modulating targets. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 193:106441. [PMID: 38378122 PMCID: PMC11059213 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common aging-associated neurodegenerative dementia disorder, is defined by the presence of amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau aggregates in the brain. However, more than half of patients also exhibit aggregates of the protein TDP-43 as a secondary pathology. The presence of TDP-43 pathology in AD is associated with increased tau neuropathology and worsened clinical outcomes in AD patients. Using C. elegans models of mixed pathology in AD, we have previously shown that TDP-43 specifically synergizes with tau but not Aβ, resulting in enhanced neuronal dysfunction, selective neurodegeneration, and increased accumulation of pathological tau. However, cellular responses to co-morbid tau and TDP-43 preceding neurodegeneration have not been characterized. In this study, we evaluate transcriptomic changes at time-points preceding frank neuronal loss using a C. elegans model of tau and TDP-43 co-expression (tau-TDP-43 Tg). We find significant differential expression and exon usage in genes enriched in multiple pathways including lipid metabolism and lysosomal degradation. We note that early changes in tau-TDP-43 Tg resemble changes with tau alone, but a unique expression signature emerges during aging. We test loss-of-function mutations in a subset of tau and TDP-43 responsive genes, identifying new modifiers of neurotoxicity. Characterizing early cellular responses to tau and TDP-43 co-pathology is critical for understanding protective and pathogenic responses to mixed proteinopathies, and an important step in developing therapeutic strategies protecting against pathological tau and TDP-43 in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishnavi S Jadhav
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Jade G Stair
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Randall J Eck
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Samuel N Smukowski
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Heather N Currey
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Laura Garcia Toscano
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Joshua C Hincks
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Caitlin S Latimer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Paul N Valdmanis
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Brian C Kraemer
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nicole F Liachko
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.
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21
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Silva-Hucha S, Fernández de Sevilla ME, Humphreys KM, Benson FE, Franco JM, Pozo D, Pastor AM, Morcuende S. VEGF expression disparities in brainstem motor neurons of the SOD1 G93A ALS model: Correlations with neuronal vulnerability. Neurotherapeutics 2024; 21:e00340. [PMID: 38472048 PMCID: PMC11070718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurot.2024.e00340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neuromuscular disease characterized by severe muscle weakness mainly due to degeneration and death of motor neurons. A peculiarity of the neurodegenerative processes is the variable susceptibility among distinct neuronal populations, exemplified by the contrasting resilience of motor neurons innervating the ocular motor system and the more vulnerable facial and hypoglossal motor neurons. The crucial role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a neuroprotective factor in the nervous system is well-established since a deficit of VEGF has been related to motoneuronal degeneration. In this study, we investigated the survival of ocular, facial, and hypoglossal motor neurons utilizing the murine SOD1G93A ALS model at various stages of the disease. Our primary objective was to determine whether the survival of the different brainstem motor neurons was linked to disparate VEGF expression levels in resilient and susceptible motor neurons throughout neurodegeneration. Our findings revealed a selective loss of motor neurons exclusively within the vulnerable nuclei. Furthermore, a significantly higher level of VEGF was detected in the more resistant motor neurons, the extraocular ones. We also examined whether TDP-43 dynamics in the brainstem motor neuron of SOD mice was altered. Our data suggests that the increased VEGF levels observed in extraocular motor neurons may potentially underlie their resistance during the neurodegenerative processes in ALS in a TDP-43-independent manner. Our work might help to better understand the underlying mechanisms of selective vulnerability of motor neurons in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Silva-Hucha
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain; Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Medawar Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Kirsty M Humphreys
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Fiona E Benson
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Jaime M Franco
- Andalusian Center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine-CABIMER, Junta de Andalucía-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC, 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - David Pozo
- Andalusian Center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine-CABIMER, Junta de Andalucía-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC, 41092, Seville, Spain; Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Universidad de Sevilla Medical School, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Angel M Pastor
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain.
| | - Sara Morcuende
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain.
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22
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Martin EJ, Santacruz C, Mitevska A, Jones IE, Krishnan G, Gao FB, Finan JD, Kiskinis E. Traumatic injury causes selective degeneration and TDP-43 mislocalization in human iPSC-derived C9orf72-associated ALS/FTD motor neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.21.586073. [PMID: 38585915 PMCID: PMC10996466 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.21.586073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in C9orf72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, patients with the HRE exhibit a wide disparity in clinical presentation and age of symptom onset suggesting an interplay between genetic background and environmental stressors. Neurotrauma as a result of traumatic brain or spinal cord injury has been shown to increase the risk of ALS/FTD in epidemiological studies. Here, we combine patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with a custom-built device to deliver biofidelic stretch trauma to C9orf72 patient and isogenic control motor neurons (MNs) in vitro. We find that mutant but not control MNs exhibit selective degeneration after a single incident of severe trauma, which can be partially rescued by pretreatment with a C9orf72 antisense oligonucleotide. A single incident of mild trauma does not cause degeneration but leads to cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43 in C9orf72 MNs. This mislocalization, which only occurs briefly in isogenic controls, is eventually restored in C9orf72 MNs after 6 days. Lastly, repeated mild trauma ablates the ability of patient MNs to recover. These findings highlight alterations in TDP-43 dynamics in C9orf72 ALS/FTD patient MNs following traumatic injury and demonstrate that neurotrauma compounds neuropathology in C9orf72 ALS/FTD. More broadly, our work establishes an in vitro platform that can be used to interrogate the mechanistic interactions between ALS/FTD and neurotrauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J. Martin
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Citlally Santacruz
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Angela Mitevska
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ian E. Jones
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gopinath Krishnan
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - John D. Finan
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
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23
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Lépine S, Nauleau-Javaudin A, Deneault E, Chen CXQ, Abdian N, Franco-Flores AK, Haghi G, Castellanos-Montiel MJ, Maussion G, Chaineau M, Durcan TM. Homozygous ALS-linked mutations in TARDBP/TDP-43 lead to hypoactivity and synaptic abnormalities in human iPSC-derived motor neurons. iScience 2024; 27:109166. [PMID: 38433895 PMCID: PMC10905001 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytoplasmic mislocalization and aggregation of the RNA-binding protein TDP-43 is a pathological hallmark of the motor neuron (MN) disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Furthermore, while mutations in TARDBP (encoding TDP-43) have been associated with ALS, the pathogenic consequences of these mutations remain poorly understood. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we engineered two homozygous knock-in induced pluripotent stem cell lines carrying mutations in TARDBP encoding TDP-43A382T and TDP-43G348C, two common yet understudied ALS TDP-43 variants. Motor neurons (MNs) differentiated from knock-in iPSCs had normal viability and displayed no significant changes in TDP-43 subcellular localization, phosphorylation, solubility, or aggregation compared with isogenic control MNs. However, our results highlight synaptic impairments in both TDP-43A382T and TDP-43G348C MN cultures, as reflected in synapse abnormalities and alterations in spontaneous neuronal activity. Collectively, our findings suggest that MN dysfunction may precede the occurrence of TDP-43 pathology and neurodegeneration in ALS and further implicate synaptic and excitability defects in the pathobiology of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Lépine
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada
| | - Angela Nauleau-Javaudin
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Eric Deneault
- Centre for Oncology, Radiopharmaceuticals and Research; Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Carol X.-Q. Chen
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Narges Abdian
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Anna Krystina Franco-Flores
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Ghazal Haghi
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - María José Castellanos-Montiel
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Gilles Maussion
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Mathilde Chaineau
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Thomas Martin Durcan
- Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
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24
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Tzeplaeff L, Jürs AV, Wohnrade C, Demleitner AF. Unraveling the Heterogeneity of ALS-A Call to Redefine Patient Stratification for Better Outcomes in Clinical Trials. Cells 2024; 13:452. [PMID: 38474416 PMCID: PMC10930688 DOI: 10.3390/cells13050452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite tremendous efforts in basic research and a growing number of clinical trials aiming to find effective treatments, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains an incurable disease. One possible reason for the lack of effective causative treatment options is that ALS may not be a single disease entity but rather may represent a clinical syndrome, with diverse genetic and molecular causes, histopathological alterations, and subsequent clinical presentations contributing to its complexity and variability among individuals. Defining a way to subcluster ALS patients is becoming a central endeavor in the field. Identifying specific clusters and applying them in clinical trials could enable the development of more effective treatments. This review aims to summarize the available data on heterogeneity in ALS with regard to various aspects, e.g., clinical, genetic, and molecular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tzeplaeff
- Department of Neurology, Rechts der Isar Hospital, Technical University of Munich, 81675 München, Germany
| | - Alexandra V. Jürs
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Camilla Wohnrade
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Antonia F. Demleitner
- Department of Neurology, Rechts der Isar Hospital, Technical University of Munich, 81675 München, Germany
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25
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Cunha-Oliveira T, Montezinho L, Simões RF, Carvalho M, Ferreiro E, Silva FSG. Mitochondria: A Promising Convergent Target for the Treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Cells 2024; 13:248. [PMID: 38334639 PMCID: PMC10854804 DOI: 10.3390/cells13030248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons, for which current treatment options are limited. Recent studies have shed light on the role of mitochondria in ALS pathogenesis, making them an attractive therapeutic intervention target. This review contains a very comprehensive critical description of the involvement of mitochondria and mitochondria-mediated mechanisms in ALS. The review covers several key areas related to mitochondria in ALS, including impaired mitochondrial function, mitochondrial bioenergetics, reactive oxygen species, metabolic processes and energy metabolism, mitochondrial dynamics, turnover, autophagy and mitophagy, impaired mitochondrial transport, and apoptosis. This review also highlights preclinical and clinical studies that have investigated various mitochondria-targeted therapies for ALS treatment. These include strategies to improve mitochondrial function, such as the use of dichloroacetate, ketogenic and high-fat diets, acetyl-carnitine, and mitochondria-targeted antioxidants. Additionally, antiapoptotic agents, like the mPTP-targeting agents minocycline and rasagiline, are discussed. The paper aims to contribute to the identification of effective mitochondria-targeted therapies for ALS treatment by synthesizing the current understanding of the role of mitochondria in ALS pathogenesis and reviewing potential convergent therapeutic interventions. The complex interplay between mitochondria and the pathogenic mechanisms of ALS holds promise for the development of novel treatment strategies to combat this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Cunha-Oliveira
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB—Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Liliana Montezinho
- Center for Investigation Vasco da Gama (CIVG), Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama, 3020-210 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - Rui F. Simões
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB—Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Marcelo Carvalho
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB—Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Elisabete Ferreiro
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB—Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Filomena S. G. Silva
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB—Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Mitotag Lda, Biocant Park, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
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26
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Irwin KE, Sheth U, Wong PC, Gendron TF. Fluid biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a review. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:9. [PMID: 38267984 PMCID: PMC10809579 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00685-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Presently, three FDA-approved drugs are available to help slow functional decline for patients with ALS, but no cure yet exists. With an average life expectancy of only two to five years after diagnosis, there is a clear need for biomarkers to improve the care of patients with ALS and to expedite ALS treatment development. Here, we provide a review of the efforts made towards identifying diagnostic, prognostic, susceptibility/risk, and response fluid biomarkers with the intent to facilitate a more rapid and accurate ALS diagnosis, to better predict prognosis, to improve clinical trial design, and to inform interpretation of clinical trial results. Over the course of 20 + years, several promising fluid biomarker candidates for ALS have emerged. These will be discussed, as will the exciting new strategies being explored for ALS biomarker discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Irwin
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Udit Sheth
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Philip C Wong
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
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27
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Urban MW, Charsar BA, Heinsinger NM, Markandaiah SS, Sprimont L, Zhou W, Brown EV, Henderson NT, Thomas SJ, Ghosh B, Cain RE, Trotti D, Pasinelli P, Wright MC, Dalva MB, Lepore AC. EphrinB2 knockdown in cervical spinal cord preserves diaphragm innervation in a mutant SOD1 mouse model of ALS. eLife 2024; 12:RP89298. [PMID: 38224498 PMCID: PMC10945582 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron loss. Importantly, non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes also play significant roles in disease pathogenesis. However, mechanisms of astrocyte contribution to ALS remain incompletely understood. Astrocyte involvement suggests that transcellular signaling may play a role in disease. We examined contribution of transmembrane signaling molecule ephrinB2 to ALS pathogenesis, in particular its role in driving motor neuron damage by spinal cord astrocytes. In symptomatic SOD1G93A mice (a well-established ALS model), ephrinB2 expression was dramatically increased in ventral horn astrocytes. Reducing ephrinB2 in the cervical spinal cord ventral horn via viral-mediated shRNA delivery reduced motor neuron loss and preserved respiratory function by maintaining phrenic motor neuron innervation of diaphragm. EphrinB2 expression was also elevated in human ALS spinal cord. These findings implicate ephrinB2 upregulation as both a transcellular signaling mechanism in mutant SOD1-associated ALS and a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark W Urban
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Brittany A Charsar
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Nicolette M Heinsinger
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Shashirekha S Markandaiah
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Lindsay Sprimont
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Eric V Brown
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Nathan T Henderson
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Samantha J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Biswarup Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Rachel E Cain
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Davide Trotti
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia UniversityGlensideUnited States
| | - Matthew B Dalva
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane UniversityNew OrleansUnited States
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
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28
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Yang X, Li G, Lou P, Zhang M, Yao K, Xiao J, Chen Y, Xu J, Tian S, Deng M, Pan Y, Li M, Wu X, Liu R, Shi X, Tian Y, Yu L, Ke H, Jiao B, Cong Y, Plikus MV, Liu X, Yu Z, Lv C. Excessive nucleic acid R-loops induce mitochondria-dependent epithelial cell necroptosis and drive spontaneous intestinal inflammation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2307395120. [PMID: 38157451 PMCID: PMC10769860 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307395120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress, which can be activated by a variety of environmental risk factors, has been implicated as an important pathogenic factor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, how oxidative stress drives IBD onset remains elusive. Here, we found that oxidative stress was strongly activated in inflamed tissues from both ulcerative colitis patients and Crohn's disease patients, and it caused nuclear-to-cytosolic TDP-43 transport and a reduction in the TDP-43 protein level. To investigate the function of TDP-43 in IBD, we inducibly deleted exons 2 to 3 of Tardbp (encoding Tdp-43) in mouse intestinal epithelium, which disrupted its nuclear localization and RNA-processing function. The deletion gave rise to spontaneous intestinal inflammation by inducing epithelial cell necroptosis. Suppression of the necroptotic pathway with deletion of Mlkl or the RIP1 inhibitor Nec-1 rescued colitis phenotypes. Mechanistically, disruption of nuclear TDP-43 caused excessive R-loop accumulation, which triggered DNA damage and genome instability and thereby induced PARP1 hyperactivation, leading to subsequent NAD+ depletion and ATP loss, consequently activating mitochondrion-dependent necroptosis in intestinal epithelial cells. Importantly, restoration of cellular NAD+ levels with NAD+ or NMN supplementation, as well as suppression of ALKBH7, an α-ketoglutarate dioxygenase in mitochondria, rescued TDP-43 deficiency-induced cell death and intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, TDP-43 protein levels were significantly inversely correlated with γ-H2A.X and p-MLKL levels in clinical IBD samples, suggesting the clinical relevance of TDP-43 deficiency-induced mitochondrion-dependent necroptosis. Taken together, these findings identify a unique pathogenic mechanism that links oxidative stress to intestinal inflammation and provide a potent and valid strategy for IBD intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Yang
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ankang University, Ankang, Shaanxi725000, China
| | - Guilin Li
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Pengbo Lou
- China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing100094, China
| | - Mingxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Kai Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Jintao Xiao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of AI Computer Aided Diagnosis and Treatment for Digestive Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yiqian Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of AI Computer Aided Diagnosis and Treatment for Digestive Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jiuzhi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Shengyuan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Min Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Yuwei Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Mengzhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Xi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Ruiqi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Xiaojing Shi
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
| | - Yuhua Tian
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
| | - Lu Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Hao Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution of Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming650223, China
| | - Baowei Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution of Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming650223, China
| | - Yingzi Cong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, IL60611
| | - Maksim V. Plikus
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of AI Computer Aided Diagnosis and Treatment for Digestive Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhengquan Yu
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Cong Lv
- Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Food Quality, Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
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Ovsepian SV, O'Leary VB, Martinez S. Selective vulnerability of motor neuron types and functional groups to degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: review of the neurobiological mechanisms and functional correlates. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1-14. [PMID: 37999738 PMCID: PMC10827929 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02728-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative condition characterised by a progressive loss of motor neurons controlling voluntary muscle activity. The disease manifests through a variety of motor dysfunctions related to the extent of damage and loss of neurons at different anatomical locations. Despite extensive research, it remains unclear why some motor neurons are especially susceptible to the disease, while others are affected less or even spared. In this article, we review the neurobiological mechanisms, neurochemical profiles, and morpho-functional characteristics of various motor neuron groups and types of motor units implicated in their differential exposure to degeneration. We discuss specific cell-autonomous (intrinsic) and extrinsic factors influencing the vulnerability gradient of motor units and motor neuron types to ALS, with their impact on disease manifestation, course, and prognosis, as revealed in preclinical and clinical studies. We consider the outstanding challenges and emerging opportunities for interpreting the phenotypic and mechanistic variability of the disease to identify targets for clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saak V Ovsepian
- Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich London, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK.
| | - Valerie B O'Leary
- Department of Medical Genetics, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 10000, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Salvador Martinez
- Instituto de Neurociencias UMH-CSIC, Avda. Ramon y Cajal, 03550, San Juan de Alicante, Spain.
- Center of Biomedical Network Research on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.
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30
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Mu C, Gao M, Xu W, Sun X, Chen T, Xu H, Qiu H. Mechanisms of microRNA-132 in central neurodegenerative diseases: A comprehensive review. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:116029. [PMID: 38128185 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.116029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA-132 (miR-132) is a highly conserved molecule that plays a crucial regulatory role in central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The expression levels of miR-132 exhibit variability in various neurological disorders and have been closely linked to disease onset and progression. The expression level of miR-132 in the CNS is regulated by a diverse range of stimuli and signaling pathways, including neuronal migration and integration, dendritic outgrowth, and complexity, synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity, as well as inflammation and apoptosis activation. The aberrant expression of miR-132 in various central neurodegenerative diseases has garnered widespread attention. Clinical studies have revealed altered miR-132 expression levels in both chronic and acute CNS diseases, positioning miR-132 as a potential biomarker or therapeutic target. An in-depth exploration of miR-132 holds the promise of enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying CNS diseases, thereby offering novel insights and strategies for disease diagnosis and treatment. It is anticipated that this review will assist researchers in recognizing the potential value of miR-132 and in generating innovative ideas for clinical trials related to CNS degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Mu
- Basic Medical College, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microecology-Immune Regulatory Network and Related Diseases, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Meng Gao
- Basic Medical College, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microecology-Immune Regulatory Network and Related Diseases, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Weijing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Microecology-Immune Regulatory Network and Related Diseases, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China; School of Public Health, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xun Sun
- Basic Medical College, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microecology-Immune Regulatory Network and Related Diseases, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Tianhao Chen
- Basic Medical College, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microecology-Immune Regulatory Network and Related Diseases, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Hui Xu
- Key Laboratory of Microecology-Immune Regulatory Network and Related Diseases, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China.
| | - Hongbin Qiu
- School of Public Health, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, Heilongjiang, China.
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31
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Rothstein JD, Warlick C, Coyne AN. Highly variable molecular signatures of TDP-43 loss of function are associated with nuclear pore complex injury in a population study of sporadic ALS patient iPSNs. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.12.571299. [PMID: 38168312 PMCID: PMC10760028 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.12.571299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic aggregation of the RNA binding protein TDP-43 is widely considered a pathological hallmark of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and related neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies have artificially reduced TDP-43 in wildtype human neurons to replicate loss of function associated events. Although this prior work has defined a number of gene expression and mRNA splicing changes that occur in a TDP-43 dependent manner, it is unclear how these alterations relate to authentic ALS where TDP-43 is not depleted from the cell but miscompartmentalized to variable extents. Here, in this population study, we generate ~30,000 qRT-PCR data points spanning 20 genes in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived neurons (iPSNs) from >150 control, C9orf72 ALS/FTD, and sALS patients to examine molecular signatures of TDP-43 dysfunction. This data set defines a time dependent and variable profile of individual molecular hallmarks of TDP-43 loss of function within and amongst individual patient lines. Importantly, nearly identical changes are observed in postmortem CNS tissues obtained from a subset of patients whose iPSNs were examined. Notably, these studies provide evidence that induction of nuclear pore complex (NPC) injury via reduction of the transmembrane Nup POM121 in wildtype iPSNs is sufficient to phenocopy disease associated signatured of TDP-43 loss of function thereby directly linking NPC integrity to TDP-43 loss of function. Therapeutically, we demonstrate that the expression of all mRNA species associated with TDP-43 loss of function can be restored in sALS iPSNs via two independent methods to repair NPC injury. Collectively, this data 1) represents a substantial resource for the community to examine TDP-43 loss of function events in authentic sALS patient iPSNs, 2) demonstrates that patient derived iPSNs can accurately reflect actual TDP-43 associated alterations in patient brain, and 3) that targeting NPC injury events can be preclinically and reliably accomplished in an iPSN based platform of a sporadic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D. Rothstein
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21205
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21205
| | - Caroline Warlick
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21205
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21205
| | - Alyssa N. Coyne
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21205
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21205
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32
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Bayandina SV, Mukha DV. Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Model for Studying Human Neurodegenerative Disorders: Viral Capsid Protein Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17213. [PMID: 38139041 PMCID: PMC10743263 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In this article, we briefly describe human neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) and the experimental models used to study them. The main focus is the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an experimental model used to study neurodegenerative processes. We review recent experimental data on the aggregation of human neurodegenerative disease-related proteins in yeast cells. In addition, we describe the results of studies that were designed to investigate the molecular mechanisms that underlie the aggregation of reporter proteins. The advantages and disadvantages of the experimental approaches that are currently used to study the formation of protein aggregates are described. Special attention is given to the similarity between aggregates that form as a result of protein misfolding and viral factories-special structural formations in which viral particles are formed inside virus-infected cells. A separate part of the review is devoted to our previously published study on the formation of aggregates upon expression of the insect densovirus capsid protein in yeast cells. Based on the reviewed results of studies on NDs and related protein aggregation, as well as viral protein aggregation, a new experimental model system for the study of human NDs is proposed. The core of the proposed system is a comparative transcriptomic analysis of changes in signaling pathways during the expression of viral capsid proteins in yeast cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dmitry V. Mukha
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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33
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Cascella R, Banchelli M, Abolghasem Ghadami S, Ami D, Gagliani MC, Bigi A, Staderini T, Tampellini D, Cortese K, Cecchi C, Natalello A, Adibi H, Matteini P, Chiti F. An in situ and in vitro investigation of cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions reveals the absence of a clear amyloid signature. Ann Med 2023; 55:72-88. [PMID: 36495262 PMCID: PMC9746631 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2148734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Several neurodegenerative conditions are associated with a common histopathology within neurons of the central nervous system, consisting of the deposition of cytoplasmic inclusions of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). Such inclusions have variably been described as morphologically and molecularly ordered aggregates having amyloid properties, as filaments without the cross-β-structure and dye binding specific for amyloid, or as amorphous aggregates with no defined structure and fibrillar morphology.Aims and Methods: Here we have expressed human full-length TDP-43 in neuroblastoma x spinal cord 34 (NSC-34) cells to investigate the morphological, structural, and tinctorial properties of TDP-43 inclusions in situ. We have used last-generation amyloid diagnostic probes able to cross the cell membrane and detect amyloid in the cytoplasm and have adopted Raman and Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopies to study in situ the secondary structure of the TDP-43 protein in the inclusions. We have then used transmission electron microscopy to study the morphology of the TDP-43 inclusions.Results: The results show the absence of amyloid dye binding, the lack of an enrichment of cross-β structure in the inclusions, and of a fibrillar texture in the round inclusions. The aggregates formed in vitro from the purified protein under conditions in which it is initially native also lack all these characteristics, ruling out a clear amyloid-like signature.Conclusions: These findings indicate a low propensity of TDP-43 to form amyloid fibrils and even non-amyloid filaments, under conditions in which the protein is initially native and undergoes its typical nucleus-to-cell mislocalization. It cannot be excluded that filaments emerge on the long time scale from such inclusions, but the high propensity of the protein to form initially other types of inclusions appear to be an essential characteristic of TDP-43 proteinopathies.KEY MESSAGESCytoplasmic inclusions of TDP-43 formed in NSC-34 cells do not stain with amyloid-diagnostic dyes, are not enriched with cross-β structure, and do not show a fibrillar morphology.TDP-43 assemblies formed in vitro from pure TDP-43 do not have any hallmarks of amyloid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Cascella
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Martina Banchelli
- Institute of Applied Physics "Nello Carrara", National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Diletta Ami
- Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Milan Center of Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Gagliani
- Cellular Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bigi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Tommaso Staderini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Davide Tampellini
- U 1195 INSERM-Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France.,Institut Professeur Baulieu, Paris, France
| | - Katia Cortese
- Cellular Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Cristina Cecchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Antonino Natalello
- Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Milan Center of Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
| | - Hadi Adibi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Paolo Matteini
- Institute of Applied Physics "Nello Carrara", National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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34
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Dubowsky M, Theunissen F, Carr JM, Rogers ML. The Molecular Link Between TDP-43, Endogenous Retroviruses and Inflammatory Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: a Potential Target for Triumeq, an Antiretroviral Therapy. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:6330-6345. [PMID: 37450244 PMCID: PMC10533598 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03472-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), is a progressive neurological disorder, characterised by the death of upper and lower motor neurons. The aetiology of ALS remains unknown, and treatment options are limited. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), specifically human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K), have been proposed to be involved in the propagation of neurodegeneration in ALS. ERVs are genomic remnants of ancient viral infection events, with most being inactive and not retaining the capacity to encode a fully infectious virus. However, some ERVs retain the ability to be activated and transcribed, and ERV transcripts have been found to be elevated within the brain tissue of MND patients. A hallmark of ALS pathology is altered localisation of the transactive response (TAR) DNA binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43), which is normally found within the nucleus of neuronal and glial cells and is involved in RNA regulation. In ALS, TDP-43 aggregates within the cytoplasm and facilitates neurodegeneration. The involvement of ERVs in ALS pathology is thought to occur through TDP-43 and neuroinflammatory mediators. In this review, the proposed involvement of TDP-43, HERV-K and immune regulators on the onset and progression of ALS will be discussed. Furthermore, the evidence supporting a therapy based on targeting ERVs in ALS will be reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Dubowsky
- College of Medicine and Public Health and Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
| | - Frances Theunissen
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Jillian M Carr
- College of Medicine and Public Health and Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Mary-Louise Rogers
- College of Medicine and Public Health and Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
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35
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Candelise N, Caissutti D, Zenuni H, Nesci V, Scaricamazza S, Salvatori I, Spinello Z, Mattei V, Garofalo T, Ferri A, Valle C, Misasi R. Different Chronic Stress Paradigms Converge on Endogenous TDP43 Cleavage and Aggregation. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:6346-6361. [PMID: 37450246 PMCID: PMC10533643 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03455-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The TAR-DNA binding protein (TDP43) is a nuclear protein whose cytoplasmic inclusions are hallmarks of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Acute stress in cells causes TDP43 mobilization to the cytoplasm and its aggregation through different routes. Although acute stress elicits a strong phenotype, is far from recapitulating the years-long aggregation process. We applied different chronic stress protocols and described TDP43 aggregation in a human neuroblastoma cell line by combining solubility assays, thioflavin-based microscopy and flow cytometry. This approach allowed us to detect, for the first time to our knowledge in vitro, the formation of 25 kDa C-terminal fragment of TDP43, a pathogenic hallmark of ALS. Our results indicate that chronic stress, compared to the more common acute stress paradigm, better recapitulates the cell biology of TDP43 proteinopathies. Moreover, we optimized a protocol for the detection of bona fide prions in living cells, suggesting that TDP43 may form amyloids as a stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Candelise
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00185, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Caissutti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Henri Zenuni
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata" University of Rome, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Nesci
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata" University of Rome, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Illari Salvatori
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00185, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Zaira Spinello
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Mattei
- Biomedicine and Advanced Technologies Rieti Center, Sabina Universitas, 02100, Rieti, Italy
| | - Tina Garofalo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Ferri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR), 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristiana Valle
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy.
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR), 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Roberta Misasi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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36
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Urban MW, Charsar BA, Heinsinger NM, Markandaiah SS, Sprimont L, Zhou W, Brown EV, Henderson NT, Thomas SJ, Ghosh B, Cain RE, Trotti D, Pasinelli P, Wright MC, Dalva MB, Lepore AC. EphrinB2 knockdown in cervical spinal cord preserves diaphragm innervation in a mutant SOD1 mouse model of ALS. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.10.538887. [PMID: 37215009 PMCID: PMC10197713 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.10.538887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron loss. Importantly, non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes also play significant roles in disease pathogenesis. However, mechanisms of astrocyte contribution to ALS remain incompletely understood. Astrocyte involvement suggests that transcellular signaling may play a role in disease. We examined contribution of transmembrane signaling molecule ephrinB2 to ALS pathogenesis, in particular its role in driving motor neuron damage by spinal cord astrocytes. In symptomatic SOD1-G93A mice (a well-established ALS model), ephrinB2 expression was dramatically increased in ventral horn astrocytes. Reducing ephrinB2 in the cervical spinal cord ventral horn via viral-mediated shRNA delivery reduced motor neuron loss and preserved respiratory function by maintaining phrenic motor neuron innervation of diaphragm. EphrinB2 expression was also elevated in human ALS spinal cord. These findings implicate ephrinB2 upregulation as both a transcellular signaling mechanism in mutant SOD1-associated ALS and a promising therapeutic target.
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37
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Rogers ML, Schultz DW, Karnaros V, Shepheard SR. Urinary biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: candidates, opportunities and considerations. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad287. [PMID: 37946793 PMCID: PMC10631861 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a relentless neurodegenerative disease that is mostly fatal within 3-5 years and is diagnosed on evidence of progressive upper and lower motor neuron degeneration. Around 15% of those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also have frontotemporal degeneration, and gene mutations account for ∼10%. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a variable heterogeneous disease, and it is becoming increasingly clear that numerous different disease processes culminate in the final degeneration of motor neurons. There is a profound need to clearly articulate and measure pathological process that occurs. Such information is needed to tailor treatments to individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis according to an individual's pathological fingerprint. For new candidate therapies, there is also a need for methods to select patients according to expected treatment outcomes and measure the success, or not, of treatments. Biomarkers are essential tools to fulfil these needs, and urine is a rich source for candidate biofluid biomarkers. This review will describe promising candidate urinary biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other possible urinary candidates in future areas of investigation as well as the limitations of urinary biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary-Louise Rogers
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, South Australia, Australia
| | - David W Schultz
- Neurology Department and MND Clinic, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide 5042, South Australia, Australia
| | - Vassilios Karnaros
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, South Australia, Australia
| | - Stephanie R Shepheard
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, South Australia, Australia
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38
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Dyer MS, Odierna GL, Clark RM, Woodhouse A, Blizzard CA. Synaptic remodeling follows upper motor neuron hyperexcitability in a rodent model of TDP-43. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1274979. [PMID: 37941604 PMCID: PMC10628445 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1274979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable disease characterized by relentlessly progressive degeneration of the corticomotor system. Cortical hyperexcitability has been identified as an early pre-symptomatic biomarker of ALS. This suggests that hyperexcitability occurs upstream in the ALS pathological cascade and may even be part of the mechanism that drives development of symptoms or loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord. However, many studies also indicate a loss to the synaptic machinery that mediates synaptic input which raises the question of which is the driver of disease, and which is a homeostatic response. Herein, we used an inducible mouse model of TDP-43 mediated ALS that permits for the construction of detailed phenotypic timelines. Our work comprehensively describes the relationship between intrinsic hyperexcitability and altered synaptic input onto motor cortical layer 5 pyramidal neurons over time. As a result, we have constructed the most complete timeline of electrophysiological changes following induction of TDP-43 dysfunction in the motor cortex. We report that intrinsic hyperexcitability of layer 5 pyramidal neurons precedes changes to excitatory synaptic connections, which manifest as an overall loss of inputs onto layer 5 pyramidal neurons. This finding highlights the importance of hyperexcitability as a primary mechanism of ALS and re-contextualizes synaptic changes as possibly representing secondary adaptive responses. Recognition of the relationship between intrinsic hyperexcitability and reduced excitatory synaptic input has important implications for the development of useful therapies against ALS. Novel strategies will need to be developed that target neuronal output by managing excitability against synapses separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus S. Dyer
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - G. Lorenzo Odierna
- Tasmanian School of Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Rosemary M. Clark
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Adele Woodhouse
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Catherine A. Blizzard
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
- Tasmanian School of Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
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39
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Godfrey RK, Alsop E, Bjork RT, Chauhan BS, Ruvalcaba HC, Antone J, Gittings LM, Michael AF, Williams C, Hala'ufia G, Blythe AD, Hall M, Sattler R, Van Keuren-Jensen K, Zarnescu DC. Modelling TDP-43 proteinopathy in Drosophila uncovers shared and neuron-specific targets across ALS and FTD relevant circuits. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:168. [PMID: 37864255 PMCID: PMC10588218 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01656-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) comprise a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases linked to TDP-43 proteinopathy, which at the cellular level, is characterized by loss of nuclear TDP-43 and accumulation of cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions that ultimately cause RNA processing defects including dysregulation of splicing, mRNA transport and translation. Complementing our previous work in motor neurons, here we report a novel model of TDP-43 proteinopathy based on overexpression of TDP-43 in a subset of Drosophila Kenyon cells of the mushroom body (MB), a circuit with structural characteristics reminiscent of vertebrate cortical networks. This model recapitulates several aspects of dementia-relevant pathological features including age-dependent neuronal loss, nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, and behavioral deficits in working memory and sleep that occur prior to axonal degeneration. RNA immunoprecipitations identify several candidate mRNA targets of TDP-43 in MBs, some of which are unique to the MB circuit and others that are shared with motor neurons. Among the latter is the glypican Dally-like-protein (Dlp), which exhibits significant TDP-43 associated reduction in expression during aging. Using genetic interactions we show that overexpression of Dlp in MBs mitigates TDP-43 dependent working memory deficits, conistent with Dlp acting as a mediator of TDP-43 toxicity. Substantiating our findings in the fly model, we find that the expression of GPC6 mRNA, a human ortholog of dlp, is specifically altered in neurons exhibiting the molecular signature of TDP-43 pathology in FTD patient brains. These findings suggest that circuit-specific Drosophila models provide a platform for uncovering shared or disease-specific molecular mechanisms and vulnerabilities across the spectrum of TDP-43 proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Keating Godfrey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 3215 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Eric Alsop
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Reed T Bjork
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Brijesh S Chauhan
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive Crescent Building C4605, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Hillary C Ruvalcaba
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jerry Antone
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Lauren M Gittings
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Allison F Michael
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Christi Williams
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Grace Hala'ufia
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Alexander D Blythe
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Megan Hall
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Rita Sattler
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | | | - Daniela C Zarnescu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive Crescent Building C4605, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
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40
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Zeballos C MA, Moore HJ, Smith TJ, Powell JE, Ahsan NS, Zhang S, Gaj T. Mitigating a TDP-43 proteinopathy by targeting ataxin-2 using RNA-targeting CRISPR effector proteins. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6492. [PMID: 37838698 PMCID: PMC10576788 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42147-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The TDP-43 proteinopathies, which include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, are a devastating group of neurodegenerative disorders that are characterized by the mislocalization and aggregation of TDP-43. Here we demonstrate that RNA-targeting CRISPR effector proteins, a programmable class of gene silencing agents that includes the Cas13 family of enzymes and Cas7-11, can be used to mitigate TDP-43 pathology when programmed to target ataxin-2, a modifier of TDP-43-associated toxicity. In addition to inhibiting the aggregation and transit of TDP-43 to stress granules, we find that the in vivo delivery of an ataxin-2-targeting Cas13 system to a mouse model of TDP-43 proteinopathy improved functional deficits, extended survival, and reduced the severity of neuropathological hallmarks. Further, we benchmark RNA-targeting CRISPR platforms against ataxin-2 and find that high-fidelity forms of Cas13 possess improved transcriptome-wide specificity compared to Cas7-11 and a first-generation effector. Our results demonstrate the potential of CRISPR technology for TDP-43 proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Alejandra Zeballos C
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Hayden J Moore
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Tyler J Smith
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Jackson E Powell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Najah S Ahsan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Sijia Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Thomas Gaj
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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41
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You J, Youssef MMM, Santos JR, Lee J, Park J. Microglia and Astrocytes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Disease-Associated States, Pathological Roles, and Therapeutic Potential. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1307. [PMID: 37887017 PMCID: PMC10603852 DOI: 10.3390/biology12101307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Microglial and astrocytic reactivity is a prominent feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Microglia and astrocytes have been increasingly appreciated to play pivotal roles in disease pathogenesis. These cells can adopt distinct states characterized by a specific molecular profile or function depending on the different contexts of development, health, aging, and disease. Accumulating evidence from ALS rodent and cell models has demonstrated neuroprotective and neurotoxic functions from microglia and astrocytes. In this review, we focused on the recent advancements of knowledge in microglial and astrocytic states and nomenclature, the landmark discoveries demonstrating a clear contribution of microglia and astrocytes to ALS pathogenesis, and novel therapeutic candidates leveraging these cells that are currently undergoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin You
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (J.Y.); (M.M.M.Y.); (J.R.S.); (J.L.)
| | - Mohieldin M. M. Youssef
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (J.Y.); (M.M.M.Y.); (J.R.S.); (J.L.)
| | - Jhune Rizsan Santos
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (J.Y.); (M.M.M.Y.); (J.R.S.); (J.L.)
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Jooyun Lee
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (J.Y.); (M.M.M.Y.); (J.R.S.); (J.L.)
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Jeehye Park
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (J.Y.); (M.M.M.Y.); (J.R.S.); (J.L.)
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
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42
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Asakawa K, Handa H, Kawakami K. Dysregulated TDP-43 proteostasis perturbs excitability of spinal motor neurons during brainstem-mediated fictive locomotion in zebrafish. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:446-452. [PMID: 37452624 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Spinal motor neurons (SMNs) are the primary target of degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Degenerating motor neurons accumulate cytoplasmic TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) aggregates in most ALS cases. This SMN pathology can occur without mutation in the coding sequence of the TDP-43-encoding gene, TARDBP. Whether and how wild-type TDP-43 drives pathological changes in SMNs in vivo remains largely unexplored. In this study, we develop a two-photon calcium imaging setup in which tactile-evoked neural responses of motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord can be monitored using the calcium indicator GCaMP. We devise a piezo-assisted tactile stimulator that reproducibly evokes a brainstem descending neuron upon tactile stimulation of the head. A direct comparison between caudal primary motor neurons (CaPs) with or without TDP-43 overexpression in contiguous spinal segments demonstrates that CaPs overexpressing TDP-43 display attenuated Ca2+ transients during fictive escape locomotion evoked by the tactile stimulation. These results show that excessive amounts of TDP-43 protein reduce the neuronal excitability of SMNs and potentially contribute to asymptomatic pathological lesions of SMNs and movement disorders in patients with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhide Asakawa
- Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Handa
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Future Medical Research, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Kawakami
- Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
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43
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Held A, Adler M, Marques C, Reyes CJ, Kavuturu AS, Quadros ARAA, Ndayambaje IS, Lara E, Ward M, Lagier-Tourenne C, Wainger BJ. iPSC motor neurons, but not other derived cell types, capture gene expression changes in postmortem sporadic ALS motor neurons. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113046. [PMID: 37651231 PMCID: PMC10622181 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor neuron degeneration, the defining feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a primary example of cell-type specificity in neurodegenerative diseases. Using isogenic pairs of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) harboring different familial ALS mutations, we assess the capacity of iPSC-derived lower motor neurons, sensory neurons, astrocytes, and superficial cortical neurons to capture disease features including transcriptional and splicing dysregulation observed in human postmortem neurons. At early time points, differentially regulated genes in iPSC-derived lower motor neurons, but not other cell types, overlap with one-third of the differentially regulated genes in laser-dissected motor neurons from ALS compared with control postmortem spinal cords. For genes altered in both the iPSC model and bona fide human lower motor neurons, expression changes correlate between the two populations. In iPSC-derived lower motor neurons, but not other derived cell types, we detect the downregulation of genes affected by TDP-43-dependent splicing. This reduction takes place exclusively within genotypes known to involve TDP-43 pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Held
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Michelle Adler
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Christine Marques
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Charles Jourdan Reyes
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; The Collaborative Center for X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Amey S Kavuturu
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ana R A A Quadros
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - I Sandra Ndayambaje
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Erika Lara
- iPSC Neurodegenerative Research Initiative, Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael Ward
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge MA 02142, USA
| | - Brian J Wainger
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge MA 02142, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge MA 02138, USA.
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44
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Gittings LM, Alsop EB, Antone J, Singer M, Whitsett TG, Sattler R, Van Keuren-Jensen K. Cryptic exon detection and transcriptomic changes revealed in single-nuclei RNA sequencing of C9ORF72 patients spanning the ALS-FTD spectrum. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:433-450. [PMID: 37466726 PMCID: PMC10412668 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02599-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
The C9ORF72-linked diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are characterized by the nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic accumulation of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). Recent studies have shown that the loss of TDP-43 function leads to the inclusion of cryptic exons (CE) in several RNA transcript targets of TDP-43. Here, we show for the first time the detection of CEs in a single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) dataset obtained from frontal and occipital cortices of C9ORF72 patients that phenotypically span the ALS-FTD disease spectrum. We assessed each cellular cluster for detection of recently described TDP-43-induced CEs. Transcripts containing CEs in the genes STMN2 and KALRN were detected in the frontal cortex of all C9ORF72 disease groups with the highest frequency in excitatory neurons in the C9ORF72-FTD group. Within the excitatory neurons, the cluster with the highest proportion of cells containing a CE had transcriptomic similarities to von Economo neurons, which are known to be vulnerable to TDP-43 pathology and selectively lost in C9ORF72-FTD. Differential gene expression and pathway analysis of CE-containing neurons revealed multiple dysregulated metabolic processes. Our findings reveal novel insights into the transcriptomic changes of neurons vulnerable to TDP-43 pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Gittings
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Eric B Alsop
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, part of City of Hope, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Jerry Antone
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, part of City of Hope, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Mo Singer
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Timothy G Whitsett
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, part of City of Hope, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Rita Sattler
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA.
| | - Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, part of City of Hope, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
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45
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Lo Piccolo L, Umegawachi T, Yeewa R, Potikanond S, Nimlamool W, Prachayasittikul V, Gotoh Y, Yoshida H, Yamaguchi M, Jantrapirom S. A Novel Drosophila-based Drug Repurposing Platform Identified Fingolimod As a Potential Therapeutic for TDP-43 Proteinopathy. Neurotherapeutics 2023; 20:1330-1346. [PMID: 37493896 PMCID: PMC10480388 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-023-01406-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic changes to TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) leading to alteration of its homeostasis are a common feature shared by several progressive neurodegenerative diseases for which there is no effective therapy. Here, we developed Drosophila lines expressing either wild type TDP-43 (WT) or that carrying an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis /Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration-associating G384C mutation that recapitulate several aspects of the TDP-43 pathology. To identify potential therapeutics for TDP-43-related diseases, we implemented a drug repurposing strategy that involved three consecutive steps. Firstly, we evaluated the improvement of eclosion rate, followed by the assessment of locomotive functions at early and late developmental stages. Through this approach, we successfully identified fingolimod, as a promising candidate for modulating TDP-43 toxicity. Fingolimod exhibited several beneficial effects in both WT and mutant models of TDP-43 pathology, including post-transcriptional reduction of TDP-43 levels, rescue of pupal lethality, and improvement of locomotor dysfunctions. These findings provide compelling evidence for the therapeutic potential of fingolimod in addressing TDP-43 pathology, thereby strengthening the rationale for further investigation and consideration of clinical trials. Furthermore, our study demonstrates the utility of our Drosophila-based screening pipeline in identifying novel therapeutics for TDP-43-related diseases. These findings encourage further scale-up screening endeavors using this platform to discover additional compounds with therapeutic potential for TDP-43 pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Lo Piccolo
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Faculty of Medicine, Musculoskeletal Science and Translational Research Centre (MSTR), Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | | | - Ranchana Yeewa
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Saranyapin Potikanond
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Wutigri Nimlamool
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Virapong Prachayasittikul
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Yusuke Gotoh
- Platform Technology Research Unit, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hideki Yoshida
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Salinee Jantrapirom
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- Drosophila Centre for Human Diseases and Drug Discovery (DHD), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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46
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Zeballos C MA, Moore HJ, Smith TJ, Powell JE, Ahsan NS, Zhang S, Gaj T. Mitigating a TDP-43 proteinopathy by targeting ataxin-2 using RNA-targeting CRISPR effector proteins. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.07.536072. [PMID: 37066174 PMCID: PMC10104115 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.07.536072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
The TDP-43 proteinopathies, which include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, are a devastating group of neurodegenerative disorders that are characterized by the mislocalization and aggregation of TDP-43. Here we demonstrate that RNA-targeting CRISPR effector proteins, a programmable class of gene silencing agents that includes the Cas13 family of enzymes and Cas7-11, can be used to mitigate TDP-43 pathology when programmed to target ataxin-2, a modifier of TDP-43-associated toxicity. In addition to inhibiting the aggregation and transit of TDP-43 to stress granules, we find that the in vivo delivery of an ataxin-2-targeting Cas13 system to a mouse model of TDP-43 proteinopathy improved functional deficits, extended survival, and reduced the severity of neuropathological hallmarks. Further, we benchmark RNA-targeting CRISPR platforms against ataxin-2 and find that high-fidelity forms of Cas13 possess improved transcriptome-wide specificity compared to Cas7-11 and a first-generation effector. Our results demonstrate the potential of CRISPR technology for TDP-43 proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Alejandra Zeballos C
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Hayden J. Moore
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Tyler J. Smith
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jackson E. Powell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Najah S. Ahsan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sijia Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Thomas Gaj
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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47
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Cabrera-Rodríguez R, Pérez-Yanes S, Lorenzo-Sánchez I, Trujillo-González R, Estévez-Herrera J, García-Luis J, Valenzuela-Fernández A. HIV Infection: Shaping the Complex, Dynamic, and Interconnected Network of the Cytoskeleton. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13104. [PMID: 37685911 PMCID: PMC10487602 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 has evolved a plethora of strategies to overcome the cytoskeletal barrier (i.e., actin and intermediate filaments (AFs and IFs) and microtubules (MTs)) to achieve the viral cycle. HIV-1 modifies cytoskeletal organization and dynamics by acting on associated adaptors and molecular motors to productively fuse, enter, and infect cells and then traffic to the cell surface, where virions assemble and are released to spread infection. The HIV-1 envelope (Env) initiates the cycle by binding to and signaling through its main cell surface receptors (CD4/CCR5/CXCR4) to shape the cytoskeleton for fusion pore formation, which permits viral core entry. Then, the HIV-1 capsid is transported to the nucleus associated with cytoskeleton tracks under the control of specific adaptors/molecular motors, as well as HIV-1 accessory proteins. Furthermore, HIV-1 drives the late stages of the viral cycle by regulating cytoskeleton dynamics to assure viral Pr55Gag expression and transport to the cell surface, where it assembles and buds to mature infectious virions. In this review, we therefore analyze how HIV-1 generates a cell-permissive state to infection by regulating the cytoskeleton and associated factors. Likewise, we discuss the relevance of this knowledge to understand HIV-1 infection and pathogenesis in patients and to develop therapeutic strategies to battle HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina Cabrera-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Silvia Pérez-Yanes
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Iria Lorenzo-Sánchez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Rodrigo Trujillo-González
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
- Analysis Department, Faculty of Mathematics, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Judith Estévez-Herrera
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Jonay García-Luis
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Agustín Valenzuela-Fernández
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
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48
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Genç B, Nho B, Seung H, Helmold B, Park H, Gözütok Ö, Kim S, Park J, Ye S, Lee H, Lee N, Yu SS, Kim S, Lee J, Özdinler H. Novel rAAV vector mediated intrathecal HGF delivery has an impact on neuroimmune modulation in the ALS motor cortex with TDP-43 pathology. Gene Ther 2023; 30:560-574. [PMID: 36823441 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00383-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-based gene therapies offer an immense opportunity for rare diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is defined by the loss of the upper and the lower motor neurons. Here, we describe generation, characterization, and utilization of a novel vector system, which enables expression of the active form of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) under EF-1α promoter with bovine growth hormone (bGH) poly(A) sequence and is effective with intrathecal injections. HGF's role in promoting motor neuron survival had been vastly reported. Therefore, we investigated whether intrathecal delivery of HGF would have an impact on one of the most common pathologies of ALS: the TDP-43 pathology. Increased astrogliosis, microgliosis and progressive upper motor neuron loss are important consequences of ALS in the motor cortex with TDP-43 pathology. We find that cortex can be modulated via intrathecal injection, and that expression of HGF reduces astrogliosis, microgliosis in the motor cortex, and help restore ongoing UMN degeneration. Our findings not only introduce a novel viral vector for the treatment of ALS, but also demonstrate modulation of motor cortex by intrathecal viral delivery, and that HGF treatment is effective in reducing astrogliosis and microgliosis in the motor cortex of ALS with TDP-43 pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barış Genç
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Boram Nho
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea
| | - Hana Seung
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea
| | - Benjamin Helmold
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Huiwon Park
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea
| | - Öge Gözütok
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Seunghyun Kim
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinil Park
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghyun Ye
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea
| | - Haneul Lee
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea
| | - Nayeon Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Shin Yu
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunyoung Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghun Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Helixmith Co., Ltd., R&D Center, 21, Magokjungang 8-ro 7-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07794, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hande Özdinler
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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49
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Yang Y, Rowe D, McCann H, Shepherd CE, Kril JJ, Kiernan MC, Halliday GM, Tan RH. Treatment with the copper compound CuATSM has no significant effect on motor neuronal pathology in patients with ALS. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2023; 49:e12919. [PMID: 37317638 PMCID: PMC10947464 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Although the orally available brain-penetrant copper compound CuATSM has demonstrated promising effects in SOD1-linked mouse models, the impact of CuATSM on disease pathology in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains unknown. METHODS The present study set out to address this deficit by performing the first pilot comparative analysis of ALS pathology in patients that had been administered CuATSM and riluzole [N = 6 cases composed of ALS-TDP (n = 5) and ALS-SOD1 (n = 1)] versus riluzole only [N = 6 cases composed of ALS-TDP (n = 4) and ALS-SOD1 (n = 2)]. RESULTS Our results revealed no significant difference in neuron density or TDP-43 burden in the motor cortex and spinal cord of patients that had received CuATSM compared with patients that had not. In patients that had received CuATSM, p62-immunoreactive astrocytes were observed in the motor cortex and reduced Iba1 density was found in the spinal cord. However, no significant difference in measures of astrocytic activity and SOD1 immunoreactivity was found with CuATSM treatment. DISCUSSION These findings, in this first postmortem investigation of patients with ALS in CuATSM trials, demonstrate that in contrast to that seen in preclinical models of disease, CuATSM does not significantly alleviate neuronal pathology or astrogliosis in patients with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yang
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical SciencesUniversity of SydneyCamperdownNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Dominic Rowe
- Macquarie University Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Heather McCann
- Neuroscience Research AustraliaRandwickNew South WalesAustralia
| | | | - Jillian J. Kril
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical SciencesUniversity of SydneyCamperdownNew South WalesAustralia
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical SchoolMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Matthew C. Kiernan
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Institute of Clinical NeurosciencesRoyal Prince Alfred HospitalSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Glenda M. Halliday
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical SciencesUniversity of SydneyCamperdownNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Rachel H. Tan
- Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical SciencesUniversity of SydneyCamperdownNew South WalesAustralia
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50
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Zhou Q, Kang Q, Chen W, Xu R. Potential effects of brain lipid binding protein in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Sci Prog 2023; 106:368504231184320. [PMID: 37439013 PMCID: PMC10358493 DOI: 10.1177/00368504231184320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Current studies suggest that the abnormal alteration of brain lipid binding protein (BLBP) might participate in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the detailed understanding of ALS pathogenesis been yet to be elucidated. Therefore, this research intended to explore the potential effects of BLBP in ALS. The observation and analysis of BLBP-altered features in various anatomical areas and different spinal segments was conducted at the pre-onset, onset, and progression stages of Tg(SOD1*G93A)1Gur (TG) mice and the same periods of age-matched SOD1 wild-type (WT) mice by fluorescence immunohistochemistry and western blotting. BLBP-positive cells were comprehensively distributed in various spinal anatomical areas, especially in both the anterior and posterior horn, around the central canal and in anterior, lateral, and posterior funiculi. Overall, BLBP expression tended to increase from the pre-onset to the onset to the progression stages of the same periods of age-matched WT mice. Furthermore, in TG mice, BLBP expression in the entire spinal cord significantly increased from onset to the progression stage. BLBP was expressed in neurons, astrocytes, and radial glial cells, and at the early and late stages of neural precursor cells (NPCs) and was predominantly distributed outside the cell nucleus. The increase of BLBP-positive cells was closely related to neural cell reduction in TG mice. The distribution and increased expression of BLBP among the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar segments of the spinal cord might participate in the development of ALS and exert potential effects in the pathogenesis of ALS by regulating NPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhou
- Department of Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Fuzhou City, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qing Kang
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, The Clinical College of Nanchang Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China
| | - Wenzhi Chen
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, The Clinical College of Nanchang Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China
| | - Renshi Xu
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, The Clinical College of Nanchang Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China
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