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Sun Z, Kantor B, Chiba-Falek O. Neuronal-type-specific epigenome editing to decrease SNCA expression: Implications for precision medicine in synucleinopathies. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102084. [PMID: 38130373 PMCID: PMC10732167 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.102084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Overexpression of SNCA has been implicated in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies, particularly Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). While PD and DLB share some clinical and pathological similarities, each disease presents distinct characteristics, including the primary affected brain region and neuronal type. We aimed to develop neuronal-type-specific SNCA-targeted epigenome therapies for synucleinopathies. The system is based on an all-in-one lentiviral vector comprised of CRISPR-dSaCas9 and guide RNA (gRNA) targeted at SNCA intron 1 fused with a synthetic repressor molecule of Krüppel-associated box (KRAB)/ methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCp2) transcription repression domain (TRD). To achieve neuronal-type specificity for dopaminergic and cholinergic neurons, the system was driven by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) promoters, respectively. Delivering the system into human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived dopaminergic and cholinergic neurons from a patient with the SNCA triplication resulted in efficient and neuronal-type-specific downregulation of SNCA-mRNA and protein. Furthermore, the reduction in SNCA levels by the gRNA-dSaCas9-repressor system rescued disease-related cellular phenotypes including Ser129-phophorylated α-synuclein, neuronal viability, and mitochondrial dysfunction. We established a novel neuronal-type-specific SNCA-targeted epigenome therapy and provided in vitro proof of concept using human-based disease models. Our results support the therapeutic potential of our system for PD and DLB and provide the foundation for further preclinical studies in animal models toward investigational new drug (IND) enablement and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Boris Kantor
- Viral Vector Core, Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ornit Chiba-Falek
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Genetics of synucleins in neurodegenerative diseases. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 141:471-490. [PMID: 32740728 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02202-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The SNCA locus currently has an indisputable role in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. The role of genetic variability in the other members of the synuclein family (SNCB and SNCG) in disease is far less clear. In this review, we critically assess the pathogenicity, main characteristics, and roles of genetic variants in these genes reported to be causative of synucleinopathies. We also summarize the different association signals identified in the SNCA locus that have been associated with risk for disease. We take a bird's eye view of the variability currently reported in the general population for the three genes and use these data to infer on the potential relationship between each of the genes and human disease.
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3
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Pytte J, Anderton RS, Flynn LL, Theunissen F, Jiang L, Pitout I, James I, Mastaglia FL, Saunders AM, Bedlack R, Siddique T, Siddique N, Akkari PA. Association of a structural variant within the SQSTM1 gene with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. NEUROLOGY-GENETICS 2020; 6:e406. [PMID: 32185242 PMCID: PMC7061286 DOI: 10.1212/nxg.0000000000000406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Objective As structural variations may underpin susceptibility to complex neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the objective of this study was to investigate a structural variant (SV) within sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1). Methods A candidate insertion/deletion variant within intron 5 of the SQSTM1 gene was identified using a previously established SV evaluation algorithm and chosen according to its subsequent theoretical effect on gene expression. The variant was systematically assessed through PCR, polyacrylamide gel fractionation, Sanger sequencing, and reverse transcriptase PCR. Results A reliable and robust assay confirmed the polymorphic nature of this variant and that the variant may influence SQSTM1 transcript levels. In a North American cohort of patients with familial ALS (fALS) and sporadic ALS (sALS) (n = 403) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 562), we subsequently showed that the SQSTM1 variant is associated with fALS (p = 0.0036), particularly in familial superoxide dismutase 1 mutation positive patients (p = 0.0005), but not with patients with sALS (p = 0.97). Conclusions This disease association highlights the importance and implications of further investigation into SVs that may provide new targets for cohort stratification and therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Pytte
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Ryan S Anderton
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Loren L Flynn
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Frances Theunissen
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Leanne Jiang
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Ianthe Pitout
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Ian James
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Frank L Mastaglia
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Ann M Saunders
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Richard Bedlack
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Teepu Siddique
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - Nailah Siddique
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
| | - P Anthony Akkari
- University of Western Australia (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Crawley; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science (J.P., R.S.A., L.L.F., F.T., L.J., I.P., F.L.M., P.A.A.), Nedlands; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame Australia (R.S.A.), Institute for Health Research, Fremantle; Murdoch University (L.L.F., I.P., P.A.A.), Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Murdoch University, Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (I.J.), Western Australia, Australia; Department of Neurology (R.B.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals (A.M.S.), Inc.; Duke University (R.B.), ALS Clinic, Durham, NC; and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Cell and Molecular Biology (T.S., N.S.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Center and the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL
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4
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Krohn L, Wu RYJ, Heilbron K, Ruskey JA, Laurent SB, Blauwendraat C, Alam A, Arnulf I, Hu MTM, Dauvilliers Y, Högl B, Toft M, Bjørnarå KA, Stefani A, Holzknecht E, Monaca CC, Abril B, Plazzi G, Antelmi E, Ferini-Strambi L, Young P, Heidbreder A, Cochen De Cock V, Mollenhauer B, Sixel-Döring F, Trenkwalder C, Sonka K, Kemlink D, Figorilli M, Puligheddu M, Dijkstra F, Viaene M, Oertel W, Toffoli M, Gigli GL, Valente M, Gagnon JF, Nalls MA, Singleton AB, Desautels A, Montplaisir JY, Cannon P, Ross OA, Boeve BF, Dupré N, Fon EA, Postuma RB, Pihlstrøm L, Rouleau GA, Gan-Or Z. Fine-Mapping of SNCA in Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder and Overt Synucleinopathies. Ann Neurol 2020; 87:584-598. [PMID: 31976583 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a prodromal synucleinopathy, as >80% will eventually convert to overt synucleinopathy. We performed an in-depth analysis of the SNCA locus to identify RBD-specific risk variants. METHODS Full sequencing and genotyping of SNCA was performed in isolated/idiopathic RBD (iRBD, n = 1,076), Parkinson disease (PD, n = 1,013), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB, n = 415), and control subjects (n = 6,155). The iRBD cases were diagnosed with RBD prior to neurodegeneration, although some have since converted. A replication cohort from 23andMe of PD patients with probable RBD (pRBD) was also analyzed (n = 1,782 cases; n = 131,250 controls). Adjusted logistic regression models and meta-analyses were performed. Effects on conversion rate were analyzed in 432 RBD patients with available data using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS A 5'-region SNCA variant (rs10005233) was associated with iRBD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.43, p = 1.1E-08), which was replicated in pRBD. This variant is in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with other 5' risk variants across the different synucleinopathies. An independent iRBD-specific suggestive association (rs11732740) was detected at the 3' of SNCA (OR = 1.32, p = 4.7E-04, not statistically significant after Bonferroni correction). Homozygous carriers of both iRBD-specific SNPs were at highly increased risk for iRBD (OR = 5.74, p = 2E-06). The known top PD-associated variant (3' variant rs356182) had an opposite direction of effect in iRBD compared to PD. INTERPRETATION There is a distinct pattern of association at the SNCA locus in RBD as compared to PD, with an opposite direction of effect at the 3' of SNCA. Several 5' SNCA variants are associated with iRBD and with pRBD in overt synucleinopathies. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:584-598.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne Krohn
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard Y J Wu
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jennifer A Ruskey
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sandra B Laurent
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Cornelis Blauwendraat
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Armaghan Alam
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Isabelle Arnulf
- Sleep Disorders Unit, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Institute for Brain and Spinal Cord, and Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Michele T M Hu
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Center, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- National Reference Center for Narcolepsy, Sleep Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, University Hospital of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Birgit Högl
- Sleep Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mathias Toft
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Institue of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Ambra Stefani
- Sleep Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Evi Holzknecht
- Sleep Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christelle Charley Monaca
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology and Sleep Center, University Hospital of Lille, University of Lille North of France, Lille, France
| | - Beatriz Abril
- Sleep Disorder Unit, Carémeau Hospital, University Hospital of Nîmes, Nîmes, France
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Institute of Neurological Sciences, Scientific Institute for Research and Health Care, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elena Antelmi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Institute of Neurological Sciences, Scientific Institute for Research and Health Care, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luigi Ferini-Strambi
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter Young
- Department of Sleep Medicine and Neuromuscular Disorders, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Anna Heidbreder
- Department of Sleep Medicine and Neuromuscular Disorders, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Valérie Cochen De Cock
- Sleep and Neurology Unit, Beau Soleil Clinic, Montpellier, France.,EuroMov, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Brit Mollenhauer
- Paracelsus Elena Clinic, Kassel, Germany.,Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Friederike Sixel-Döring
- Paracelsus Elena Clinic, Kassel, Germany.,Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Trenkwalder
- Paracelsus Elena Clinic, Kassel, Germany.,Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Karel Sonka
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Kemlink
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michela Figorilli
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Sleep Disorder Research Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Monica Puligheddu
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Sleep Disorder Research Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Femke Dijkstra
- Laboratory for Sleep Disorders, St Dimpna Regional Hospital, Geel, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, St Dimpna Regional Hospital, Geel, Belgium
| | - Mineke Viaene
- Laboratory for Sleep Disorders, St Dimpna Regional Hospital, Geel, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, St Dimpna Regional Hospital, Geel, Belgium
| | - Wolfang Oertel
- Department of Neurology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marco Toffoli
- Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Gian Luigi Gigli
- Clinical Neurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Mathematics, Informatics, and Physics, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Mariarosaria Valente
- Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Clinical Neurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Jean-François Gagnon
- Center for Advanced Studies in Sleep Medicine, Centre d'Études Avancées en Médecine du Sommeil, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Andrew B Singleton
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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- 23andMe, Mountain View, CA
| | - Alex Desautels
- Center for Advanced Studies in Sleep Medicine, Centre d'Études Avancées en Médecine du Sommeil, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurosciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jacques Y Montplaisir
- Center for Advanced Studies in Sleep Medicine, Centre d'Études Avancées en Médecine du Sommeil, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Owen A Ross
- Departments of Neuroscience and Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
| | | | - Nicolas Dupré
- Division of Neurosciences, University Hospital of Quebec, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Edward A Fon
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ronald B Postuma
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Center for Advanced Studies in Sleep Medicine, Centre d'Études Avancées en Médecine du Sommeil, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lasse Pihlstrøm
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Guy A Rouleau
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ziv Gan-Or
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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5
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Gámez-Valero A, Canet-Pons J, Urbizu A, Anillo A, Santos C, Ariza A, Beyer K. INDEL Length and Haplotypes in the β-Synuclein Gene: A Key to Differentiate Dementia with Lewy Bodies? J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 65:207-219. [PMID: 30040713 DOI: 10.3233/jad-180074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Lewy body diseases (LBD) include Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and together with Alzheimer's disease (AD) they show an important neuropathological and clinical overlap. The human alpha- and beta-synuclein genes (SNCA and SNCB) are key factors for the development of Lewy body diseases. Here, we aimed to analyze the genotype distribution of potentially functional SNPs in SNCA and SNCB, perform haplotype analysis for SNCB, and to identify functional insertion and deletion (INDEL) variations within the regulatory region of SNCB which might be responsible for the drastically diminished beta-synuclein levels reported for pure DLB. Thus, we genotyped brain samples from AD, DLB, PD, and healthy controls for two SNCA and four SNCB SNPs. We also analyzed INDEL variations upstream of SNCB, determined SNCB expression levels, and correlated INDEL lengths with expression levels. Applying Fisher's exact, chi-square, ANOVA tests, and the ΔΔCt method, we found disease-specific genotype distribution of SNCA and SNCB SNPs. Additionally, we identified three INDEL variations upstream of SNCB and showed that the INDEL allele lengths were associated with SNCB expression levels. INDEL alleles associated with low SNCB expression were accumulated in pure DLB. Finally, one major and four minor DLB specific SNCB haplotypes were identified with Haploview and Arlequin. In summary, our study showed that different SNCA and SNCB genotypes are associated with the development of either PD or DLB, and that the frequencies of genotypes associated with low SNCB expression are elevated in DLB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Gámez-Valero
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari and Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.,REMAR-IVECAT group, Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julia Canet-Pons
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari and Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aintzane Urbizu
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari and Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Anillo
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari and Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Santos
- Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica, Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurelio Ariza
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari and Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Katrin Beyer
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari and Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Tseng E, Rowell WJ, Glenn OC, Hon T, Barrera J, Kujawa S, Chiba-Falek O. The Landscape of SNCA Transcripts Across Synucleinopathies: New Insights From Long Reads Sequencing Analysis. Front Genet 2019; 10:584. [PMID: 31338105 PMCID: PMC6629766 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of alpha-synuclein expression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies, in particular Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Previous studies have shown that the alternatively spliced isoforms of the SNCA gene are differentially expressed in different parts of the brain for PD and DLB patients. Similarly, SNCA isoforms with skipped exons can have a functional impact on the protein domains. The large intronic region of the SNCA gene was also shown to harbor structural variants that affect transcriptional levels. Here, we apply the first study of using long read sequencing with targeted capture of both the gDNA and cDNA of the SNCA gene in brain tissues of PD, DLB, and control samples using the PacBio Sequel system. The targeted full-length cDNA (Iso-Seq) data confirmed complex usage of known alternative start sites and variable 3' UTR lengths, as well as novel 5' starts and 3' ends not previously described. The targeted gDNA data allowed phasing of up to 81% of the ~114 kb SNCA region, with the longest phased block exceeding 54 kb. We demonstrate that long gDNA and cDNA reads have the potential to reveal long-range information not previously accessible using traditional sequencing methods. This approach has a potential impact in studying disease risk genes such as SNCA, providing new insights into the genetic etiologies, including perturbations to the landscape the gene transcripts, of human complex diseases such as synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Omolara-Chinue Glenn
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ting Hon
- Pacific Biosciences, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Julio Barrera
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Steve Kujawa
- Pacific Biosciences, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Ornit Chiba-Falek
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
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7
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Harrison BJ, Park JW, Gomes C, Petruska JC, Sapio MR, Iadarola MJ, Chariker JH, Rouchka EC. Detection of Differentially Expressed Cleavage Site Intervals Within 3' Untranslated Regions Using CSI-UTR Reveals Regulated Interaction Motifs. Front Genet 2019; 10:182. [PMID: 30915105 PMCID: PMC6422928 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The length of untranslated regions at the 3' end of transcripts (3'UTRs) is regulated by alternate polyadenylation (APA). 3'UTRs contain regions that harbor binding motifs for regulatory molecules. However, the mechanisms that coordinate the 3'UTR length of specific groups of transcripts are not well-understood. We therefore developed a method, CSI-UTR, that models 3'UTR structure as tandem segments between functional alternative-polyadenylation sites (termed cleavage site intervals-CSIs). This approach facilitated (1) profiling of 3'UTR isoform expression changes and (2) statistical enrichment of putative regulatory motifs. CSI-UTR analysis is UTR-annotation independent and can interrogate legacy data generated from standard RNA-Seq libraries. CSI-UTR identified a set of CSIs in human and rodent transcriptomes. Analysis of RNA-Seq datasets from neural tissue identified differential expression events within 3'UTRs not detected by standard gene-based differential expression analyses. Further, in many instances 3'UTR and CDS from the same gene were regulated differently. This modulation of motifs for RNA-interacting molecules with potential condition-dependent and tissue-specific RNA binding partners near the polyA signal and CSI junction may play a mechanistic role in the specificity of alternative polyadenylation. Source code, CSI BED files and example datasets are available at: https://github.com/UofLBioinformatics/CSI-UTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Harrison
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, United States.,Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network Bioinformatics Core, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Juw Won Park
- Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network Bioinformatics Core, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science, Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Cynthia Gomes
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Jeffrey C Petruska
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Matthew R Sapio
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Michael J Iadarola
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Julia H Chariker
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network Bioinformatics Core, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Eric C Rouchka
- Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network Bioinformatics Core, Louisville, KY, United States.,Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science, Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
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8
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Afek A, Tagliafierro L, Glenn OC, Lukatsky DB, Gordan R, Chiba-Falek O. Toward deciphering the mechanistic role of variations in the Rep1 repeat site in the transcription regulation of SNCA gene. Neurogenetics 2018; 19:135-144. [PMID: 29730780 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-018-0546-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Short structural variants-variants other than single nucleotide polymorphisms-are hypothesized to contribute to many complex diseases, possibly by modulating gene expression. However, the molecular mechanisms by which noncoding short structural variants exert their effects on gene regulation have not been discovered. Here, we study simple sequence repeats (SSRs), a common class of short structural variants. Previously, we showed that repetitive sequences can directly influence the binding of transcription factors to their proximate recognition sites, a mechanism we termed non-consensus binding. In this study, we focus on the SSR termed Rep1, which was associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) and has been implicated in the cis-regulation of the PD-risk SNCA gene. We show that Rep1 acts via the non-consensus binding mechanism to affect the binding of transcription factors from the GATA and ELK families to their specific sites located right next to the Rep1 repeat. Next, we performed an expression analysis to further our understanding regarding the GATA and ELK family members that are potentially relevant for SNCA transcriptional regulation in health and disease. Our analysis indicates a potential role for GATA2, consistent with previous reports. Our study proposes non-consensus transcription factor binding as a potential mechanism through which noncoding repeat variants could exert their pathogenic effects by regulating gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Afek
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - L Tagliafierro
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - O C Glenn
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - D B Lukatsky
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8410501, Beersheba, Israel
| | - R Gordan
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA. .,Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA. .,Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - O Chiba-Falek
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA. .,Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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9
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Piper DA, Sastre D, Schüle B. Advancing Stem Cell Models of Alpha-Synuclein Gene Regulation in Neurodegenerative Disease. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:199. [PMID: 29686602 PMCID: PMC5900030 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (non A4 component of amyloid precursor, SNCA, NM_000345.3) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related Lewy body disorders such as Parkinson's disease dementia, Lewy body dementia, and multiple system atrophy. Since its discovery as a disease-causing gene in 1997, alpha-synuclein has been a central point of scientific interest both at the protein and gene level. Mutations, including copy number variants, missense mutations, short structural variants, and single nucleotide polymorphisms, can be causative for PD and affect conformational changes of the protein, can contribute to changes in expression of alpha-synuclein and its isoforms, and can influence regulation of temporal as well as spatial levels of alpha-synuclein in different tissues and cell types. A lot of progress has been made to understand both the physiological transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of the alpha-synuclein gene and whether changes in transcriptional regulation could lead to disease and neurodegeneration in PD and related alpha-synucleinopathies. Although the histopathological changes in these neurodegenerative disorders are similar, the temporal and spatial presentation and progression distinguishes them which could be in part due to changes or disruption of transcriptional regulation of alpha-synuclein. In this review, we describe different genetic alterations that contribute to PD and neurodegenerative conditions and review aspects of transcriptional regulation of the alpha-synuclein gene in the context of the development of PD. New technologies, advanced gene engineering and stem cell modeling, are on the horizon to shed further light on a better understanding of gene regulatory processes and exploit them for therapeutic developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiree A Piper
- Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center, Sunnyvale, CA, United States
| | - Danuta Sastre
- Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center, Sunnyvale, CA, United States
| | - Birgitt Schüle
- Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center, Sunnyvale, CA, United States
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10
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Heckman MG, Kasanuki K, Diehl NN, Koga S, Soto A, Murray ME, Dickson DW, Ross OA. Parkinson's disease susceptibility variants and severity of Lewy body pathology. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2017; 44:79-84. [PMID: 28917824 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have established common genetic risk factors for clinical Parkinson's disease (PD); however, associations between these risk factors and quantitative neuropathologic markers of disease severity have not been well-studied. This study evaluated associations of nominated variants from the most recent PD GWAS meta-analysis with Lewy body disease (LBD) subtype (brainstem, transitional, or diffuse) and pathologic burden of LB pathology as measured by LB counts in five cortical regions in a series of LBD cases. METHODS 547 autopsy-confirmed cases of LBD were included and genotyped for 29 different GWAS-nominated PD risk variants. LB counts were measured in middle frontal (MF), superior temporal (ST), inferior parietal (IP), cingulate (CG), and parahippocampal (PH) gyri. RESULTS None of the variants examined were significantly associated with LB counts in any brain region or with LBD subtype after correcting for multiple testing. Nominally significant (P < 0.05) associations with LB counts where the direction of association was in agreement with that observed in the PD GWAS meta-analysis were observed for variants in BCKDK/STX1B (MF, ST, IP) and SNCA (ST). Additionally, MIR4697 and BCKDK/STX1B variants were nominally associated with LBD subtype. CONCLUSION The lack of a significant association between PD GWAS variants and severity of LB pathology is consistent with the generally subtle association odds ratios that have been observed in disease-risk analysis. These results also suggest that genetic factors other than the susceptibility loci may determine quantitative neuropathologic outcomes in patients with LBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Heckman
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
| | - Koji Kasanuki
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
| | - Nancy N Diehl
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
| | - Shunsuke Koga
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
| | - Alexandra Soto
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
| | | | | | - Owen A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Mayo Graduate School, Neurobiology of Disease, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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11
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Structural variants in SNCA gene and the implication to synucleinopathies. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2017; 44:110-116. [PMID: 28319736 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2017.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases that share a common pathological lesion of intracellular protein inclusions largely composed of aggregates of alpha-synuclein protein. Accumulating evidence, including genome-wide association studies, has implicated the alpha-synuclein (SNCA) gene in the etiology of synucleinopathies and it has been suggested that SNCA expression levels are critical for the development of these diseases. This review focuses on genetic variants from the class of structural variants (SVs), including multiplication of large genomic segments and short (<50bp) genomic variants such as simple sequence repeats (SSRs), within the SNCA locus. We provide evidence that SNCA-SVs play a key role in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies via their effects on gene expression and on regulatory mechanisms including transcription and splicing.
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12
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Saul R, Lutz MW, Burns DK, Roses AD, Chiba-Falek O. The SSV Evaluation System: A Tool to Prioritize Short Structural Variants for Studies of Possible Regulatory and Causal Variants. Hum Mutat 2016; 37:877-83. [PMID: 27279261 DOI: 10.1002/humu.23023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Short structural variants (SSVs) are short genomic variants (<50 bp) other than SNPs. It has been suggested that SSVs contribute to many human complex traits. However, high-throughput analysis of SSVs presents numerous technical challenges. In order to facilitate the discovery and assessment of SSVs, we have developed a prototype bioinformatics tool, "SSV evaluation system," which is a searchable, annotated database of SSVs in the human genome, with associated customizable scoring software that is used to evaluate and prioritize SSVs that are most likely to have significant biological effects and impact on disease risk. This new bioinformatics tool is a component in a larger strategy that we have been using to discover potentially important SSVs within candidate genomic regions that have been identified in genome-wide association studies, with the goal to prioritize potential functional/causal SSVs and focus the follow-up experiments on a relatively small list of strong candidate SSVs. We describe our strategy and discuss how we have used the SSV evaluation system to discover candidate causal variants related to complex neurodegenerative diseases. We present the SSV evaluation system as a powerful tool to guide genetic investigations aiming to uncover SSVs that underlie human complex diseases including neurodegenerative diseases in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Saul
- Polymorphic DNA Technologies, Alameda, California, 94501
| | - Michael W Lutz
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 27710
| | - Daniel K Burns
- Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27710
| | - Allen D Roses
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 27710.,Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27710
| | - Ornit Chiba-Falek
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 27710.,Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, 27710
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13
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Guella I, Evans DM, Szu-Tu C, Nosova E, Bortnick SF, Goldman JG, Dalrymple-Alford JC, Geurtsen GJ, Litvan I, Ross OA, Middleton LT, Parkkinen L, Farrer MJ. α-synuclein genetic variability: A biomarker for dementia in Parkinson disease. Ann Neurol 2016; 79:991-9. [PMID: 27091628 DOI: 10.1002/ana.24664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The relationship between Parkinson disease (PD), PD with dementia (PDD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) has long been debated. Although PD is primarily considered a motor disorder, cognitive impairment is often present at diagnosis, and only ∼20% of patients remain cognitively intact in the long term. Alpha-synuclein (SNCA) was first implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease when point mutations and locus multiplications were identified in familial parkinsonism with dementia. In worldwide populations, SNCA genetic variability remains the most reproducible risk factor for idiopathic PD. However, few investigators have looked at SNCA variability in terms of cognitive outcomes. METHODS We have used targeted high-throughput sequencing to characterize the 135kb SNCA locus in a large multinational cohort of patients with PD, PDD, and DLB and healthy controls. RESULTS An analysis of 43 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms across the SNCA locus shows 2 distinct association profiles for symptoms of parkinsonism and/or dementia, respectively, toward the 3' or the 5' of the SNCA gene. In addition, we define a specific haplotype in intron 4 that is directly associated with PDD. The PDD risk haplotype has been interrogated at single nucleotide resolution and is uniquely tagged by an expanded TTTCn repeat. INTERPRETATION Our data show that PD, PDD, and DLB, rather than a disease continuum, have distinct genetic etiologies albeit within one genomic locus. Such results may serve as prognostic biomarkers to these disorders, to inform physicians and patients, and to assist in the design and stratification of clinical trials aimed at disease modification. Ann Neurol 2016;79:991-999.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Guella
- Centre for Applied Neurogenetics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniel M Evans
- Centre for Applied Neurogenetics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chelsea Szu-Tu
- Centre for Applied Neurogenetics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ekaterina Nosova
- Centre for Applied Neurogenetics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stephanie F Bortnick
- Centre for Applied Neurogenetics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Jennifer G Goldman
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Gert J Geurtsen
- Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Irene Litvan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, Movement Disorder Center, San Diego, CA
| | - Owen A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
| | - Lefkos T Middleton
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, St Mary's Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Parkkinen
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Farrer
- Centre for Applied Neurogenetics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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14
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Tagliafierro L, Chiba-Falek O. Up-regulation of SNCA gene expression: implications to synucleinopathies. Neurogenetics 2016; 17:145-57. [PMID: 26948950 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-016-0478-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases that share a common pathological lesion of intracellular protein inclusions largely composed by aggregates of alpha-synuclein protein. Accumulating evidence, including genome wide association studies, has implicated alpha-synuclein (SNCA) gene in the etiology of synucleinopathies. However, the precise variants within SNCA gene that contribute to the sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and other synucleinopathies and their molecular mechanisms of action remain elusive. It has been suggested that SNCA expression levels are critical for the development of these diseases. Here, we review several model systems that have been developed to advance the understanding of the role of SNCA expression levels in the etiology of synucleinopathies. We also describe different molecular mechanisms that regulate SNCA gene expression and discuss possible strategies for SNCA down-regulation as means for therapeutic approaches. Finally, we highlight some examples that underscore the relationships between the genetic association findings and the regulatory mechanisms of SNCA expression, which suggest that genetic variability in SNCA locus is directly responsible, at least in part, to the changes in gene expression and explain the reported associations of SNCA with synucleinopathies. Future studies utilizing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived neuronal lines and genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9, will allow us to validate, characterize, and manipulate the effects of particular cis-genetic variants on SNCA expression. Moreover, this model system will enable us to compare different neuronal and glial lineages involved in synucleinopathies representing an attractive strategy to elucidate-common and specific-SNCA-genetic variants, regulatory mechanisms, and vulnerable expression levels underlying synucleinopathy spectrum disorders. This forthcoming knowledge will support the development of precision medicine for synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Tagliafierro
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - O Chiba-Falek
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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15
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Dermentzaki G, Paschalidis N, Politis PK, Stefanis L. Complex Effects of the ZSCAN21 Transcription Factor on Transcriptional Regulation of α-Synuclein in Primary Neuronal Cultures and in Vivo. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:8756-72. [PMID: 26907683 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.704973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein, a presynaptic neuronal protein encoded by the SNCA gene, is strongly implicated in Parkinson disease (PD). PD pathogenesis is linked to increased SNCA levels; however, the transcriptional elements that control SNCA expression are still elusive. Previous experiments in PC12 cells demonstrated that the transcription factor zinc finger and SCAN domain containing 21 (ZSCAN21) plays an important regulatory role in SNCA transcription. Currently, we characterized the role of ZSCAN21 in SNCA transcription in primary neuronal cultures and in vivo We found that ZSCAN21 is developmentally expressed in neurons in different rat brain regions. We confirmed its binding in the intron 1 region of SNCA in rat cortical cultures. Lentivirus-mediated silencing of ZSCAN21 increased significantly SNCA promoter activity, mRNA, and protein levels in such cultures. In contrast, ZSCAN21 silencing reduced SNCA in neurosphere cultures. Interestingly, ZSCAN21 overexpression in cortical neurons led to robust mRNA but negligible protein expression, suggesting that ZSCAN21 protein levels are tightly regulated post-transcriptionally and/or post-translationally in primary neurons. Efficient adeno-associated virus-mediated knockdown of ZSCAN21 in the postnatal and adult hippocampus, an area linked with non-motor PD symptoms, revealed no significant alterations in SNCA levels. Overall, our study demonstrates that ZSCAN21 is involved in the transcriptional regulation of SNCA in primary neuronal cultures, but the direction of the effect is variable, likely depending on neuronal maturation. However, the unaltered SNCA levels observed following ZSCAN21 down-regulation in the rat brain, possibly due to compensatory mechanisms, imply that ZSCAN21 is not a master regulator of SNCA in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Dermentzaki
- From the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 11527 and
| | - Nikolaos Paschalidis
- From the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 11527 and
| | - Panagiotis K Politis
- From the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 11527 and
| | - Leonidas Stefanis
- From the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 11527 and the Second Department of Neurology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Hospital Attikon, Athens 12462, Greece,
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Roses AD, Akkari PA, Chiba-Falek O, Lutz MW, Gottschalk WK, Saunders AM, Saul B, Sundseth S, Burns D. Structural variants can be more informative for disease diagnostics, prognostics and translation than current SNP mapping and exon sequencing. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2016; 12:135-47. [PMID: 26727306 DOI: 10.1517/17425255.2016.1133586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In this article we discuss several human neurological diseases and their relationship to specific highly polymorphic small structural variants (SVs). Unlike genome-wide association analysis (GWAS), this methodology is not a genome screen to define new possibly associated genes, requiring statistical corrections for a million association tests. SVs provide local mapping information at a specific locus. Used with phylogenetic analysis, the specific association of length variants can be mapped and recognized. AREAS COVERED This experimental strategy provides identification of DNA variants, particularly variable length Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs or STRs or microsatellites) that provide specific local association data at the SV locus. Phylogenetic analysis that includes the specific appearance of different length SV variations can differentiate specific phenotypic risks in a population such as age of onset related to variable length polymorphisms and risk of phenotypic variations associated with several adjacent structural variations (SVs). We focus on data for three recent examples associated with Alzheimer's disease, Levy Bodies, and Parkinson's disease. EXPERT OPINION SVs are understudied, but have led directly to mechanism of pathogenesis studies involving the regulation of gene expression. The identification of specific length polymorphisms associated with clinical disease has led to translational advances and new drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen D Roses
- a Department of Neurology and Neurosciences , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA.,b Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals , Chapel Hill , NC , USA
| | | | | | - Michael W Lutz
- d Department of Neurology , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA
| | | | | | - Bob Saul
- e Polymorphic DNA , Alameda , CA , USA
| | - Scott Sundseth
- f Caberner Pharmaceuticals, Inc , Chapel Hill , NC , USA
| | - Daniel Burns
- g Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals, Inc , Raleigh-Durham , NC , USA
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Roses AD. Polyallelic structural variants can provide accurate, highly informative genetic markers focused on diagnosis and therapeutic targets: Accuracy vs. Precision. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2015; 99:169-71. [PMID: 26517180 PMCID: PMC4737274 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Structural variants (SVs) include all insertions, deletions, and rearrangements in the genome, with several common types of nucleotide repeats including single sequence repeats, short tandem repeats, and insertion‐deletion length variants. Polyallelic SVs provide highly informative markers for association studies with well‐phenotyped cohorts. SVs can influence gene regulation by affecting epigenetics, transcription, splicing, and/or translation.1 Accurate assays of polyallelic SV loci are required to define the range and allele frequency of variable length alleles.2
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Affiliation(s)
- AD Roses
- Joseph & Kathleen Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of NeurologyDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
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