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Li E, Choi J, Sim HR, Kim J, Jun JH, Kyung J, Ha N, Kim S, Ryu KH, Chung SS, Kim HS, Lee S, Seol W, Song J. A novel HDAC6 inhibitor, CKD-504, is effective in treating preclinical models of huntington's disease. BMB Rep 2023; 56:178-183. [PMID: 36593104 PMCID: PMC10068348 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2022-0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, of which pathogenesis is caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the amino-terminus of huntingtin gene that resulted in the aggregation of mutant HTT proteins. HD is characterized by progressive motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric disturbances. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), a microtubule-associated deacetylase, has been shown to induce transport- and release-defect phenotypes in HD models, whilst treatment with HDAC6 inhibitors ameliorates the phenotypic effects of HD by increasing the levels of α-tubulin acetylation, as well as decreasing the accumulation of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) aggregates, suggesting HDAC6 inhibitor as a HD therapeutics. In this study, we employed in vitro neural stem cell (NSC) model and in vivo YAC128 transgenic (TG) mouse model of HD to test the effect of a novel HDAC6 selective inhibitor, CKD-504, developed by Chong Kun Dang (CKD Pharmaceutical Corp., Korea). We found that treatment of CKD-504 increased tubulin acetylation, microtubule stabilization, axonal transport, and the decrease of mutant huntingtin protein in vitro. From in vivo study, we observed CKD-504 improved the pathology of Huntington's disease: alleviated behavioral deficits, increased axonal transport and number of neurons, restored synaptic function in corticostriatal (CS) circuit, reduced mHTT accumulation, inflammation and tau hyperphosphorylation in YAC128 TG mouse model. These novel results highlight CKD-504 as a potential therapeutic strategy in HD. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(3): 178-183].
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Affiliation(s)
- Endan Li
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea
| | - Jiwoo Choi
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea
| | - Hye-Ri Sim
- CKD Research Institute, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., Yongin 16995, Korea
| | - Jiyeon Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea
| | - Jae Hyun Jun
- CKD Research Institute, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., Yongin 16995, Korea
| | - Jangbeen Kyung
- CKD Research Institute, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., Yongin 16995, Korea
| | - Nina Ha
- CKD Research Institute, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., Yongin 16995, Korea
| | - Semi Kim
- CKD Research Institute, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., Yongin 16995, Korea
| | - Keun Ho Ryu
- CKD Research Institute, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., Yongin 16995, Korea
| | - Seung Soo Chung
- Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Hyun Sook Kim
- Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam 13496, Korea
| | | | | | - Jihwan Song
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea
- iPS Bio Inc., Seongnam 13488, Korea
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2
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Shin JW, Hong EP, Park SS, Choi DE, Zeng S, Chen RZ, Lee JM. PAM-altering SNP-based allele-specific CRISPR-Cas9 therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 26:547-561. [PMID: 36092363 PMCID: PMC9450073 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wan Shin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eun Pyo Hong
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Seri S. Park
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Doo Eun Choi
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sophia Zeng
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Jong-Min Lee
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Corresponding author Jong-Min Lee, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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3
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Seefelder M, Klein FAC, Landwehrmeyer B, Fernández-Busnadiego R, Kochanek S. Huntingtin and Its Partner Huntingtin-Associated Protein 40: Structural and Functional Considerations in Health and Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2022; 11:227-242. [PMID: 35871360 PMCID: PMC9484127 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-220543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery of the mutation causing Huntington’s disease (HD) in 1993, it has been debated whether an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch affects the properties of the huntingtin (HTT) protein and thus contributes to the pathological mechanisms responsible for HD. Here we review the current knowledge about the structure of HTT, alone (apo-HTT) or in a complex with Huntingtin-Associated Protein 40 (HAP40), the influence of polyQ-length variation on apo-HTT and the HTT-HAP40 complex, and the biology of HAP40. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that HAP40 performs essential functions. Highlighting the relevance of its interaction with HTT, HAP40 is one of the most abundant partners copurifying with HTT and is rapidly degraded, when HTT levels are reduced. As the levels of both proteins decrease during disease progression, HAP40 could also be a biomarker for HD. Whether declining HAP40 levels contribute to disease etiology is an open question. Structural studies have shown that the conformation of apo-HTT is less constrained but resembles that adopted in the HTT-HAP40 complex, which is exceptionally stable because of extensive interactions between HAP40 and the three domains of HTT. The complex— and to some extent apo-HTT— resists fragmentation after limited proteolysis. Unresolved regions of apo-HTT, constituting about 25% of the protein, are the main sites of post-translational modifications and likely have major regulatory functions. PolyQ elongation does not substantially alter the structure of HTT, alone or when associated with HAP40. Particularly, polyQ above the disease length threshold does not induce drastic conformational changes in full-length HTT. Therefore, models of HD pathogenesis stating that polyQ expansion drastically alters HTT properties should be reconsidered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rubén Fernández-Busnadiego
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Caron NS, Anderson C, Black HF, Sanders SS, Lemarié FL, Doty CN, Hayden MR. Reliable Resolution of Full-Length Huntingtin Alleles by Quantitative Immunoblotting. J Huntingtons Dis 2021; 10:355-365. [PMID: 34092649 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-200463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapeutics that lower mutant huntingtin (mHTT) have shown promise in preclinical studies and are in clinical development for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD). Multiple assays have been developed that either quantify mHTT or total HTT but may not accurately measure levels of wild type HTT (wtHTT) in biological samples. OBJECTIVE To optimize a method that can be used to resolve, quantify and directly compare levels of full length wtHTT and mHTT in HD samples. METHODS We provide a detailed quantitative immunoblotting protocol to reproducibly resolve full length wtHTT and mHTT in multiple HD mouse and patient samples. RESULTS We show that this assay can be modified, depending on the sample, to resolve wtHTT and mHTT with a wide range of polyglutamine differences (ΔQs 22-179). We also demonstrate that this method can be used to quantify allele-selective lowering of mHTT using an antisense oligonucleotide in HD patient-derived cells. CONCLUSION This quantitative immunoblotting method can be used to reliably resolve full length HTT alleles with ΔQs≥22 and allows for direct comparison of wtHTT and mHTT levels in HD samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Current address: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Fanny L Lemarié
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Crystal N Doty
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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5
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Rodríguez-Labrada R, Martins AC, Magaña JJ, Vazquez-Mojena Y, Medrano-Montero J, Fernandez-Ruíz J, Cisneros B, Teive H, McFarland KN, Saraiva-Pereira ML, Cerecedo-Zapata CM, Gomez CM, Ashizawa T, Velázquez-Pérez L, Jardim LB. Founder Effects of Spinocerebellar Ataxias in the American Continents and the Caribbean. THE CEREBELLUM 2021; 19:446-458. [PMID: 32086717 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-020-01109-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) comprise a heterogeneous group of autosomal dominant disorders. The relative frequency of the different SCA subtypes varies broadly among different geographical and ethnic groups as result of genetic drifts. This review aims to provide an update regarding SCA founders in the American continents and the Caribbean as well as to discuss characteristics of these populations. Clusters of SCAs were detected in Eastern regions of Cuba for SCA2, in South Brazil for SCA3/MJD, and in Southeast regions of Mexico for SCA7. Prevalence rates were obtained and reached 154 (municipality of Báguano, Cuba), 166 (General Câmara, Brazil), and 423 (Tlaltetela, Mexico) patients/100,000 for SCA2, SCA3/MJD, and SCA7, respectively. In contrast, the scattered families with spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCA10) reported all over North and South Americas have been associated to a common Native American ancestry that may have risen in East Asia and migrated to Americas 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. The comprehensive review showed that for each of these SCAs corresponded at least the development of one study group with a large production of scientific evidence often generalizable to all carriers of these conditions. Clusters of SCA populations in the American continents and the Caribbean provide unusual opportunity to gain insights into clinical and genetic characteristics of these disorders. Furthermore, the presence of large populations of patients living close to study centers can favor the development of meaningful clinical trials, which will impact on therapies and on quality of life of SCA carriers worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Carolina Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-070, Brazil
| | - Jonathan J Magaña
- Department of Genetics, Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, National Rehabilitation Institute (INR-LGII), 14389, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Yaimeé Vazquez-Mojena
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, 80100, Holguín, Cuba
| | | | - Juan Fernandez-Ruíz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Bulmaro Cisneros
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Center of Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV-IPN), 07360, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Helio Teive
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Internal Medicine Department, Hospital de Clínicas Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, 80240-440, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Luiza Saraiva-Pereira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-070, Brazil
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-903, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-903, Brazil
| | - César M Cerecedo-Zapata
- Department of Genetics, Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, National Rehabilitation Institute (INR-LGII), 14389, Mexico City, Mexico
- Rehabilitation and Social Inclusion Center of Veracruz (CRIS-DIF), Xalapa, 91070, Veracruz, Mexico
| | | | - Tetsuo Ashizawa
- Program of Neuroscience, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Luis Velázquez-Pérez
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, 80100, Holguín, Cuba.
- Cuban Academy of Sciences, 10100, La Havana, Cuba.
| | - Laura Bannach Jardim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-070, Brazil
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-903, Brazil
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-903, Brazil
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6
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Nuclear Localization of Huntingtin mRNA Is Specific to Cells of Neuronal Origin. Cell Rep 2019; 24:2553-2560.e5. [PMID: 30184490 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.07.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder representing an ideal candidate for gene silencing with oligonucleotide therapeutics (i.e., antisense oligonucleotides [ASOs] and small interfering RNAs [siRNAs]). Using an ultra-sensitive branched fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method, we show that ∼50% of wild-type HTT mRNA localizes to the nucleus and that its nuclear localization is observed only in neuronal cells. In mouse brain sections, we detect Htt mRNA predominantly in neurons, with a wide range of Htt foci observed per cell. We further show that siRNAs and ASOs efficiently eliminate cytoplasmic HTT mRNA and HTT protein, but only ASOs induce a partial but significant reduction of nuclear HTT mRNA. We speculate that, like other mRNAs, HTT mRNA subcellular localization might play a role in important neuronal regulatory mechanisms.
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7
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Allele-selective lowering of mutant HTT protein by HTT–LC3 linker compounds. Nature 2019; 575:203-209. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1722-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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8
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Hung CLK, Maiuri T, Bowie LE, Gotesman R, Son S, Falcone M, Giordano JV, Gillis T, Mattis V, Lau T, Kwan V, Wheeler V, Schertzer J, Singh K, Truant R. A patient-derived cellular model for Huntington's disease reveals phenotypes at clinically relevant CAG lengths. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 29:2809-2820. [PMID: 30256717 PMCID: PMC6249865 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-09-0590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The huntingtin protein participates in several cellular processes that are disrupted when the polyglutamine tract is expanded beyond a threshold of 37 CAG DNA repeats in Huntington’s disease (HD). Cellular biology approaches to understand these functional disruptions in HD have primarily focused on cell lines with synthetically long CAG length alleles that clinically represent outliers in this disease and a more severe form of HD that lacks age onset. Patient-derived fibroblasts are limited to a finite number of passages before succumbing to cellular senescence. We used human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) to immortalize fibroblasts taken from individuals of varying age, sex, disease onset, and CAG repeat length, which we have termed TruHD cells. TruHD cells display classic HD phenotypes of altered morphology, size and growth rate, increased sensitivity to oxidative stress, aberrant adenosine diphosphate/adenosine triphosphate (ADP/ATP) ratios, and hypophosphorylated huntingtin protein. We additionally observed dysregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent huntingtin localization to nuclear speckles in HD cells. We report the generation and characterization of a human, clinically relevant cellular model for investigating disease mechanisms in HD at the single-cell level, which, unlike transformed cell lines, maintains functions critical for huntingtin transcriptional regulation and genomic integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Lin-Kar Hung
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Tamara Maiuri
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Laura Erin Bowie
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Ryan Gotesman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Susie Son
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Mina Falcone
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - James Victor Giordano
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Tammy Gillis
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Virginia Mattis
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Trevor Lau
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Vickie Kwan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada.,Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Vanessa Wheeler
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Jonathan Schertzer
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Karun Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Ray Truant
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
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9
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Conformation Polymorphism of Polyglutamine Proteins. Trends Biochem Sci 2018; 43:424-435. [PMID: 29636213 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2018.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) stretches within endogenous proteins cause at least nine human diseases. The structural basis of polyQ pathogenesis is the key to understanding fundamental mechanisms of these diseases, but it remains unclear and controversial due to a lack of polyQ protein structures at the single-atom level. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the structure-cytotoxicity relationship of pathogenic proteins with polyQ expansion, largely based on indirect evidence. Here we review these hypotheses and their supporting evidence, along with additional insights from recent structural biology and chemical biology studies, with a focus on Huntingtin (HTT), the most extensively studied polyQ disease protein. Lastly, we propose potential novel strategies that may further clarify the conformation-cytotoxicity relationship of polyQ proteins.
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10
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Yu M, Fu Y, Liang Y, Song H, Yao Y, Wu P, Yao Y, Pan Y, Wen X, Ma L, Hexige S, Ding Y, Luo S, Lu B. Suppression of MAPK11 or HIPK3 reduces mutant Huntingtin levels in Huntington's disease models. Cell Res 2017; 27:1441-1465. [PMID: 29151587 PMCID: PMC5717400 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2017.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most neurodegenerative disorders are associated with accumulation of disease-relevant proteins. Among them, Huntington disease (HD) is of particular interest because of its monogenetic nature. HD is mainly caused by cytotoxicity of the defective protein encoded by the mutant Huntingtin gene (HTT). Thus, lowering mutant HTT protein (mHTT) levels would be a promising treatment strategy for HD. Here we report two kinases HIPK3 and MAPK11 as positive modulators of mHTT levels both in cells and in vivo. Both kinases regulate mHTT via their kinase activities, suggesting that inhibiting these kinases may have therapeutic values. Interestingly, their effects on HTT levels are mHTT-dependent, providing a feedback mechanism in which mHTT enhances its own level thus contributing to mHTT accumulation and disease progression. Importantly, knockout of MAPK11 significantly rescues disease-relevant behavioral phenotypes in a knockin HD mouse model. Collectively, our data reveal new therapeutic entry points for HD and target-discovery approaches for similar diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yuhua Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yijiang Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Haikun Song
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yao Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Peng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yuwei Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yuyin Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xue Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Lixiang Ma
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Saiyin Hexige
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yu Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Shouqing Luo
- Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine, University of Plymouth, Research Way, Plymouth, PL68BU, UK
| | - Boxun Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
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11
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Fu Y, Wu P, Pan Y, Sun X, Yang H, Difiglia M, Lu B. A toxic mutant huntingtin species is resistant to selective autophagy. Nat Chem Biol 2017; 13:1152-1154. [PMID: 28869595 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding is a common theme in neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington's disease (HD). The HD-causing mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) has an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch that may adopt multiple conformations, and the most toxic of these is the one recognized by antibody 3B5H10. Here we show that the 3B5H10-recognized mHTT species has a slower degradation rate due to its resistance to selective autophagy in human cells and brains, revealing mechanisms of its higher toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhua Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuyin Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoli Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiya Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Marian Difiglia
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
| | - Boxun Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Shanghai, China
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12
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Adegbuyiro A, Sedighi F, Pilkington AW, Groover S, Legleiter J. Proteins Containing Expanded Polyglutamine Tracts and Neurodegenerative Disease. Biochemistry 2017; 56:1199-1217. [PMID: 28170216 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several hereditary neurological and neuromuscular diseases are caused by an abnormal expansion of trinucleotide repeats. To date, there have been 10 of these trinucleotide repeat disorders associated with an expansion of the codon CAG encoding glutamine (Q). For these polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, there is a critical threshold length of the CAG repeat required for disease, and further expansion beyond this threshold is correlated with age of onset and symptom severity. PolyQ expansion in the translated proteins promotes their self-assembly into a variety of oligomeric and fibrillar aggregate species that accumulate into the hallmark proteinaceous inclusion bodies associated with each disease. Here, we review aggregation mechanisms of proteins with expanded polyQ-tracts, structural consequences of expanded polyQ ranging from monomers to fibrillar aggregates, the impact of protein context and post-translational modifications on aggregation, and a potential role for lipid membranes in aggregation. As the pathogenic mechanisms that underlie these disorders are often classified as either a gain of toxic function or loss of normal protein function, some toxic mechanisms associated with mutant polyQ tracts will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adewale Adegbuyiro
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Faezeh Sedighi
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Albert W Pilkington
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Sharon Groover
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 9304, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,NanoSAFE, P.O. Box 6223, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
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13
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Sahoo B, Arduini I, Drombosky KW, Kodali R, Sanders LH, Greenamyre JT, Wetzel R. Folding Landscape of Mutant Huntingtin Exon1: Diffusible Multimers, Oligomers and Fibrils, and No Detectable Monomer. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155747. [PMID: 27271685 PMCID: PMC4894636 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ) track of the Huntingtin (HTT) protein above 36 is associated with a sharply enhanced risk of Huntington’s disease (HD). Although there is general agreement that HTT toxicity resides primarily in N-terminal fragments such as the HTT exon1 protein, there is no consensus on the nature of the physical states of HTT exon1 that are induced by polyQ expansion, nor on which of these states might be responsible for toxicity. One hypothesis is that polyQ expansion induces an alternative, toxic conformation in the HTT exon1 monomer. Alternative hypotheses posit that the toxic species is one of several possible aggregated states. Defining the nature of the toxic species is particularly challenging because of facile interconversion between physical states as well as challenges to identifying these states, especially in vivo. Here we describe the use of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to characterize the detailed time and repeat length dependent self-association of HTT exon1-like fragments both with chemically synthesized peptides in vitro and with cell-produced proteins in extracts and in living cells. We find that, in vitro, mutant HTT exon1 peptides engage in polyQ repeat length dependent dimer and tetramer formation, followed by time dependent formation of diffusible spherical and fibrillar oligomers and finally by larger, sedimentable amyloid fibrils. For expanded polyQ HTT exon1 expressed in PC12 cells, monomers are absent, with tetramers being the smallest molecular form detected, followed in the incubation time course by small, diffusible aggregates at 6–9 hours and larger, sedimentable aggregates that begin to build up at 12 hrs. In these cell cultures, significant nuclear DNA damage appears by 6 hours, followed at later times by caspase 3 induction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death. Our data thus defines limits on the sizes and concentrations of different physical states of HTT exon1 along the reaction profile in the context of emerging cellular distress. The data provide some new candidates for the toxic species and some new reservations about more well-established candidates. Compared to other known markers of HTT toxicity, nuclear DNA damage appears to be a relatively early pathological event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bankanidhi Sahoo
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
| | - Irene Arduini
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
| | - Kenneth W. Drombosky
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
| | - Ravindra Kodali
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
| | - Laurie H. Sanders
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
| | - J. Timothy Greenamyre
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
| | - Ronald Wetzel
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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14
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Schiffer D, Caldera V, Mellai M, Conforti P, Cattaneo E, Zuccato C. Repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST) is present in human control and Huntington's disease neurones. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2015; 40:899-910. [PMID: 24634989 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor/neurone-restrictive silencer factor (REST/NRSF) is a master regulator of neuronal gene expression. REST/NRSF functions by recruiting other cofactors to genomic loci that contain the repressor element 1/neurone restrictive silencer element (RE1/NRSE) binding motif. In brain, demonstration of REST protein presence in neurones has remained controversial. However, RE1/NRSE containing neuronal genes are actively modulated and REST dysregulation is implicated in Huntington's disease (HD). We aimed to investigate REST distribution in autopsy brain from control and HD patients. METHODS Brain tissues from six controls and six HD cases (Vonsattel grade 3 and 4) were investigated using immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS REST was present in neurones and glial cells of the cortex, caudate nucleus, hippocampus and cerebellum. REST labelling was mainly cytoplasmic in neurones while preferential nuclear staining of REST was found in glial cells. We also found that REST and huntingtin (HTT) colocalize in human neurones. Low levels of cytoplasmic REST were detected in neurones of the HD cortex and caudate but no direct relationship between decreased neuronal REST expression and disease grade was observed. CONCLUSIONS These data support the notion of REST presence in human brain neurones and glial cells and indicate the importance of developing compounds able to restore REST-regulated transcription of neuronal genes in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Schiffer
- Neuro-Bio-Oncology Research Center, Policlinico di Monza Foundation, Vercelli; Consorzio per le Neuroscienze, University of Pavia, Pavia
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15
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Increased SNARE Protein-Protein Interactions in Orbitofrontal and Anterior Cingulate Cortices in Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:361-73. [PMID: 25662103 PMCID: PMC4474796 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2014] [Revised: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synaptic dysfunction in schizophrenia may be associated with abnormal expression or function of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins (syntaxin, synaptosomal-associated protein 25 [SNAP25], vesicle-associated membrane protein [VAMP]) forming the molecular complex underlying neurosecretion. The impact of such abnormalities on efficient SNARE heterotrimer formation is poorly understood. We investigated putative SNARE dysfunction, along with possible roles for the SNARE binding partners Munc18-1, complexins (Cplx) 1/2, and synaptotagmin in brains from autopsies of individuals with and without schizophrenia. METHODS Postmortem samples were obtained from orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and/or anterior cingulate cortex from two separate cohorts (n = 15 + 15 schizophrenia cases, n = 13 + 15 control subjects). SNARE interactions were studied by immunoprecipitation and one- or two-dimensional blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE). RESULTS In the first cohort, syntaxin, Munc18-1, and Cplx1, but not VAMP, Cplx2, or synaptotagmin, were twofold enriched in SNAP25 immunoprecipitated products from schizophrenia OFC in the absence of any alterations in total tissue homogenate levels of these proteins. In BN-PAGE, the SNARE heterotrimer was identified as a 150-kDa complex, increased in schizophrenia samples from cohort 1 (OFC: +45%; anterior cingulate cortex: +44%) and cohort 2 (OFC: +40%), with lower 70-kDa SNAP25-VAMP dimer (-37%) in the OFC. Upregulated 200-kDa SNARE-Cplx1 (+65%) and downregulated 550-kDa Cplx1-containing oligomers (-24%) in schizophrenia OFC were identified by BN-PAGE. These findings were not explained by postmortem interval, antipsychotic medication, or other potentially confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS The findings support the hypothesis of upregulated SNARE complex formation in schizophrenia OFC, possibly favored by enhanced affinity for Munc18-1 and/or Cplx1. These alterations offer new therapeutic targets for schizophrenia.
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16
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Castilhos RM, Augustin MC, Santos JA, Perandones C, Saraiva-Pereira ML, Jardim LB. Genetic aspects of Huntington's disease in Latin America. A systematic review. Clin Genet 2015; 89:295-303. [PMID: 26178794 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to present a systematic review on Huntington's disease (HD) in Latin America (LA). PubMed and LILACS were searched up to March 2015, reporting confirmed HD cases in LA. Case series, cross-sectional, case-control, and prospective studies were included. From 534 communications, 47 were eligible. Population-based studies were not found; minimal prevalence of 0.5-4/100,000 was estimated for Venezuela and Mexico. Geographical isolates were well characterized in Venezuela and in Peru. CAG repeats at HTT gene varied between 7-33 and 37-112 in normal and expanded alleles, respectively. Intermediate alleles were found in 4-10% of controls. Ages at onset and the expanded CAG repeats correlated with r from - 0.55 to -0.91. While haplotype patterns of Venezuelan and Brazilian chromosomes were similar to those observed in Europeans, haplotypes from Peruvian HD patients did not match the same pattern. The limited number of papers found suggests that HD is poorly diagnosed in LA. Minimal prevalence seemed to be halfway between those of Caucasians and Asians. Range of CAG repeats was similar to those of Europeans. Haplotype studies indicate that majority of HD patients might be of Caucasian descent; an Asian origin for some Peruvian patients was proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Castilhos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional (INAGEMP), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - M C Augustin
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - J A Santos
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - C Perandones
- Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program, Hospital de Clínicas, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M L Saraiva-Pereira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Departmento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratório de Identificação Humana, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - L B Jardim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional (INAGEMP), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratório de Identificação Humana, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa Clínica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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17
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Primary cilia and autophagic dysfunction in Huntington's disease. Cell Death Differ 2015; 22:1413-24. [PMID: 26160070 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2015.80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited, neurodegenerative disorder caused by a single-gene mutation: a CAG expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that results in production of a mutated protein, mutant HTT, with a polyglutamine tail (polyQ-HTT). Although the molecular pathways of polyQ-HTT toxicity are not fully understood, because protein misfolding and aggregation are central features of HD, it has long been suspected that cellular housekeeping processes such as autophagy might be important to disease pathology. Indeed, multiple lines of research have identified abnormal autophagy in HD, characterized generally by increased autophagic induction and inefficient clearance of substrates. To date, the origin of autophagic dysfunction in HD remains unclear and the search for actors involved continues. To that end, recent studies have suggested a bidirectional relationship between autophagy and primary cilia, signaling organelles of most mammalian cells. Interestingly, primary cilia structure is defective in HD, suggesting a potential link between autophagic dysfunction, primary cilia and HD pathogenesis. In addition, because polyQ-HTT also accumulates in primary cilia, the possibility exists that primary cilia might play additional roles in HD: perhaps by disrupting signaling pathways or acting as a reservoir for secretion and propagation of toxic, misfolded polyQ-HTT fragments. Here, we review recent research suggesting potential links between autophagy, primary cilia and HD and speculate on possible pathogenic mechanisms and future directions for the field.
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18
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Yao Y, Cui X, Al-Ramahi I, Sun X, Li B, Hou J, Difiglia M, Palacino J, Wu ZY, Ma L, Botas J, Lu B. A striatal-enriched intronic GPCR modulates huntingtin levels and toxicity. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 25738228 PMCID: PMC4372774 DOI: 10.7554/elife.05449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) represents an important model for neurodegenerative disorders and proteinopathies. It is mainly caused by cytotoxicity of the mutant huntingtin protein (Htt) with an expanded polyQ stretch. While Htt is ubiquitously expressed, HD is characterized by selective neurodegeneration of the striatum. Here we report a striatal-enriched orphan G protein-coupled receptor(GPCR) Gpr52 as a stabilizer of Htt in vitro and in vivo. Gpr52 modulates Htt via cAMP-dependent but PKA independent mechanisms. Gpr52 is located within an intron of Rabgap1l, which exhibits epistatic effects on Gpr52-mediated modulation of Htt levels by inhibiting its substrate Rab39B, which co-localizes with Htt and translocates Htt to the endoplasmic reticulum. Finally, reducing Gpr52 suppresses HD phenotypes in both patient iPS-derived neurons and in vivo Drosophila HD models. Thus, our discovery reveals modulation of Htt levels by a striatal-enriched GPCR via its GPCR function, providing insights into the selective neurodegeneration and potential treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaotian Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States
| | - Xiaoli Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiapeng Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Marian Difiglia
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - James Palacino
- Developmental Molecular Pathways, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, United States
| | - Zhi-Ying Wu
- Department of Neurology and Research Center of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lixiang Ma
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Juan Botas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States
| | - Boxun Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Yu S, Liang Y, Palacino J, Difiglia M, Lu B. Drugging unconventional targets: insights from Huntington's disease. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2014; 35:53-62. [PMID: 24388390 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Revised: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Classical targeted drug discovery is based on targeting druggable targets, typically kinases and receptors of which the function can be agonized or antagonized. This strategy meets difficulties in cases such as Huntington's disease (HD) and similar neurodegenerative disorders, where the pathological function of the protein causing the disease is not clear. HD is caused by mutant HTT protein (mHTT) containing an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch, but the function of mHTT and how mHTT causes HD are unknown, thus preventing efforts to screen for mHTT 'inhibitors'. However, HD is appealing for drug discovery because the genetic mutation is clear, as compared with other major neurodegenerative disorders. Although mHTT is not a conventional 'druggable' target, one approach that appears promising is lowering its level, which might be applicable to other neurodegenerative disorders and proteinopathies linked to aberrant accumulation of proteins. Here we review mHTT lowering strategies that might provide promising avenues for drugging such diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenliang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yijian Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - James Palacino
- Developmental Molecular Pathways, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Marian Difiglia
- Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA, USA.
| | - Boxun Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA, USA.
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20
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Massai L, Petricca L, Magnoni L, Rovetini L, Haider S, Andre R, Tabrizi SJ, Süssmuth SD, Landwehrmeyer BG, Caricasole A, Pollio G, Bernocco S. Development of an ELISA assay for the quantification of soluble huntingtin in human blood cells. BMC BIOCHEMISTRY 2013; 14:34. [PMID: 24274906 PMCID: PMC4221641 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2091-14-34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Background Huntington’s disease (HD) is a monogenic disorder caused by an aberrant expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Pathogenesis is associated with expression of the mutant (mHTT) protein in the CNS, with its levels most likely related to disease progression and symptom severity. Since non-invasive methods to quantify HTT in the CNS do not exist, measuring amount of soluble HTT in peripheral cells represents an important step in development of disease-modifying interventions in HD. Results An ELISA assay using commercially available antibodies was developed to quantify HTT levels in complex matrices like mammalian cell cultures lysates and human samples. The immunoassay was optimized using a recombinant full-length HTT protein, and validated both on wild-type and mutant HTT species. The ability of the assay to detect significant variations of soluble HTT levels was evaluated using an HSP90 inhibitor that is known to enhance HTT degradation. Once optimized, the bioassay was applied to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from HD patients, demonstrating good potential in tracking the disease course. Conclusions The method described here represents a validated, simple and rapid bio-molecular assay to evaluate soluble HTT levels in blood cells as useful tool in disease and pharmacodynamic marker identification for observational and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Massai
- Pharmacology Department, Siena Biotech SpA, Strada del Petriccio e Belriguardo, 35, 53100 Siena, Italy.
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21
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Zheng S, Ghitani N, Blackburn JS, Liu JP, Zeitlin SO. A series of N-terminal epitope tagged Hdh knock-in alleles expressing normal and mutant huntingtin: their application to understanding the effect of increasing the length of normal Huntingtin's polyglutamine stretch on CAG140 mouse model pathogenesis. Mol Brain 2012; 5:28. [PMID: 22892315 PMCID: PMC3499431 DOI: 10.1186/1756-6606-5-28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease that is caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch within Huntingtin (htt), the protein product of the HD gene. Although studies in vitro have suggested that the mutant htt can act in a potentially dominant negative fashion by sequestering wild-type htt into insoluble protein aggregates, the role of the length of the normal htt polyQ stretch, and the adjacent proline-rich region (PRR) in modulating HD mouse model pathogenesis is currently unknown. Results We describe the generation and characterization of a series of knock-in HD mouse models that express versions of the mouse HD gene (Hdh) encoding N-terminal hemaglutinin (HA) or 3xFlag epitope tagged full-length htt with different polyQ lengths (HA7Q-, 3xFlag7Q-, 3xFlag20Q-, and 3xFlag140Q-htt) and substitution of the adjacent mouse PRR with the human PRR (3xFlag20Q- and 3xFlag140Q-htt). Using co-immunoprecipitation and immunohistochemistry analyses, we detect no significant interaction between soluble full-length normal 7Q- htt and mutant (140Q) htt, but we do observe N-terminal fragments of epitope-tagged normal htt in mutant htt aggregates. When the sequences encoding normal mouse htt’s polyQ stretch and PRR are replaced with non-pathogenic human sequence in mice also expressing 140Q-htt, aggregation foci within the striatum, and the mean size of htt inclusions are increased, along with an increase in striatal lipofuscin and gliosis. Conclusion In mice, soluble full-length normal and mutant htt are predominantly monomeric. In heterozygous knock-in HD mouse models, substituting the normal mouse polyQ and PRR with normal human sequence can exacerbate some neuropathological phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqiu Zheng
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, Box 801392, USA
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