Genetic analysis of TRIM family genes for early-onset Parkinson's disease in Chinese population

A No-Brainer! The Therapeutic Potential of TRIM Proteins in Viral and Central Nervous System Diseases

Tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins comprise an important class of E3 ubiquitin ligases that regulate numerous biological processes including protein expression, cellular signaling pathways, and innate immunity. This ubiquitous participation in fundamental aspects of biology has made TRIM proteins a focus of study in many fields and has illuminated the negative impact they exert when functioning improperly. Disruption of TRIM function has been linked to the success of various pathogens and separately to the occurrence and development of several neurodegenerative diseases, making TRIM proteins an appealing candidate to study for novel therapeutic approaches. Here, we review the current findings on TRIM proteins that demonstrate their analogous properties in the distinct fields of viral infection and central nervous system (CNS) disorders. We also examine recent advancements in drug development and targeted protein degradation as potential strategies for TRIM-mediated therapeutic treatments and discuss the implications these technologies have on future research directions.

LINC02282 promotes DNA methylation of TRIM6 by recruiting DNMTs to inhibit the progression of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely linked to the occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases, while the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. The goal of the present study was to elucidate the mechanism by which LINC02282, a significantly downregulated lncRNA in the GEO database, elicits neuroprotective effects on PD. LINC02282 was poorly expressed in SH-SY5Y and SK-N-AS cells exposed to MPP+ and mice injected with MPTP. LINC02282 overexpression plasmids inhibited apoptosis and promoted the proliferation of SH-SY5Y and SK-N-AS cells. In addition, LINC02282 overexpression using an adeno-associated virus reduced neuronal damage in PD mice. LINC02282 was mainly localized in the nucleus, and LINC02282 promoted the methylation of the tripartite motif-containing protein 6 (TRIM6) promoter to inhibit TRIM6 expression. LINC02282 bound to DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and LINC02282 overexpression increased the binding of DNMTs to the TRIM6 promoter. Overexpression of TRIM6 alone induced PD-like symptoms in mice and combined TRIM6 upregulation inhibited the neuroprotective effect of LINC02282 both in vitro and in vivo. In summary, LINC02282 alleviated neuronal injury in PD by recruiting DNMTs to the promoter region of TRIM6 and inhibiting TRIM6 expression.

Genetic analyses identify circulating genes related to brain structures associated with Parkinson's disease

Magnetic resonance imaging and circulating molecular testing are potential methods for diagnosing and treating Parkinson's disease (PD). However, their relationships remain insufficiently studied. Using genome-wide association summary statistics, we found in the general population a genetic negative correlation between white matter tract mean diffusivity and PD (-0.17 < Rg < -0.11, p < 0.05), and a positive correlation with intracellular volume fraction (0.12 < Rg < 0.2, p < 0.05). Additionally, 1345 circulating genes causally linked with white matter tract diffusivity were enriched for muscle physiological abnormalities (padj < 0.05). Notable genes, including LRRC37A4P (effect size = 15.7, p = 1.23E-55) and KANSL1-AS1 (effect size = -15.3, p = 1.13E-52), were directly associated with PD. Moreover, 23 genes were found linked with genetically correlated PD-IDP pairs (PPH4 > 0.8), including SH2B1 and TRIM10. Our study bridges the gap between molecular genetics, neuroimaging, and PD pathology, and suggests novel targets for diagnosis and treatment.

Exercise-induced upregulation of TRIM9 attenuates neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease-like rat

OBJECTIVE

Exercise exerts protective effects against Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the factors and mechanisms underlying these effects remain largely unknown. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which exercise exerts its protective effects against AD.

METHODS

Male 7-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 10 per group): control (CON), exercise control (EXE), sedentary AD model induced by intracerebroventricular streptozotocin (STZ) injection, and AD model with treadmill exercise (EXE + STZ). The exercise groups underwent a 13-week treadmill exercise. An intracerebroventricular injection of STZ was used to induce a rat model of AD. The Barnes maze task was employed as an assessment of spatial learning and memory. Hippocampal tissues from three rats per group was collected for proteomic analysis. Immunofluorescence staining, western blot analysis and polymerase chain reaction were performed for the evaluation of Aβ production, tau hyperphosphorylation, differential protein and corresponding signaling pathway.

RESULTS

Treadmill exercise could significantly improve STZ-induced cognitive dysfunction and provide neuroprotection by reducing Aβ deposition and tau hyperphosphorylation. Proteomic analysis and further studies demonstrated that treadmill training could significantly increase the expression of tripartite motif-containing 9 (TRIM9). Subsequent research indicated that the upregulation of TRIM9 maybe due, in part,to the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway, thereby reducing the pro-inflammatory factor, and exerting an anti-inflammatory effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Treadmill exercise attenuates cognitive decline in AD models by upregulating TRIM9 expression, which in turn inhibits NF-κB-mediated neuroinflammation. These findings suggest that TRIM9 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for immunomodulatory strategies against AD.

Esketamine induces tripartite motif-containing protein 24 to improve cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease

Esketamine has been revealed to improve cognitive impairments under different conditions, while its function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not been well characterized. We expounded the effects and detailed mechanism of esketamine in triple transgenic AD (3xTg-AD) mice in the present study. The impaired spatial learning and memory retention of 3xTg-AD mice were ameliorated by esketamine, whereas tripartite motif-containing protein 24 (TRIM24) depletion reversed the ameliorative effects of esketamine in 3xTg-AD mice. Esketamine elevated the extent of PI3K and AKT phosphorylation in the hippocampus by promoting TRIM24 expression, and knockdown of TRIM24 impaired the PI3K/AKT pathway. AD-like mice had increased expression of pro-inflammatory molecules and elevated expression of GFAP and p-Tau. Esketamine reduced inflammation, but its therapeutic effect was reversed by TRIM24 knockdown. The PI3K/AKT pathway blockage exacerbated cognitive deficits and neuroinflammatory responses in mice. Thus, esketamine has the potential to improve the cognitive and memory functions of 3xTg-AD mice by repressing neuroinflammation by activating TRIM24 and the downstream PI3K/AKT pathway.

Tripartite Motif Protein Family in Central Nervous System Diseases

Tripartite motif (TRIM) protein superfamily is a group of E3 ubiquitin ligases characterized by the conserved RING domain, the B-box domain, and the coiled-coil domain (RBCC). It is widely involved in various physiological and pathological processes, such as intracellular signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, oncogenesis, and innate immune response. Central nervous system (CNS) diseases are composed of encephalopathy and spinal cord diseases, which have a high disability and mortality rate. Patients are often unable to take care of themselves and their life quality can be seriously declined. Initially, the function research of TRIM proteins mainly focused on cancer. However, in recent years, accumulating attention is paid to the roles they play in CNS diseases. In this review, we integrate the reported roles of TRIM proteins in the pathological process of CNS diseases and related signaling pathways, hoping to provide theoretical bases for further research in treating CNS diseases targeting TRIM proteins. TRIM proteins participated in CNS diseases. TRIM protein family is characterized by a highly conserved RBCC domain, referring to the RING domain, the B-box domain, and the coiled-coil domain. Recent research has discovered the relations between TRIM proteins and various CNS diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and ischemic stroke.

The roles and targeting options of TRIM family proteins in tumor

Tripartite motif (TRIM) containing proteins are a class of E3 ubiquitin ligases, which are critically implicated in the occurrence and development of tumors. They can function through regulating various aspects of tumors, such as tumor proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis and the development of drug resistance during tumor therapy. Some members of TRIM family proteins can mediate protein ubiquitination and chromosome translocation via modulating several signaling pathways, like p53, NF-κB, AKT, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin and other molecular regulatory mechanisms. The multi-domain nature/multi-functional biological role of TRIMs implies that blocking just one function or one domain might not be sufficient to obtain the desired therapeutic outcome, therefore, a detailed and systematic understanding of the biological functions of the individual domains of TRIMs is required. This review mainly described their roles and underlying mechanisms in tumorigenesis and progression, and it might shade light on a potential targeting strategy for TRIMs in tumor treatment, especially using PROTACs.