1
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Tarrano C, Zito G, Galléa C, Delorme C, McGovern EM, Atkinson-Clement C, Brochard V, Thobois S, Tranchant C, Grabli D, Degos B, Corvol JC, Pedespan JM, Krystkowiak P, Houeto JL, Degardin A, Defebvre L, Didier M, Valabrègue R, Apartis E, Vidailhet M, Roze E, Worbe Y. Microstructure of the cerebellum and its afferent pathways underpins dystonia in myoclonus dystonia. Eur J Neurol 2024:e16460. [PMID: 39254064 DOI: 10.1111/ene.16460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Myoclonus dystonia due to a pathogenic variant in SGCE (MYC/DYT-SGCE) is a rare condition involving a motor phenotype associating myoclonus and dystonia. Dysfunction within the networks relying on the cortex, cerebellum, and basal ganglia was presumed to underpin the clinical manifestations. However, the microarchitectural abnormalities within these structures and related pathways are unknown. Here, we investigated the microarchitectural brain abnormalities related to the motor phenotype in MYC/DYT-SGCE. METHODS We used neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, a multicompartment tissue model of diffusion neuroimaging, to compare microarchitectural neurite organization in MYC/DYT-SGCE patients and healthy volunteers (HVs). Neurite density index (NDI), orientation dispersion index (ODI), and isotropic volume fraction (ISOVF) were derived and correlated with the severity of motor symptoms. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) derived from the diffusion tensor approach were also analyzed. In addition, we studied the pathways that correlated with motor symptom severity using tractography analysis. RESULTS Eighteen MYC/DYT-SGCE patients and 24 HVs were analyzed. MYC/DYT-SGCE patients showed an increase of ODI and a decrease of FA within their motor cerebellum. More severe dystonia was associated with lower ODI and NDI and higher FA within motor cerebellar cortex, as well as with lower NDI and higher ISOVF and MD within the corticopontocerebellar and spinocerebellar pathways. No association was found between myoclonus severity and diffusion parameters. CONCLUSIONS In MYC/DYT-SGCE, we found microstructural reorganization of the motor cerebellum. Structural change in the cerebellar afferent pathways that relay inputs from the spinal cord and the cerebral cortex were specifically associated with the severity of dystonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Tarrano
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Investigation Center for Neurosciences, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Cécile Galléa
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche, UMRS 975, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Cécile Delorme
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Investigation Center for Neurosciences, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Eavan M McGovern
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Cyril Atkinson-Clement
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Vanessa Brochard
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Investigation Center for Neurosciences, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Thobois
- Neurological Department C, Hopital Neurologique Pierre Wertheimer, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Bron, France
- Faculté de Medecine Lyon Sud Charles Mérieux, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Christine Tranchant
- Département de Neurologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U964/CNRS UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - David Grabli
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Investigation Center for Neurosciences, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Degos
- Department of Neurology, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Avicenne Hospital, Sorbonne Paris Nord, Bobigny, France
| | - Jean Christophe Corvol
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Investigation Center for Neurosciences, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Jean-Luc Houeto
- Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, INSERM U1094, IRD U270, Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases in Tropical Zone, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, OmegaHealth, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Adrian Degardin
- Department of Neurology, Tourcoing Hospital, Tourcoing, France
| | - Luc Defebvre
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille, INSERM U1172, Troubles Cognitifs Dégénératifs et Vasculaires, University of Lille, Lille, France
- Lille Center of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Lille, France
| | - Mélanie Didier
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche, UMRS 975, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Romain Valabrègue
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Paris Brain Institute, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche, UMRS 975, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Apartis
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Marie Vidailhet
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Investigation Center for Neurosciences, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Roze
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Investigation Center for Neurosciences, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Yulia Worbe
- Paris Brain Institute, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Investigation Center for Neurosciences, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Paris, France
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2
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Vacca O, Zarrouki F, Izabelle C, Belmaati Cherkaoui M, Rendon A, Dalkara D, Vaillend C. AAV-Mediated Restoration of Dystrophin-Dp71 in the Brain of Dp71-Null Mice: Molecular, Cellular and Behavioral Outcomes. Cells 2024; 13:718. [PMID: 38667332 PMCID: PMC11049308 DOI: 10.3390/cells13080718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
A deficiency in the shortest dystrophin-gene product, Dp71, is a pivotal aggravating factor for intellectual disabilities in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Recent advances in preclinical research have achieved some success in compensating both muscle and brain dysfunctions associated with DMD, notably using exon skipping strategies. However, this has not been studied for distal mutations in the DMD gene leading to Dp71 loss. In this study, we aimed to restore brain Dp71 expression in the Dp71-null transgenic mouse using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) administrated either by intracardiac injections at P4 (ICP4) or by bilateral intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections in adults. ICP4 delivery of the AAV9-Dp71 vector enabled the expression of 2 to 14% of brain Dp71, while ICV delivery enabled the overexpression of Dp71 in the hippocampus and cortex of adult mice, with anecdotal expression in the cerebellum. The restoration of Dp71 was mostly located in the glial endfeet that surround capillaries, and it was associated with partial localization of Dp71-associated proteins, α1-syntrophin and AQP4 water channels, suggesting proper restoration of a scaffold of proteins involved in blood-brain barrier function and water homeostasis. However, this did not result in significant improvements in behavioral disturbances displayed by Dp71-null mice. The potential and limitations of this AAV-mediated strategy are discussed. This proof-of-concept study identifies key molecular markers to estimate the efficiencies of Dp71 rescue strategies and opens new avenues for enhancing gene therapy targeting cognitive disorders associated with a subgroup of severely affected DMD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ophélie Vacca
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France (M.B.C.)
| | - Faouzi Zarrouki
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France (M.B.C.)
| | - Charlotte Izabelle
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France (M.B.C.)
| | - Mehdi Belmaati Cherkaoui
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France (M.B.C.)
| | - Alvaro Rendon
- Department of Therapeutics, Sorbonne University, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France; (A.R.)
| | - Deniz Dalkara
- Department of Therapeutics, Sorbonne University, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France; (A.R.)
| | - Cyrille Vaillend
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France (M.B.C.)
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3
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Szwec S, Kapłucha Z, Chamberlain JS, Konieczny P. Dystrophin- and Utrophin-Based Therapeutic Approaches for Treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Comparative Review. BioDrugs 2024; 38:95-119. [PMID: 37917377 PMCID: PMC10789850 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-023-00632-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a devastating disease that leads to progressive muscle loss and premature death. While medical management focuses mostly on symptomatic treatment, decades of research have resulted in first therapeutics able to restore the affected reading frame of dystrophin transcripts or induce synthesis of a truncated dystrophin protein from a vector, with other strategies based on gene therapy and cell signaling in preclinical or clinical development. Nevertheless, recent reports show that potentially therapeutic dystrophins can be immunogenic in patients. This raises the question of whether a dystrophin paralog, utrophin, could be a more suitable therapeutic protein. Here, we compare dystrophin and utrophin amino acid sequences and structures, combining published data with our extended in silico analyses. We then discuss these results in the context of therapeutic approaches for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Specifically, we focus on strategies based on delivery of micro-dystrophin and micro-utrophin genes with recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors, exon skipping of the mutated dystrophin pre-mRNAs, reading through termination codons with small molecules that mask premature stop codons, dystrophin gene repair by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9)-mediated genetic engineering, and increasing utrophin levels. Our analyses highlight the importance of various dystrophin and utrophin domains in Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment, providing insights into designing novel therapeutic compounds with improved efficacy and decreased immunoreactivity. While the necessary actin and β-dystroglycan binding sites are present in both proteins, important functional distinctions can be identified in these domains and some other parts of truncated dystrophins might need redesigning due to their potentially immunogenic qualities. Alternatively, therapies based on utrophins might provide a safer and more effective approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Szwec
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Kapłucha
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jeffrey S Chamberlain
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109-8055, USA
- Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109-8055, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109-8055, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109-8055, USA
| | - Patryk Konieczny
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
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4
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Shirokova O, Zaborskaya O, Pchelin P, Kozliaeva E, Pershin V, Mukhina I. Genetic and Epigenetic Sexual Dimorphism of Brain Cells during Aging. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020195. [PMID: 36831738 PMCID: PMC9954625 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, much of the attention paid to theoretical and applied biomedicine, as well as neurobiology, has been drawn to various aspects of sexual dimorphism due to the differences that male and female brain cells demonstrate during aging: (a) a dimorphic pattern of response to therapy for neurodegenerative disorders, (b) different age of onset and different degrees of the prevalence of such disorders, and (c) differences in their symptomatic manifestations in men and women. The purpose of this review is to outline the genetic and epigenetic differences in brain cells during aging in males and females. As a result, we hereby show that the presence of brain aging patterns in males and females is due to a complex of factors associated with the effects of sex chromosomes, which subsequently entails a change in signal cascades in somatic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olesya Shirokova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine, Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Olga Zaborskaya
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine, Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
| | - Pavel Pchelin
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine, Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University, 23 Gagarin Avenue, Nizhny Novgorod 603002, Russia
| | - Elizaveta Kozliaeva
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine, Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
| | - Vladimir Pershin
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine, Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University, 23 Gagarin Avenue, Nizhny Novgorod 603002, Russia
| | - Irina Mukhina
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine, Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University, 23 Gagarin Avenue, Nizhny Novgorod 603002, Russia
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5
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El Atiallah I, Bonsi P, Tassone A, Martella G, Biella G, Castagno AN, Pisani A, Ponterio G. Synaptic Dysfunction in Dystonia: Update From Experimental Models. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:2310-2322. [PMID: 37464831 PMCID: PMC10556390 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230718100156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Dystonia, the third most common movement disorder, refers to a heterogeneous group of neurological diseases characterized by involuntary, sustained or intermittent muscle contractions resulting in repetitive twisting movements and abnormal postures. In the last few years, several studies on animal models helped expand our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying dystonia. These findings have reinforced the notion that the synaptic alterations found mainly in the basal ganglia and cerebellum, including the abnormal neurotransmitters signalling, receptor trafficking and synaptic plasticity, are a common hallmark of different forms of dystonia. In this review, we focus on the major contribution provided by rodent models of DYT-TOR1A, DYT-THAP1, DYT-GNAL, DYT/ PARK-GCH1, DYT/PARK-TH and DYT-SGCE dystonia, which reveal that an abnormal motor network and synaptic dysfunction represent key elements in the pathophysiology of dystonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilham El Atiallah
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Plasticity, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of System Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Bonsi
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Plasticity, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Tassone
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Plasticity, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Martella
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Plasticity, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Gerardo Biella
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio N. Castagno
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Mondino, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Pisani
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Mondino, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Ponterio
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Plasticity, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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6
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Stefano MED, Ferretti V, Mozzetta C. Synaptic alterations as a neurodevelopmental trait of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 168:105718. [PMID: 35390481 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Dystrophinopaties, e.g., Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), Becker muscular dystrophy and X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy are inherited neuromuscular diseases, characterized by progressive muscular degeneration, which however associate with a significant impact on general system physiology. The more severe is the pathology and its diversified manifestations, the heavier are its effects on organs, systems, and tissues other than muscles (skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscles). All dystrophinopaties are characterized by mutations in a single gene located on the X chromosome encoding dystrophin (Dp427) and its shorter isoforms, but DMD is the most devasting: muscular degenerations manifests within the first 4 years of life, progressively affecting motility and other muscular functions, and leads to a fatal outcome between the 20s and 40s. To date, after years of studies on both DMD patients and animal models of the disease, it has been clearly demonstrated that a significant percentage of DMD patients are also afflicted by cognitive, neurological, and autonomic disorders, of varying degree of severity. The anatomical correlates underlying neural functional damages are established during embryonic development and the early stages of postnatal life, when brain circuits, sensory and motor connections are still maturing. The impact of the absence of Dp427 on the development, differentiation, and consolidation of specific cerebral circuits (hippocampus, cerebellum, prefrontal cortex, amygdala) is significant, and amplified by the frequent lack of one or more of its lower molecular mass isoforms. The most relevant aspect, which characterizes DMD-associated neurological disorders, is based on morpho-functional alterations of selective synaptic connections within the affected brain areas. This pathological feature correlates neurological conditions of DMD to other severe neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia, epilepsy and autistic spectrum disorders, among others. This review discusses the organization and the role of the dystrophin-dystroglycan complex in muscles and neurons, focusing on the neurological aspect of DMD and on the most relevant morphological and functional synaptic alterations, in both central and autonomic nervous systems, described in the pathology and its animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Egle De Stefano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Center for Research in Neurobiology Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Ferretti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Center for Research in Neurobiology Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Mozzetta
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy c/o Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Hines DJ, Contreras A, Garcia B, Barker JS, Boren AJ, Moufawad El Achkar C, Moss SJ, Hines RM. Human ARHGEF9 intellectual disability syndrome is phenocopied by a mutation that disrupts collybistin binding to the GABA A receptor α2 subunit. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1729-1741. [PMID: 35169261 PMCID: PMC9095487 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01468-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that can arise from genetic mutations ranging from trisomy to single nucleotide polymorphism. Mutations in a growing number of single genes have been identified as causative in ID, including ARHGEF9. Evaluation of 41 ARHGEF9 patient reports shows ubiquitous inclusion of ID, along with other frequently reported symptoms of epilepsy, abnormal baseline EEG activity, behavioral symptoms, and sleep disturbances. ARHGEF9 codes for the Cdc42 Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor 9 collybistin (Cb), a known regulator of inhibitory synapse function via direct interaction with the adhesion molecule neuroligin-2 and the α2 subunit of GABAA receptors. We mutate the Cb binding motif within the large intracellular loop of α2 replacing it with the binding motif for gephyrin from the α1 subunit (Gabra2-1). The Gabra2-1 mutation causes a strong downregulation of Cb expression, particularly at cholecystokinin basket cell inhibitory synapses. Gabra2-1 mice have deficits in working and recognition memory, as well as hyperactivity, anxiety, and reduced social preference, recapitulating the frequently reported features of ARHGEF9 patients. Gabra2-1 mice also have spontaneous seizures during postnatal development which can lead to mortality, and baseline abnormalities in low-frequency wavelengths of the EEG. EEG abnormalities are vigilance state-specific and manifest as sleep disturbance including increased time in wake and a loss of free-running rhythmicity in the absence of light as zeitgeber. Gabra2-1 mice phenocopy multiple features of human ARHGEF9 mutation, and reveal α2 subunit-containing GABAA receptors as a druggable target for treatment of this complex ID syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J Hines
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - April Contreras
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Betsua Garcia
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Barker
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Austin J Boren
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | | | - Stephen J Moss
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rochelle M Hines
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
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8
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Fralish Z, Lotz EM, Chavez T, Khodabukus A, Bursac N. Neuromuscular Development and Disease: Learning From in vitro and in vivo Models. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:764732. [PMID: 34778273 PMCID: PMC8579029 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.764732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a specialized cholinergic synaptic interface between a motor neuron and a skeletal muscle fiber that translates presynaptic electrical impulses into motor function. NMJ formation and maintenance require tightly regulated signaling and cellular communication among motor neurons, myogenic cells, and Schwann cells. Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) can result in loss of NMJ function and motor input leading to paralysis or even death. Although small animal models have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of the NMJ structure and function, the complexities of studying this multi-tissue system in vivo and poor clinical outcomes of candidate therapies developed in small animal models has driven the need for in vitro models of functional human NMJ to complement animal studies. In this review, we discuss prevailing models of NMDs and highlight the current progress and ongoing challenges in developing human iPSC-derived (hiPSC) 3D cell culture models of functional NMJs. We first review in vivo development of motor neurons, skeletal muscle, Schwann cells, and the NMJ alongside current methods for directing the differentiation of relevant cell types from hiPSCs. We further compare the efficacy of modeling NMDs in animals and human cell culture systems in the context of five NMDs: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy, and Pompe disease. Finally, we discuss further work necessary for hiPSC-derived NMJ models to function as effective personalized NMD platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Fralish
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ethan M Lotz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Taylor Chavez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Alastair Khodabukus
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Nenad Bursac
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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9
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Cazurro-Gutiérrez A, Marcé-Grau A, Correa-Vela M, Salazar A, Vanegas MI, Macaya A, Bayés À, Pérez-Dueñas B. ε-Sarcoglycan: Unraveling the Myoclonus-Dystonia Gene. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:3938-3952. [PMID: 33886091 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02391-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Myoclonus-dystonia (MD) is a rare childhood-onset movement disorder, with an estimated prevalence of about 2 per 1,000,.000 in Europe, characterized by myoclonic jerks in combination with focal or segmental dystonia. Pathogenic variants in the gene encoding ε-sarcoglycan (SGCE), a maternally imprinted gene, are the most frequent genetic cause of MD. To date, the exact role of ε-sarcoglycan and the pathogenic mechanisms that lead to MD are still unknown. However, there are more than 40 reported isoforms of human ε-sarcoglycan, pointing to a complex biology of this protein. Additionally, some of these are brain-specific isoforms, which may suggest an important role within the central nervous system. In the present review, we aim to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge of ε-sarcoglycan. We will focus on the genetic landscape of SGCE and the presence and plausible role of ε-sarcoglycan in the brain. Finally, we discuss the importance of the brain-specific isoforms and hypothesize that SGCE may play essential roles in normal synaptic functioning and their alteration will be strongly related to MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cazurro-Gutiérrez
- Paediatric Neurology Research Group, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Vall d'Hebrón Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Marcé-Grau
- Paediatric Neurology Research Group, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Vall d'Hebrón Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Correa-Vela
- Paediatric Neurology Research Group, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Vall d'Hebrón Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ainara Salazar
- Paediatric Neurology Research Group, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Vall d'Hebrón Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Paediatric Neurology Department, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María I Vanegas
- Paediatric Neurology Research Group, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Vall d'Hebrón Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfons Macaya
- Paediatric Neurology Research Group, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Vall d'Hebrón Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Paediatric Neurology Department, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Àlex Bayés
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Molecular Physiology of the Synapse Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Belén Pérez-Dueñas
- Paediatric Neurology Research Group, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Vall d'Hebrón Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Paediatric Neurology Department, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
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10
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Altered visual processing in the mdx52 mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 152:105288. [PMID: 33556541 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The mdx52 mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is lacking exon 52 of the DMD gene that is located in a hotspot mutation region causing cognitive deficits and retinal anomalies in DMD patients. This deletion leads to the loss of the dystrophin proteins, Dp427, Dp260 and Dp140, while Dp71 is preserved. The flash electroretinogram (ERG) in mdx52 mice was previously characterized by delayed dark-adapted b-waves. A detailed description of functional ERG changes and visual performances in mdx52 mice is, however, lacking. Here an extensive full-field ERG repertoire was applied in mdx52 mice and WT littermates to analyze retinal physiology in scotopic, mesopic and photopic conditions in response to flash, sawtooth and/or sinusoidal stimuli. Behavioral contrast sensitivity was assessed using quantitative optomotor response (OMR) to sinusoidally modulated luminance gratings at 100% or 50% contrast. The mdx52 mice exhibited reduced amplitudes and delayed implicit times in dark-adapted ERG flash responses, particularly in their b-wave and oscillatory potentials, and diminished amplitudes of light-adapted flash ERGs. ERG responses to sawtooth stimuli were also diminished and delayed for both mesopic and photopic conditions in mdx52 mice and the first harmonic amplitudes to photopic sine-wave stimuli were smaller at all temporal frequencies. OMR indices were comparable between genotypes at 100% contrast but significantly reduced in mdx52 mice at 50% contrast. The complex ERG alterations and disturbed contrast vision in mdx52 mice include features observed in DMD patients and suggest altered photoreceptor-to-bipolar cell transmission possibly affecting contrast sensitivity. The mdx52 mouse is a relevant model to appraise the roles of retinal dystrophins and for preclinical studies related to DMD.
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11
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Rugowska A, Starosta A, Konieczny P. Epigenetic modifications in muscle regeneration and progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:13. [PMID: 33468200 PMCID: PMC7814631 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01001-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a multisystemic disorder that affects 1:5000 boys. The severity of the phenotype varies dependent on the mutation site in the DMD gene and the resultant dystrophin expression profile. In skeletal muscle, dystrophin loss is associated with the disintegration of myofibers and their ineffective regeneration due to defective expansion and differentiation of the muscle stem cell pool. Some of these phenotypic alterations stem from the dystrophin absence-mediated serine-threonine protein kinase 2 (MARK2) misplacement/downregulation in activated muscle stem (satellite) cells and neuronal nitric oxide synthase loss in cells committed to myogenesis. Here, we trace changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and expression of regulatory noncoding RNAs during muscle regeneration, from the stage of satellite cells to myofibers. Furthermore, we describe the abrogation of these epigenetic regulatory processes due to changes in signal transduction in DMD and point to therapeutic treatments increasing the regenerative potential of diseased muscles based on this acquired knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rugowska
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznan, Poland
| | - Alicja Starosta
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznan, Poland
| | - Patryk Konieczny
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznan, Poland.
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12
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Persiconi I, Cosmi F, Guadagno NA, Lupo G, De Stefano ME. Dystrophin Is Required for the Proper Timing in Retinal Histogenesis: A Thorough Investigation on the mdx Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:760. [PMID: 32982660 PMCID: PMC7487415 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal X-linked muscular disease caused by defective expression of the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin (Dp427). Selected autonomic and central neurons, including retinal neurons, express Dp427 and/or dystrophin shorter isoforms. Because of this, DMD patients may also experience different forms of cognitive impairment, neurological and autonomic disorders, and specific visual defects. DMD-related damages to the nervous system are established during development, suggesting a role for all dystrophin isoforms in neural circuit development and differentiation; however, to date, their function in retinogenesis has never been investigated. In this large-scale study, we analyzed whether the lack of Dp427 affects late retinogenesis in the mdx mouse, the most well studied animal model of DMD. Retinal gene expression and layer maturation, as well as neural cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation, were evaluated in E18 and/or P0, P5, P10, and adult mice. In mdx mice, expression of Capn3, Id3 (E18-P5), and Dtnb (P5) genes, encoding proteins involved in different aspects of retina development and synaptogenesis (e.g., Calpain 3, DNA-binding protein inhibitor-3, and β-dystrobrevin, respectively), was transiently reduced compared to age-matched wild type mice. Concomitantly, a difference in the time required for the retinal ganglion cell layer to reach appropriate thickness was observed (P0–P5). Immunolabeling for specific cell markers also evidenced a significant dysregulation in the number of GABAergic amacrine cells (P5–P10), a transient decrease in the area immunopositive for the Vesicular Glutamate Transporter 1 (VGluT1) during ribbon synapse maturation (P10) and a reduction in the number of calretinin+ retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) (adults). Finally, the number of proliferating retinal progenitor cells (P5–P10) and apoptotic cells (P10) was reduced. These results support the hypothesis of a role for Dp427 during late retinogenesis different from those proposed in consolidated neural circuits. In particular, Dp427 may be involved in shaping specific steps of retina differentiation. Notably, although most of the above described quantitative alterations recover over time, the number of calretinin+ RGCs is reduced only in the mature retina. This suggests that alterations subtler than the timing of retinal maturation may occur, a hypothesis that demands further in-depth functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Persiconi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Francesca Cosmi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Lupo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Egle De Stefano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Center for Research in Neurobiology "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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13
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Hippocampal synaptic and membrane function in the DBA/2J-mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 104:103482. [PMID: 32171922 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Dystrophin deficiency is associated with alterations in cell physiology. The functional consequences of dystrophin deficiency are particularly severe for muscle physiology, as observed in Duchenne muscle dystrophy (DMD). DMD is caused by the absence of a 427 kDa isoform of dystrophin. However, in addition to muscular dystrophy symptoms, DMD is frequently associated with memory and attention deficits and epilepsy. While this may be associated with a role for dystrophin in neuronal physiology, it is not clear what neuronal alterations are linked with DMD. Our work shows that CA1 pyramidal neurons from DBA/2J-mdx mice have increased afterhyperpolarization compared to WT controls. All the other electrotonic and electrogenic membrane properties were unaffected by this genotype. Finally, basal synaptic transmission, short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity at Schaffer collateral to CA1 glutamatergic synapses were unchanged between mdx and WT controls. These data show that the excitatory component of hippocampal activity is largely preserved in DBA/2J-mdx mice. Further studies, extending the investigation to the inhibitory GABAergic function, may provide a more complete picture of the functional, network alterations underlying impaired cognition in DMD. In addition, the investigation of changes in neuronal single conductance biophysical properties associated with this genotype, is required to identify the functional alterations associated with dystrophin deficiency and clarify its role in neuronal function.
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14
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Cultured hippocampal neurons of dystrophic mdx mice respond differently from those of wild type mice to an acute treatment with corticosterone. Exp Cell Res 2020; 386:111715. [PMID: 31711918 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2019.111715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a lethal genetic disease characterised by progressive degeneration of skeletal muscles induced by deficiency of dystrophin, a cytoskeletal protein expressed in myocytes and in certain neuron populations. The severity of the neurological disorder varies in humans and animal models owing to dysfunction in numerous brain areas, including the hippocampus. Cyclic treatments with high-dose glucocorticoids remain a major pharmacological approach for treating the disease; however, elevated systemic levels of either stress-induced or exogenously administered anti-inflammatory molecules dramatically affect hippocampal activity. In this study, we analysed and compared the response of hippocampal neurons isolated from wild-type and dystrophic mdx mice to acute administration of corticosterone in vitro, without the influence of other glucocorticoid-regulated processes. Our results showed that in neurons of mdx mice, both the genomic and intracellular signalling-mediated responses to corticosterone were affected compared to those in wild-type animals, evoking the characteristic response to detrimental chronic glucocorticoid exposure. Responsiveness to glucocorticoids is, therefore, another function of hippocampal neurons possibly affected by deficiency of Dp427 since embryonic development. Knowing the pivotal role of hippocampus in stress hormone signalling, attention should be paid to the effects that prolonged glucocorticoid treatments may have on this and other brain areas of DMD patients.
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15
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Stay TL, Miterko LN, Arancillo M, Lin T, Sillitoe RV. In vivo cerebellar circuit function is disrupted in an mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Dis Model Mech 2019; 13:dmm040840. [PMID: 31704708 PMCID: PMC6906634 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.040840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a debilitating and ultimately lethal disease involving progressive muscle degeneration and neurological dysfunction. DMD is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene, which result in extremely low or total loss of dystrophin protein expression. In the brain, dystrophin is heavily localized to cerebellar Purkinje cells, which control motor and non-motor functions. In vitro experiments in mouse Purkinje cells revealed that loss of dystrophin leads to low firing rates and high spiking variability. However, it is still unclear how the loss of dystrophin affects cerebellar function in the intact brain. Here, we used in vivo electrophysiology to record Purkinje cells and cerebellar nuclear neurons in awake and anesthetized female mdx (also known as Dmd) mice. Purkinje cell simple spike firing rate is significantly lower in mdx mice compared to controls. Although simple spike firing regularity is not affected, complex spike regularity is increased in mdx mutants. Mean firing rate in cerebellar nuclear neurons is not altered in mdx mice, but their local firing pattern is irregular. Based on the relatively well-preserved cytoarchitecture in the mdx cerebellum, our data suggest that faulty signals across the circuit between Purkinje cells and cerebellar nuclei drive the abnormal firing activity. The in vivo requirements of dystrophin during cerebellar circuit communication could help explain the motor and cognitive anomalies seen in individuals with DMD.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trace L Stay
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lauren N Miterko
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Marife Arancillo
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tao Lin
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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16
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Murciano‐Calles J, Coello A, Cámara‐Artigas A, Martinez JC. PDZ/PDZ interaction between PSD‐95 and nNOS neuronal proteins. J Mol Recognit 2019; 33:e2826. [DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Murciano‐Calles
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of Granada Granada Spain
| | - Andrea Coello
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of Granada Granada Spain
| | - Ana Cámara‐Artigas
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), Research Centre for Mediterranean Intensive Agriculture and Food Biotechnology (CIAMBITAL)University of Almería Almería Spain
| | - Jose C. Martinez
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of Granada Granada Spain
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17
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Hoogland G, Hendriksen RGF, Slegers RJ, Hendriks MPH, Schijns OEMG, Aalbers MW, Vles JSH. The expression of the distal dystrophin isoforms Dp140 and Dp71 in the human epileptic hippocampus in relation to cognitive functioning. Hippocampus 2018; 29:102-110. [PMID: 30069964 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Dystrophin is an important protein within the central nervous system. The absence of dystrophin, characterizing Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), is associated with brain related comorbidities such as neurodevelopmental (e.g., cognitive and behavioural) deficits and epilepsy. Especially mutations in the downstream part of the DMD gene affecting the dystrophin isoforms Dp140 and Dp71 are found to be associated with cognitive deficits. However, the function of Dp140 is currently not well understood and its expression pattern has previously been implicated to be developmentally regulated. Therefore, we evaluated Dp140 and Dp71 expression in human hippocampi in relation to cognitive functioning in patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and post-mortem controls. Hippocampal samples obtained as part of epilepsy surgery were quantitatively analyzed by Western blot and correlations with neuropsychological test results (i.e., memory and intelligence) were examined. First, we demonstrated that the expression of Dp140 does not appear to differ across different ages throughout adulthood. Second, we identified an inverse correlation between memory loss (i.e., verbal and visual memory), but not intelligence (i.e., neither verbal nor performance), and hippocampal Dp140 expression. Finally, patients with TLE appeared to have similar Dp140 expression levels compared to post-mortem controls without neurological disease. Dp140 may thus have a function in normal cognitive (i.e., episodic memory) processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Govert Hoogland
- School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Neurosurgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ruben G F Hendriksen
- School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Rutger J Slegers
- School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc P H Hendriks
- Kempenhaeghe Epilepsy Centre, Heeze, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Olaf E M G Schijns
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marlien W Aalbers
- Department of Neurosurgery, Groningen University Medical Centre, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johan S H Vles
- School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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18
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Wang Q, Han TH, Nguyen P, Jarnik M, Serpe M. Tenectin recruits integrin to stabilize bouton architecture and regulate vesicle release at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. eLife 2018; 7:35518. [PMID: 29901439 PMCID: PMC6040883 DOI: 10.7554/elife.35518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Assembly, maintenance and function of synaptic junctions depend on extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and their receptors. Here we report that Tenectin (Tnc), a Mucin-type protein with RGD motifs, is an ECM component required for the structural and functional integrity of synaptic specializations at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in Drosophila. Using genetics, biochemistry, electrophysiology, histology and electron microscopy, we show that Tnc is secreted from motor neurons and striated muscles and accumulates in the synaptic cleft. Tnc selectively recruits αPS2/βPS integrin at synaptic terminals, but only the cis Tnc/integrin complexes appear to be biologically active. These complexes have distinct pre- and postsynaptic functions, mediated at least in part through the local engagement of the spectrin-based membrane skeleton: the presynaptic complexes control neurotransmitter release, while postsynaptic complexes ensure the size and architectural integrity of synaptic boutons. Our study reveals an unprecedented role for integrin in the synaptic recruitment of spectrin-based membrane skeleton. Nerve cells or neurons can communicate with each other by releasing chemical messengers into the gap between them, the synapse. Both neurons and synapses are surrounded by a network of proteins called the extracellular matrix, which anchors, protects and supports the synapse. The matrix also helps to regulate the dynamic communication across the synapses and consequently neurons. Little is known about the proteins of the extracellular matrix, in particular about the ones involved in structural support. This is especially important for the so-called neuromuscular junctions, where neurons stimulate muscle contraction and trigger vigorous movement. Receptor proteins on cell surfaces, such as integrins, can bind to the extracellular matrix proteins to anchor the cells and are important for all cell junctions, including synaptic junctions. But because of their many essential roles during development, it was unclear how integrins modulate the activity of the synapse. To investigate this further, Wang et al. studied the neuromuscular junctions of fruit flies. The experiments revealed that both muscle and neurons secrete a large protein called Tenectin, which accumulates into the small space between the neuron and the muscle, the synaptic cleft. This protein can bind to integrin and is necessary to support the neuromuscular junction structurally and functionally. Wang et al. discovered that Tenectin works by gathering integrins on the surface of the neuron and the muscle. In the neuron, Tenectin forms complexes with integrin to regulate the release of neurotransmitters. In the muscle, the complexes provide support to the synaptic structures. However, when Tenectin was experimentally removed, it only disrupted the integrins at the neuromuscular junction, without affecting integrins in other regions of the cells, such as the site where the muscle uses integrins to attach to the tendon. Moreover, without Tenectin an important intracellular scaffolding meshwork that lines up and reinforces cell membranes was no longer organized properly at the synapse. A next step will be to identify the missing components between Tenectin/integrin complexes on the surface of neurons and the neurotransmitter release machinery inside the cells. The extracellular matrix and its receptors play fundamental roles in the development and function of the nervous system. A better knowledge of the underlying mechanisms will help us to better understand the complex interplay between the synapse and the extracellular matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Tae Hee Han
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Peter Nguyen
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Michal Jarnik
- Section on Intracellular Protein Trafficking, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Mihaela Serpe
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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19
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Lindberg U, Kruuse C, Witting N, Jørgensen SL, Vissing J, Rostrup E, Larsson HBW. Altered somatosensory neurovascular response in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e00985. [PMID: 30106246 PMCID: PMC5991560 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Patients with dystrophinopathies show low levels of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), due to reduced or absent dystrophin expression, as nNOS is attached to the dystrophin-associated protein complex. Deficient nNOS function leads to functional ischemia during muscle activity. Dystrophin-like proteins with nNOS attached have also been identified in the brain. This suggests that a mechanism of cerebral functional ischemia with attenuation of normal activation-related vascular response may cause changes in brain function. METHODS The aim of this study was to investigate whether the brain response of patients with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is dysfunctional compared to that of healthy controls. To investigate a potential change in brain activation response in patients with BMD, median nerve somatosensory evoked stimulation, with stimulation durations of 2, 4, and 10 s, was performed while recording electroencephalography and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Results in 14 male patients with BMD (36.2 ± 9.9 years) were compared with those of 10 healthy controls (34.4 ± 10.9 years). Compared to controls, the patients with BMD showed sustained cortical electrical activity and a significant smaller BOLD activation in contralateral primary somatosensory cortex and bilaterally in secondary somatosensory cortex. In addition, significant activation differences were found after long duration (10 s) stimuli in thalamus. CONCLUSION An altered neurovascular response in patients with BMD may increase our understanding of neurovascular coupling and the pathogenesis related to dystrophinopathy and nNOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Lindberg
- Functional Imaging UnitDepartment of Clinical PhysiologyNuclear Medicine and PETRigshospitalet GlostrupUniversity of CopenhagenGlostrupDenmark
- Lundbeck Foundation Center for Neurovascular signalling (LUCENS)Rigshospitalet GlostrupUniversity of CopenhagenGlostrupDenmark
| | - Christina Kruuse
- Lundbeck Foundation Center for Neurovascular signalling (LUCENS)Rigshospitalet GlostrupUniversity of CopenhagenGlostrupDenmark
- Neurovascular Research UnitDepartment of NeurologyHerlev Gentofte HospitalUniversity of CopenhagenHerlevDenmark
| | - Nanna Witting
- Copenhagen Neuromuscular CenterDepartment of NeurologyRigshospitaletUniversity of CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Stine Lundgaard Jørgensen
- Lundbeck Foundation Center for Neurovascular signalling (LUCENS)Rigshospitalet GlostrupUniversity of CopenhagenGlostrupDenmark
- Neurovascular Research UnitDepartment of NeurologyHerlev Gentofte HospitalUniversity of CopenhagenHerlevDenmark
| | - John Vissing
- Copenhagen Neuromuscular CenterDepartment of NeurologyRigshospitaletUniversity of CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Egill Rostrup
- Functional Imaging UnitDepartment of Clinical PhysiologyNuclear Medicine and PETRigshospitalet GlostrupUniversity of CopenhagenGlostrupDenmark
| | - Henrik Bo Wiberg Larsson
- Functional Imaging UnitDepartment of Clinical PhysiologyNuclear Medicine and PETRigshospitalet GlostrupUniversity of CopenhagenGlostrupDenmark
- Lundbeck Foundation Center for Neurovascular signalling (LUCENS)Rigshospitalet GlostrupUniversity of CopenhagenGlostrupDenmark
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Maltese M, Martella G, Imbriani P, Schuermans J, Billion K, Sciamanna G, Farook F, Ponterio G, Tassone A, Santoro M, Bonsi P, Pisani A, Goodchild RE. Abnormal striatal plasticity in a DYT11/SGCE myoclonus dystonia mouse model is reversed by adenosine A2A receptor inhibition. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 108:128-139. [PMID: 28823931 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Striatal dysfunction is implicated in many movement disorders. However, the precise nature of defects often remains uncharacterized, which hinders therapy development. Here we examined striatal function in a mouse model of the incurable movement disorder, myoclonus dystonia, caused by SGCE mutations. Using RNAseq we found surprisingly normal gene expression, including normal levels of neuronal subclass markers to strongly suggest that striatal microcircuitry is spared by the disease insult. We then functionally characterized Sgce mutant medium spiny projection neurons (MSNs) and cholinergic interneurons (ChIs). This revealed normal intrinsic electrophysiological properties and normal responses to basic excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Nevertheless, high-frequency stimulation in Sgce mutants failed to induce normal long-term depression (LTD) at corticostriatal glutamatergic synapses. We also found that pharmacological manipulation of MSNs by inhibiting adenosine 2A receptors (A2AR) restores LTD, again pointing to structurally intact striatal circuitry. The fact that Sgce loss specifically inhibits LTD implicates this neurophysiological defect in myoclonus dystonia, and emphasizes that neurophysiological changes can occur in the absence of broad striatal dysfunction. Further, the positive effect of A2AR antagonists indicates that this drug class be tested in DYT11/SGCE dystonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Maltese
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
| | - G Martella
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - P Imbriani
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
| | - Jeroen Schuermans
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karolien Billion
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - G Sciamanna
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - Febin Farook
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - G Ponterio
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - A Tassone
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - M Santoro
- Fondazione Don Gnocchi, Milan, Italy.
| | - P Bonsi
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - A Pisani
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - Rose E Goodchild
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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21
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Differential role of GABA A receptors and neuroligin 2 for perisomatic GABAergic synapse formation in the hippocampus. Brain Struct Funct 2017. [PMID: 28643105 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1462-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Perisomatic GABAergic synapses onto hippocampal pyramidal cells arise from two populations of basket cells with different neurochemical and functional properties. The presence of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex in their postsynaptic density (PSD) distinguishes perisomatic synapses from GABAergic synapses on dendrites and the axon-initial segment. Targeted deletion of neuroligin 2 (NL2), a transmembrane protein interacting with presynaptic neurexin, has been reported to disrupt postsynaptic clustering of GABAA receptors (GABAAR) and their anchoring protein, gephyrin, at perisomatic synapses. In contrast, targeted deletion of Gabra2 disrupts perisomatic clustering of gephyrin, but not of α1-GABAAR, NL2, or dystrophin/dystroglycan. Unexpectedly, conditional deletion of Dag1, encoding dystroglycan, selectively prevents the formation of perisomatic GABAergic synapses from basket cells expressing cholecystokinin. Collectively, these observations suggest that multiple mechanisms regulate formation and molecular composition of the GABAergic PSD at perisomatic synapses. Here, we further explored this issue by investigating the effect of targeted deletion of Gabra1 and NL2 on the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex and on perisomatic synapse formation, using immunofluorescence analysis with a battery of GABAergic pre- and postsynaptic markers. We show that the absence of α1-GABAAR increases GABAergic synapses containing the α2 subunit, without affecting the clustering of dystrophin and NL2; in contrast, the absence of NL2 produces highly variable effects postsynaptically, not restricted to perisomatic synapses and being more severe for the GABAAR subunits and gephyrin than dystrophin. Altogether, the results confirm the importance of NL2 as organizer of the GABAergic PSD and unravel distinct roles for α1- and α2-GABAARs in the formation of GABAergic circuits in close interaction with the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex.
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22
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Lombardi L, Persiconi I, Gallo A, Hoogenraad CC, De Stefano ME. NGF-dependent axon growth and regeneration are altered in sympathetic neurons of dystrophic mdx mice. Mol Cell Neurosci 2017; 80:1-17. [PMID: 28161362 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal disease, determined by lack of dystrophin (Dp427), a muscular cytoskeletal protein also expressed by selected neuronal populations. Consequently, besides muscular wasting, both human patients and DMD animal models suffer several neural disorders. In previous studies on the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) of wild type and dystrophic mdx mice (Lombardi et al. 2008), we hypothesized that Dp427 could play some role in NGF-dependent axonal growth, both during development and adulthood. To address this issue, we first analyzed axon regeneration potentials of SCG neurons of both genotypes after axotomy in vivo. While noradrenergic innervation of mdx mouse submandibular gland, main source of nerve growth factor (NGF), recovered similarly to wild type, iris innervation (muscular target) never did. We, therefore, evaluated whether dystrophic SCG neurons were poorly responsive to NGF, especially at low concentration. Following in vitro axotomy in the presence of either 10 or 50ng/ml NGF, the number of regenerated axons in mdx mouse neuron cultures was indeed reduced, compared to wild type, at the lower concentration. Neurite growth parameters (i.e. number, length), growth cone dynamics and NGF/TrkA receptor signaling in differentiating neurons (not injured) were also significantly reduced when cultured with 10ng/ml NGF, but also with higher NGF concentrations. In conclusion, we propose a role for Dp427 in NGF-dependent cytoskeletal dynamics associated to growth cone advancement, possibly through indirect stabilization of TrkA receptors. Considering NGF activity in nervous system development/remodeling, this aspect could concur in some of the described DMD-associated neural dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Lombardi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Irene Persiconi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gallo
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Casper C Hoogenraad
- Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Egle De Stefano
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00185 Roma, Italy; Center for Research in Neurobiology "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Roma, Italy.
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23
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Dystrophin Dp71 Isoforms Are Differentially Expressed in the Mouse Brain and Retina: Report of New Alternative Splicing and a Novel Nomenclature for Dp71 Isoforms. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:1376-1386. [PMID: 28127699 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0405-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Multiple dystrophin Dp71 isoforms have been identified in rats, mice, and humans and in several cell line models. These Dp71 isoforms are produced by the alternative splicing of exons 71 to 74 and 78 and intron 77. Three main groups of Dp71 proteins are defined based on their C-terminal specificities: Dp71d, Dp71f, and Dp71e. Dp71 is highly expressed in the brain and retina; however, the specific isoforms present in these tissues have not been determined to date. In this work, we explored the expression of Dp71 isoforms in the mouse brain and retina using RT-PCR assays followed by the cloning of PCR products into the pGEM-T Easy vector, which was used to transform DH5α cells. Dp71-positive colonies were later analyzed by PCR multiplex and DNA sequencing to determine the alternative splicing. We thus demonstrated the expression of Dp71 transcripts corresponding to Dp71, Dp71a, Dp71c, Dp71b, Dp71ab, Dp71 Δ110, and novel Dp71 isoforms spliced in exon 74; 71 and 74; 71, 73 and 74; and 74 and 78, which we named Dp71d Δ74 , Dp71d Δ71,74 , Dp71d Δ71,73-74 , and Dp71f Δ74 , respectively. Additionally, we demonstrated that the Dp71d group of isoforms is highly expressed in the brain, while the Dp71f group predominates in the retina, at both the cDNA and protein levels. These findings suggest that distinct Dp71 isoforms may play different roles in the brain and retina.
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Reilly MT, Noronha A, Goldman D, Koob GF. Genetic studies of alcohol dependence in the context of the addiction cycle. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:3-21. [PMID: 28118990 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Family, twin and adoption studies demonstrate clearly that alcohol dependence and alcohol use disorders are phenotypically complex and heritable. The heritability of alcohol use disorders is estimated at approximately 50-60% of the total phenotypic variability. Vulnerability to alcohol use disorders can be due to multiple genetic or environmental factors or their interaction which gives rise to extensive and daunting heterogeneity. This heterogeneity makes it a significant challenge in mapping and identifying the specific genes that influence alcohol use disorders. Genetic linkage and (candidate gene) association studies have been used now for decades to map and characterize genomic loci and genes that underlie the genetic vulnerability to alcohol use disorders. These approaches have been moderately successful in identifying several genes that contribute to the complexity of alcohol use disorders. Recently, genome-wide association studies have become one of the major tools for identifying genes for alcohol use disorders by examining correlations between millions of common single-nucleotide polymorphisms with diagnosis status. Genome-wide association studies are just beginning to uncover novel biology; however, the functional significance of results remains a matter of extensive debate and uncertainty. In this review, we present a select group of genome-wide association studies of alcohol dependence, as one example of a way to generate functional hypotheses, within the addiction cycle framework. This analysis may provide novel directions for validating the functional significance of alcohol dependence candidate genes. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Reilly
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, 5635 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA.
| | - Antonio Noronha
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, 5635 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
| | - David Goldman
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Chief, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, 5635 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
| | - George F Koob
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Director NIAAA, 5635 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
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25
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Lindberg U, Witting N, Jørgensen SL, Vissing J, Rostrup E, Larsson HBW, Kruuse C. Effects of Sildenafil on Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Patients with Becker Muscular Dystrophy. Neurotherapeutics 2017; 14:182-190. [PMID: 27485237 PMCID: PMC5233618 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-016-0467-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients suffering from Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) have dysfunctional dystrophin proteins and are deficient in neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in muscles. This causes functional ischemia and contributes to muscle wasting. Similar functional ischemia may be present in brains of patients with BMD, who often have mild cognitive impairment, and nNOS may be important for the regulation of the microvascular circulation in the brain. We hypothesized that treatment with sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor that potentiates nitric oxide responses, would augment both the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in patients with BMD. Seventeen patients (mean ± SD age 38.5 ± 10.8 years) with BMD were included in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Twelve patients completed the entire study. Effects of sildenafil were assessed by 3 T magnetic resonance (MR) scanning, evoked potentials, somatosensory task-induced BOLD functional MR imaging, regional and global perfusion, and angiography before and after 4 weeks of sildenafil, 20 mg (Revatio in gelatine capsules, oral, 3 times daily), or placebo treatment. Sildenafil increased the event-related sensory and visual BOLD response compared with placebo (p < 0.01). However, sildenafil did not alter CBF, measured by MR phase contrast mapping, or the arterial diameter of the middle cerebral artery, measured by MR angiography. We conclude that nNOS may play a role in event-related neurovascular responses. Further studies in patients with BMD may help clarify the roles of dystrophin and nNOS in neurovascular coupling in general, and in patients with BMD in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Lindberg
- Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
- Lundbeck Foundation Center for Neurovascular signalling (LUCENS), Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Nanna Witting
- Copenhagen Neuromuscular Center and Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stine Lundgaard Jørgensen
- Lundbeck Foundation Center for Neurovascular signalling (LUCENS), Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - John Vissing
- Copenhagen Neuromuscular Center and Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Egill Rostrup
- Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Henrik Bo Wiberg Larsson
- Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
- Lundbeck Foundation Center for Neurovascular signalling (LUCENS), Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Christina Kruuse
- Lundbeck Foundation Center for Neurovascular signalling (LUCENS), Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark.
- Neurovascular Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Herlev Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Herlev, Denmark.
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26
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Miao J, Feng JC, Zhu D, Yu XF. A case report: Becker muscular dystrophy presenting with epilepsy and dysgnosia induced by duplication mutation of Dystrophin gene. BMC Neurol 2016; 16:255. [PMID: 27955624 PMCID: PMC5154012 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-016-0777-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), a genetic disorder of X-linked recessive inheritance, typically presents with gradually progressive muscle weakness. The condition is caused by mutations of Dystrophin gene located at Xp21.2. Epilepsy is an infrequent manifestation of BMD, while cases of BMD with dysgnosia are extremely rare. CASE PRESENTATION We describe a 9-year-old boy with BMD, who presented with epilepsy and dysgnosia. Serum creatine kinase level was markedly elevated (3665 U/L). Wechsler intelligence tests showed a low intelligence quotient (IQ = 65). Electromyogram showed slight myogenic changes and skeletal muscle biopsy revealed muscular dystrophy. Immunohistochemical staining showed partial positivity of sarcolemma for dystrophin-N. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification revealed a duplication mutation in exons 37-44 in the Dystrophin gene. CONCLUSIONS The present case report helps to better understand the clinical and genetic features of BMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Miao
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 Jilin People’s Republic of China
| | - Jia-chun Feng
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 Jilin People’s Republic of China
| | - Dan Zhu
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 Jilin People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue-fan Yu
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 Jilin People’s Republic of China
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27
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The Purkinje cell as a model of synaptogenesis and synaptic specificity. Brain Res Bull 2016; 129:12-17. [PMID: 27721030 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Since the groundbreaking work of Ramon y Cajal, the cerebellar Purkinje cell has always represented an ideal model for studying the organization, development and function of synaptic circuits. Purkinje cells receive distinct types of glutamatergic and GABAergic synapses, each characterized by exquisite sub-cellular and molecular specificity. The formation and refinement of these connections results from a temporally-regulated sequence of events that involves molecular interactions between distinct sets of secreted and surface proteins, as well as activity-dependent competition between converging inputs. Insights into the mechanisms controlling synaptic specificity in Purkinje cells may help understand synapse development also in other brain regions and disclose circuit abnormalities that underlie neurodevelopmental disorders.
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28
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Cascabulho CM, Beghini DG, Meuser-Batista M, Penido C, Henriques-Pons A. Chemotaxis and Immunoregulatory Function of Cardiac γδ T Cells in Dystrophin-Deficient Mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 197:3531-3544. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Alexander MS, Gasperini MJ, Tsai PT, Gibbs DE, Spinazzola JM, Marshall JL, Feyder MJ, Pletcher MT, Chekler ELP, Morris CA, Sahin M, Harms JF, Schmidt CJ, Kleiman RJ, Kunkel LM. Reversal of neurobehavioral social deficits in dystrophic mice using inhibitors of phosphodiesterases PDE5A and PDE9A. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e901. [PMID: 27676442 PMCID: PMC5048211 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is caused by mutations in the DYSTROPHIN gene. Although primarily associated with muscle wasting, a significant portion of patients (approximately 25%) are also diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. We describe social behavioral deficits in dystrophin-deficient mice and present evidence of cerebellar deficits in cGMP production. We demonstrate therapeutic potential for selective inhibitors of the cGMP-specific PDE5A and PDE9A enzymes to restore social behaviors in dystrophin-deficient mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Alexander
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M J Gasperini
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - P T Tsai
- The F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D E Gibbs
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J M Spinazzola
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J L Marshall
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M J Feyder
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M T Pletcher
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - E L P Chekler
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - C A Morris
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - M Sahin
- The F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J F Harms
- Neuroscience Research Unit, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - C J Schmidt
- Neuroscience Research Unit, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - R J Kleiman
- The F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - L M Kunkel
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- The Manton Center for Orphan Diseases, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
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30
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Waite AJ, Carlisle FA, Chan YM, Blake DJ. Myoclonus dystonia and muscular dystrophy: ɛ-sarcoglycan is part of the dystrophin-associated protein complex in brain. Mov Disord 2016; 31:1694-1703. [PMID: 27535350 PMCID: PMC5129563 DOI: 10.1002/mds.26738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Myoclonus‐dystonia is a neurogenic movement disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding ɛ‐sarcoglycan. By contrast, mutations in the α‐, β‐, γ‐, and δ‐sarcoglycan genes cause limb girdle muscular dystrophies. The sarcoglycans are part of the dystrophin‐associated protein complex in muscle that is disrupted in several types of muscular dystrophy. Intriguingly, patients with myoclonus‐dystonia have no muscle pathology; conversely, limb‐girdle muscular dystrophy patients have not been reported to have dystonia‐associated features. To gain further insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying these differences, we searched for evidence of a sarcoglycan complex in the brain. Methods Immunoaffinity chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to purify ubiquitous and brain‐specific ɛ‐sarcoglycan directly from tissue. Cell models were used to determine the effect of mutations on the trafficking and assembly of the brain sarcoglycan complex. Results Ubiquitous and brain‐specific ɛ‐sarcoglycan isoforms copurify with β‐, δ‐, and ζ‐sarcoglycan, β‐dystroglycan, and dystrophin Dp71 from brain. Incorporation of a muscular dystrophy‐associated β‐sarcoglycan mutant into the brain sarcoglycan complex impairs the formation of the βδ‐sarcoglycan core but fails to abrogate the association and membrane trafficking of ɛ‐ and ζ‐sarcoglycan. Conclusions ɛ‐Sarcoglycan is part of the dystrophin‐associated protein complex in brain. Partial preservation of ɛ‐ and ζ‐sarcoglycan in brain may explain the absence of myoclonus dystonia‐like features in muscular dystrophy patients. © 2016 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian J. Waite
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical NeurosciencesMRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff UniversityCardiffUnited Kingdom
| | - Francesca A. Carlisle
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical NeurosciencesMRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff UniversityCardiffUnited Kingdom
| | - Yiumo Michael Chan
- McColl‐Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy ResearchCarolinas Medical CenterCharlotteNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Derek J. Blake
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical NeurosciencesMRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff UniversityCardiffUnited Kingdom
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31
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Thompson EG, Sontheimer H. A role for ion channels in perivascular glioma invasion. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2016; 45:635-648. [PMID: 27424110 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-016-1154-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Malignant gliomas are devastating tumors, frequently killing those diagnosed in little over a year. The profuse infiltration of glioma cells into healthy tissue surrounding the main tumor mass is one of the major obstacles limiting the improvement of patient survival. Migration along the abluminal side of blood vessels is one of the salient features of glioma cell invasion. Invading glioma cells are attracted to the vascular network, in part by the neuropeptide bradykinin, where glioma cells actively modify the gliovascular interface and undergo volumetric alterations to navigate the confined space. Critical to these volume modifications is a proposed hydrodynamic model that involves the flux of ions in and out of the cell, followed by osmotically obligated water. Ion and water channels expressed by the glioma cell are essential in this model of invasion and make opportune therapeutic targets. Lastly, there is growing evidence that vascular-associated glioma cells are able to control the vascular tone, presumably to free up space for invasion and growth. The unique mechanisms that enable perivascular glioma invasion may offer critical targets for therapeutic intervention in this devastating disease. Indeed, a chloride channel-blocking peptide has already been successfully tested in human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily G Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.,Center for Glial Biology in Health, Disease, and Cancer, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Harald Sontheimer
- Center for Glial Biology in Health, Disease, and Cancer, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA. .,Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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Dwyer CA, Esko JD. Glycan susceptibility factors in autism spectrum disorders. Mol Aspects Med 2016; 51:104-14. [PMID: 27418189 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Idiopathic autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders with unknown etiology. An estimated 1:68 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with ASDs, making these disorders a substantial public health issue. Recent advances in genome sequencing have identified numerous genetic variants across the ASD patient population. Many genetic variants identified occur in genes that encode glycosylated extracellular proteins (proteoglycans or glycoproteins) or enzymes involved in glycosylation (glycosyltransferases and sulfotransferases). It remains unknown whether "glycogene" variants cause changes in glycosylation and whether they contribute to the etiology and pathogenesis of ASDs. Insights into glycan susceptibility factors are provided by studies in the normal brain and congenital disorders of glycosylation, which are often accompanied by ASD-like behaviors. The purpose of this review is to present evidence that supports a contribution of extracellular glycans and glycoconjugates to the etiology and pathogenesis of idiopathic ASDs and other types of pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrissa A Dwyer
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Esko
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Rae MG, O'Malley D. Cognitive dysfunction in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a possible role for neuromodulatory immune molecules. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:1304-15. [PMID: 27385793 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00248.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X chromosome-linked disease characterized by progressive physical disability, immobility, and premature death in affected boys. Underlying the devastating symptoms of DMD is the loss of dystrophin, a structural protein that connects the extracellular matrix to the cell cytoskeleton and provides protection against contraction-induced damage in muscle cells, leading to chronic peripheral inflammation. However, dystrophin is also expressed in neurons within specific brain regions, including the hippocampus, a structure associated with learning and memory formation. Linked to this, a subset of boys with DMD exhibit nonprogressing cognitive dysfunction, with deficits in verbal, short-term, and working memory. Furthermore, in the genetically comparable dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse model of DMD, some, but not all, types of learning and memory are deficient, and specific deficits in synaptogenesis and channel clustering at synapses has been noted. Little consideration has been devoted to the cognitive deficits associated with DMD compared with the research conducted into the peripheral effects of dystrophin deficiency. Therefore, this review focuses on what is known about the role of full-length dystrophin (Dp427) in hippocampal neurons. The importance of dystrophin in learning and memory is assessed, and the potential importance that inflammatory mediators, which are chronically elevated in dystrophinopathies, may have on hippocampal function is also evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Rae
- Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and
| | - Dervla O'Malley
- Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Fuenzalida M, Espinoza C, Pérez MÁ, Tapia-Rojas C, Cuitino L, Brandan E, Inestrosa NC. Wnt signaling pathway improves central inhibitory synaptic transmission in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 86:109-20. [PMID: 26626079 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DGC) that connects the cytoskeleton, plasma membrane and the extracellular matrix has been related to the maintenance and stabilization of channels and synaptic receptors, which are both essential for synaptogenesis and synaptic transmission. The dystrophin-deficient (mdx) mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) exhibits a significant reduction in hippocampal GABA efficacy, which may underlie the altered synaptic function and abnormal hippocampal long-term plasticity exhibited by mdx mice. Emerging studies have implicated Wnt signaling in the modulation of synaptic efficacy, neuronal plasticity and cognitive function. We report here that the activation of the non-canonical Wnt-5a pathway and Andrographolide, improves hippocampal mdx GABAergic efficacy by increasing the number of inhibitory synapses and GABA(A) receptors or GABA release. These results indicate that Wnt signaling modulates GABA synaptic efficacy and could be a promising novel target for DMD cognitive therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Fuenzalida
- Centro de Neurobiología y Plasticidad Cerebral, Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - Claudia Espinoza
- Centro de Neurobiología y Plasticidad Cerebral, Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Miguel Ángel Pérez
- Centro de Neurobiología y Plasticidad Cerebral, Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Cheril Tapia-Rojas
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loreto Cuitino
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Enrique Brandan
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nibaldo C Inestrosa
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile.
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Murphy S, Zweyer M, Henry M, Meleady P, Mundegar RR, Swandulla D, Ohlendieck K. Label-free mass spectrometric analysis reveals complex changes in the brain proteome from the mdx-4cv mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Clin Proteomics 2015; 12:27. [PMID: 26604869 PMCID: PMC4657206 DOI: 10.1186/s12014-015-9099-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND X-linked muscular dystrophy is a primary disease of the neuromuscular system. Primary abnormalities in the Dmd gene result in the absence of the full-length isoform of the membrane cytoskeletal protein dystrophin. Besides progressive skeletal muscle wasting and cardio-respiratory complications, developmental cognitive deficits and behavioural abnormalities are clinical features of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In order to better understand the mechanisms that underlie impaired brain functions in Duchenne patients, we have carried out a proteomic analysis of total brain extracts from the mdx-4cv mouse model of dystrophinopathy. RESULTS The comparative proteomic profiling of the mdx-4cv brain revealed a significant increase in 39 proteins and a decrease in 7 proteins. Interesting brain tissue-associated proteins with an increased concentration in the mdx-4cv animal model were represented by the glial fibrillary acidic protein GFAP, the neuronal Ca(2+)-binding protein calretinin, annexin AnxA5, vimentin, the neuron-specific enzyme ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isozyme L1, the dendritic spine protein drebrin, the cytomatrix protein bassoon of the nerve terminal active zone, and the synapse-associated protein SAP97. Decreased proteins were identified as the nervous system-specific proteins syntaxin-1B and syntaxin-binding protein 1, as well as the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-transporting ATPase PMCA2 that is mostly found in the brain cortex. The differential expression patterns of GFAP, vimentin, PMCA2 and AnxA5 were confirmed by immunoblotting. Increased GFAP levels were also verified by immunofluorescence microscopy. CONCLUSIONS The large number of mass spectrometrically identified proteins with an altered abundance suggests complex changes in the mdx-4cv brain proteome. Increased levels of the glial fibrillary acidic protein, an intermediate filament component that is uniquely associated with astrocytes in the central nervous system, imply neurodegeneration-associated astrogliosis. The up-regulation of annexin and vimentin probably represent compensatory mechanisms involved in membrane repair and cytoskeletal stabilization in the absence of brain dystrophin. Differential alterations in the Ca(2+)-binding protein calretinin and the Ca(2+)-pumping protein PMCA2 suggest altered Ca(2+)-handling mechanisms in the Dp427-deficient brain. In addition, the proteomic findings demonstrated metabolic adaptations and functional changes in the central nervous system from the dystrophic phenotype. Candidate proteins can now be evaluated for their suitability as proteomic biomarkers and their potential in predictive, diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapy-monitoring approaches to treat brain abnormalities in dystrophinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Murphy
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Margit Zweyer
- Department of Physiology II, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Henry
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Paula Meleady
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Rustam R Mundegar
- Department of Physiology II, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dieter Swandulla
- Department of Physiology II, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kay Ohlendieck
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare Ireland
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Chaussenot R, Edeline JM, Le Bec B, El Massioui N, Laroche S, Vaillend C. Cognitive dysfunction in the dystrophin-deficient mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A reappraisal from sensory to executive processes. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 124:111-22. [PMID: 26190833 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Revised: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is associated with language disabilities and deficits in learning and memory, leading to intellectual disability in a patient subpopulation. Recent studies suggest the presence of broader deficits affecting information processing, short-term memory and executive functions. While the absence of the full-length dystrophin (Dp427) is a common feature in all patients, variable mutation profiles may additionally alter distinct dystrophin-gene products encoded by separate promoters. However, the nature of the cognitive dysfunctions specifically associated with the loss of distinct brain dystrophins is unclear. Here we show that the loss of the full-length brain dystrophin in mdx mice does not modify the perception and sensorimotor gating of auditory inputs, as assessed using auditory brainstem recordings and prepulse inhibition of startle reflex. In contrast, both acquisition and long-term retention of cued and trace fear memories were impaired in mdx mice, suggesting alteration in a functional circuit including the amygdala. Spatial learning in the water maze revealed reduced path efficiency, suggesting qualitative alteration in mdx mice learning strategy. However, spatial working memory performance and cognitive flexibility challenged in various behavioral paradigms in water and radial-arm mazes were unimpaired. The full-length brain dystrophin therefore appears to play a role during acquisition of associative learning as well as in general processes involved in memory consolidation, but no overt involvement in working memory and/or executive functions could be demonstrated in spatial learning tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Chaussenot
- Paris-Saclay Neuroscience Institute, UMR 9197, CNRS, F-91405 Orsay, France; Univ. Paris-Sud, UMR 9197, F-91405 Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, France
| | - Jean-Marc Edeline
- Paris-Saclay Neuroscience Institute, UMR 9197, CNRS, F-91405 Orsay, France; Univ. Paris-Sud, UMR 9197, F-91405 Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, France
| | - Benoit Le Bec
- Paris-Saclay Neuroscience Institute, UMR 9197, CNRS, F-91405 Orsay, France; Univ. Paris-Sud, UMR 9197, F-91405 Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, France
| | - Nicole El Massioui
- Paris-Saclay Neuroscience Institute, UMR 9197, CNRS, F-91405 Orsay, France; Univ. Paris-Sud, UMR 9197, F-91405 Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, France
| | - Serge Laroche
- Paris-Saclay Neuroscience Institute, UMR 9197, CNRS, F-91405 Orsay, France; Univ. Paris-Sud, UMR 9197, F-91405 Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, France
| | - Cyrille Vaillend
- Paris-Saclay Neuroscience Institute, UMR 9197, CNRS, F-91405 Orsay, France; Univ. Paris-Sud, UMR 9197, F-91405 Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, France.
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Recessive mutations in the α3 (VI) collagen gene COL6A3 cause early-onset isolated dystonia. Am J Hum Genet 2015; 96:883-93. [PMID: 26004199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Isolated dystonia is a disorder characterized by involuntary twisting postures arising from sustained muscle contractions. Although autosomal-dominant mutations in TOR1A, THAP1, and GNAL have been found in some cases, the molecular mechanisms underlying isolated dystonia are largely unknown. In addition, although emphasis has been placed on dominant isolated dystonia, the disorder is also transmitted as a recessive trait, for which no mutations have been defined. Using whole-exome sequencing in a recessive isolated dystonia-affected kindred, we identified disease-segregating compound heterozygous mutations in COL6A3, a collagen VI gene associated previously with muscular dystrophy. Genetic screening of a further 367 isolated dystonia subjects revealed two additional recessive pedigrees harboring compound heterozygous mutations in COL6A3. Strikingly, all affected individuals had at least one pathogenic allele in exon 41, including an exon-skipping mutation that induced an in-frame deletion. We tested the hypothesis that disruption of this exon is pathognomonic for isolated dystonia by inducing a series of in-frame deletions in zebrafish embryos. Consistent with our human genetics data, suppression of the exon 41 ortholog caused deficits in axonal outgrowth, whereas suppression of other exons phenocopied collagen deposition mutants. All recessive mutation carriers demonstrated early-onset segmental isolated dystonia without muscular disease. Finally, we show that Col6a3 is expressed in neurons, with relevant mRNA levels detectable throughout the adult mouse brain. Taken together, our data indicate that loss-of-function mutations affecting a specific region of COL6A3 cause recessive isolated dystonia with underlying neurodevelopmental deficits and highlight the brain extracellular matrix as a contributor to dystonia pathogenesis.
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Hendriksen RG, Hoogland G, Schipper S, Hendriksen JG, Vles JS, Aalbers MW. A possible role of dystrophin in neuronal excitability: A review of the current literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 51:255-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2014] [Revised: 01/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/31/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Analysis of Gene Profiles in Glioma Cells Identifies Potential Genes, miRNAs, and Target Sites of Migratory Cells. TUMORI JOURNAL 2015; 101:542-8. [PMID: 25953448 DOI: 10.5301/tj.5000226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Aims To explore the potential molecular mechanisms involved in migratory glioma cells. Methods The gene expression profiles of GSE28167, employing human malignant glioma U251MG cells cultured on strictly aligned versus randomly oriented electrospun nanofibers of polycaprolactone, were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Gene differential expression analysis was carried out by the package of Gene Expression Omnibus query and limma in R language. The Gene Set Analysis Toolkit V2 was used for pathway analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to screen for target sites of transcription factors, miRNA and small drug molecules. Results Totally 586 differentially expressed genes were identified and the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the pathway of muscle cell TarBase, MAPK cascade, adipogenesis and epithelium TarBase. Thirty-two significant target sites of transcription factors, such as hsa_RTAAACA_V$FREAC2_01, were screened. The top 20 potential miRNAs including MIR-124A, MIR-34A and MIR-34C were screened for a constructing gene-miRNA interaction network. Small molecules that can inhibit the motility of glioma cells such as diclofenamide and valinomycin were mined. By integrating the regulatory relationships among transcription factors, miRNAs and differentially expressed genes, we found that 7 differentially expressed genes, including SOX4, ANKRD28 and CCND1, might play crucial roles in the migration of glioma cells. Conclusions The screened migration-associated genes, significant pathways, and small molecules give us new insight for the mechanism of migratory glioma cells. Interest in such genes as potential target genes in the treatment of glioblastoma justifies functional validation studies.
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40
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LeDoux MS. Dystonia. Mov Disord 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-405195-9.00024-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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Whitmore C, Morgan J. What do mouse models of muscular dystrophy tell us about the DAPC and its components? Int J Exp Pathol 2014; 95:365-77. [PMID: 25270874 PMCID: PMC4285463 DOI: 10.1111/iep.12095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There are over 30 mouse models with mutations or inactivations in the dystrophin-associated protein complex. This complex is thought to play a crucial role in the functioning of muscle, as both a shock absorber and signalling centre, although its role in the pathogenesis of muscular dystrophy is not fully understood. The first mouse model of muscular dystrophy to be identified with a mutation in a component of the dystrophin-associated complex (dystrophin) was the mdx mouse in 1984. Here, we evaluate the key characteristics of the mdx in comparison with other mouse mutants with inactivations in DAPC components, along with key modifiers of the disease phenotype. By discussing the differences between the individual phenotypes, we show that the functioning of the DAPC and consequently its role in the pathogenesis is more complicated than perhaps currently appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Whitmore
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Molecular Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, Institute of Child Health, University College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Jennifer Morgan
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Molecular Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, Institute of Child Health, University College LondonLondon, UK
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Peall KJ, Kurian MA, Wardle M, Waite AJ, Hedderly T, Lin JP, Smith M, Whone A, Pall H, White C, Lux A, Jardine PE, Lynch B, Kirov G, O'Riordan S, Samuel M, Lynch T, King MD, Chinnery PF, Warner TT, Blake DJ, Owen MJ, Morris HR. SGCE and myoclonus dystonia: motor characteristics, diagnostic criteria and clinical predictors of genotype. J Neurol 2014; 261:2296-304. [PMID: 25209853 PMCID: PMC4495322 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-014-7488-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/31/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Myoclonus dystonia syndrome (MDS) is a young-onset movement disorder. A proportion of cases are due to mutations in the maternally imprinted SGCE gene. We assembled the largest cohort of MDS patients to date, and determined the frequency and type of SGCE mutations. The aim was to establish the motor phenotype in mutation carriers and utility of current diagnostic criteria. Eighty-nine probands with clinical features compatible with MDS were recruited from the UK and Ireland. Patients were phenotypically classified as "definite", "probable" or "possible" MDS according to previous guidelines. SGCE was analyzed using direct sequencing and copy number variant analysis. In those where no mutation was found, DYT1 (GAG deletion), GCH1, THAP1 and NKX2.1 genes were also sequenced. Nineteen (21.3%) probands had an SGCE mutation. Three patterns of motor symptoms emerged: (1) early childhood onset upper body myoclonus and dystonia, (2) early childhood onset lower limb dystonia, progressing later to more pronounced myoclonus and upper body involvement, and (3) later childhood onset upper body myoclonus and dystonia with evident cervical involvement. Five probands had large contiguous gene deletions ranging from 0.7 to 2.3 Mb in size with distinctive clinical features, including short stature, joint laxity and microcephaly. Our data confirms that SGCE mutations are most commonly identified in MDS patients with (1) age at onset ≤10 years and (2) predominant upper body involvement of a pure myoclonus-dystonia. Cases with whole SGCE gene deletions had additional clinical characteristics, which are not always predicted by deletion size or gene involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn J Peall
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK,
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Krasowska E, Zabłocki K, Górecki DC, Swinny JD. Aberrant location of inhibitory synaptic marker proteins in the hippocampus of dystrophin-deficient mice: implications for cognitive impairment in duchenne muscular dystrophy. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108364. [PMID: 25260053 PMCID: PMC4178163 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disease that arises from mutations in the dystrophin-encoding gene. Apart from muscle pathology, cognitive impairment, primarily of developmental origin, is also a significant component of the disorder. Convergent lines of evidence point to an important role for dystrophin in regulating the molecular machinery of central synapses. The clustering of neurotransmitter receptors at inhibitory synapses, thus impacting on synaptic transmission, is of particular significance. However, less is known about the role of dystrophin in influencing the precise expression patterns of proteins located within the pre- and postsynaptic elements of inhibitory synapses. To this end, we exploited molecular markers of inhibitory synapses, interneurons and dystrophin-deficient mouse models to explore the role of dystrophin in determining the stereotypical patterning of inhibitory connectivity within the cellular networks of the hippocampus CA1 region. In tissue from wild-type (WT) mice, immunoreactivity of neuroligin2 (NL2), an adhesion molecule expressed exclusively in postsynaptic elements of inhibitory synapses, and the vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT), a marker of GABAergic presynaptic elements, were predictably enriched in strata pyramidale and lacunosum moleculare. In acute contrast, NL2 and VGAT immunoreactivity was relatively evenly distributed across all CA1 layers in dystrophin-deficient mice. Similar changes were evident with the cannabinoid receptor 1, vesicular glutamate transporter 3, parvalbumin, somatostatin and the GABAA receptor alpha1 subunit. The data show that in the absence of dystrophin, there is a rearrangement of the molecular machinery, which underlies the precise spatio-temporal pattern of GABAergic synaptic transmission within the CA1 sub-field of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elżbieta Krasowska
- Laboratory of Cellular Metabolism, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Krzysztof Zabłocki
- Laboratory of Cellular Metabolism, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dariusz C. Górecki
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Jerome D. Swinny
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
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Anji A, Miller H, Raman C, Phillips M, Ciment G, Kumari M. Expression of α-subunit of α-glucosidase II in adult mouse brain regions and selected organs. J Neurosci Res 2014; 93:82-93. [PMID: 25131991 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Revised: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
α-Glucosidase II (GII), a resident of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and an important enzyme in the folding of nascent glycoproteins, is heterodimeric, consisting of α (GIIα) and β (GIIβ) subunits. The catalytic GIIα subunit, with the help of mannose 6-phosphate receptor homology domain of GIIβ, sequentially hydrolyzes two α1-3-linked glucose residues in the second step of N-linked oligosaccharide-mediated protein folding. The soluble GIIα subunit is retained in the ER through its interaction with the HDEL-containing GIIβ subunit. N-glycosylation and correct protein folding are crucial for protein stability and trafficking and cell surface expression of several proteins in the brain. Alterations in N-glycosylation lead to abnormalities in neuronal migration and mental retardation, various neurodegenerative diseases, and invasion of malignant gliomas. Inhibitors of GII are used to inhibit cell proliferation and migration in a variety of different pathologies, such as viral infection, cancer, and diabetes. Despite the widespread use of GIIα inhibitory drugs and the role of GIIα in brain function, little is known about its expression in brain and other tissues. Here, we report generation of a highly specific chicken antibody to the GIIα subunit and its characterization by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation using cerebral cortical extracts. By using this antibody, we showed that the GIIα protein is highly expressed in testis, kidney, and lung, with the lowest amount in heart. GIIα polypeptide levels in whole brain were comparable to those in spleen. However, a higher expression of GIIα protein was detected in the cerebral cortex, reflecting its continuous requirement in correct folding of cell surface proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Anji
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, CVM, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
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Larsen CA, Howard MT. Conserved regions of the DMD 3' UTR regulate translation and mRNA abundance in cultured myotubes. Neuromuscul Disord 2014; 24:693-706. [PMID: 24928536 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2014.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a severe muscle-wasting disease, is caused by mutations in the DMD gene, which encodes for the protein dystrophin. Its regulation is of therapeutic interest as even small changes in expression of functional dystrophin can significantly impact the severity of DMD. While tissue-specific distribution and transcriptional regulation of several DMD mRNA isoforms has been well characterized, the post-transcriptional regulation of dystrophin synthesis is not well understood. Here, we utilize qRTPCR and a quantitative dual-luciferase reporter assay to examine the effects of isoform specific DMD 5' UTRs and the highly conserved DMD 3' UTR on mRNA abundance and translational control of gene expression in C2C12 cells. The 5' UTRs were shown to initiate translation with low efficiency in both myoblasts and myotubes. Whereas, two large highly conserved elements in the 3' UTR, which overlap the previously described Lemaire A and D regions, increase mRNA levels and enhance translation upon differentiation of myoblasts into myotubes. The results presented here implicate an important role for DMD UTRs in dystrophin expression and delineate the cis-acting elements required for the myotube-specific regulation of steady-state mRNA levels and translational enhancer activity found in the DMD 3' UTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Aaron Larsen
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Michael T Howard
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States.
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SGCZ mutations are unlikely to be associated with myoclonus dystonia. Neuroscience 2014; 272:88-91. [PMID: 24792710 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2014] [Revised: 04/19/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Myoclonus dystonia syndrome (MDS) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder caused, in a proportion of cases, by mutations of the maternally imprinted epsilon-sarcoglycan gene (SGCE). SGCE mutation rates vary between cohorts, suggesting genetic heterogeneity. E- and ζ-sarcoglycan are both expressed in brain tissue. In this study we tested whether zeta-sarcoglycan gene (SGCZ) mutations also contribute to this disorder. METHODS Patients with clinically suspected MDS and no SGCE mutation were recruited and classified, according to previously published criteria, as to their likelihood of the movement disorder. All SGCZ exons and intron/exon boundaries were screened by direct sequencing. RESULTS Fifty-four SGCE mutation-negative patients were recruited from the UK and the Netherlands. Subdivided according to the likelihood of the movement disorder resulted in 17 'definite', 16 'probable' and 21 'possible' cases. No pathogenic SGCZ mutations were identified. CONCLUSIONS SGCZ mutations are unlikely to contribute to the genetic heterogeneity in MDS.
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Altered acetylcholine release in the hippocampus of dystrophin-deficient mice. Neuroscience 2014; 269:173-83. [PMID: 24704431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.03.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 03/22/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairments have been described in one-third of patients with Duchenne muscle dystrophy (DMD). DMD is characterized by progressive and irreversible muscle degeneration caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene and lack of the protein expression. Previously, we have reported altered concentrations of α7- and β2-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in hippocampal membranes of dystrophic (mdx) mice. This suggests that alterations in the central cholinergic synapses are associated with dystrophin deficiency. In this study, we examined the release of acetylcholine (ACh) and the level of the vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT) using synaptosomes isolated from brain regions that normally have a high density of dystrophin (cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum), in control and mdx mice at 4 and 12months of age. ACh release evoked by nicotinic stimulation or K(+) depolarization was measured as the tritium outflow from superfused synaptosomes preloaded with [(3)H]-choline. The results showed that the evoked tritium release was Ca(2+)-dependent and mostly formed by [(3)H]-ACh. β2-containing nAChRs were involved in agonist-evoked [(3)H]-ACh release in control and mdx preparations. In hippocampal synaptosomes from 12-month-old mdx mice, nAChR-evoked [(3)H]-ACh release increased by 57% compared to age-matched controls. Moreover, there was a 98% increase in [(3)H]-ACh release compared to 4-month-old mdx mice. [(3)H]-ACh release evoked by K(+) depolarization was not altered, while the VAChT protein level was decreased (19%) compared to that of age-matched controls. In cortical and cerebellar preparations, there was no difference in nAChR-evoked [(3)H]-ACh release and VAChT levels between mdx and age-matched control groups. Our previous findings and the presynaptic alterations observed in the hippocampi of 12-month-old mdx mice indicate possible dysfunction of nicotinic cholinergic synapses associated with dystrophin deficiency. These changes may contribute to the cognitive and behavioral abnormalities described in dystrophic mice and patients with DMD.
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Sharma A, Sane H, Paranjape A, Bhagawanani K, Gokulchandran N, Badhe P. Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy - a case report. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CASE REPORTS 2014; 15:128-34. [PMID: 24711886 PMCID: PMC3976215 DOI: 10.12659/ajcr.890078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
PATIENT Male, 9 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Duchenne muscular dystrophy Symptoms: Hyporeflexia • hypotonia • weaknes of lower limbs MEDICATION - Clinical Procedure: - Specialty: Neurology. OBJECTIVE Congenital defects/diseases. BACKGROUND Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal, genetic, progressive, degenerating muscle disorder. Current treatment options are palliative. Newer options of cellular therapy promise to alter the disease process. Preclinical studies have successfully tested myogenic, neurogenic potential and dystrophin expression of bone marrow mononuclear cells. CASE REPORT We treated a 9-year-old boy suffering from DMD with serial autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantations followed by multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Brooke-Vignos score was 10 and he was wheelchair-bound. Over 36 months, gradual progressive improvement was noticed in muscle strength, ambulation with assistive devices, fine motor movements, Brooke-Vignos score, and functional independence measure score. Nine months after the transplantation, electromyography findings showed development of new normal motor unit potentials of the vastus medialis muscle. CONCLUSIONS Magnetic resonance imaging scan of musculoskeletal systems showed no increase in fatty infiltration. This case report provides early investigative findings or the restorative effects of cellular therapy in DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok Sharma
- Department of Medical Services and Clinical Research, NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Hemangi Sane
- Department of Research and Development, NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Amruta Paranjape
- Department of Research and Development, NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Khushboo Bhagawanani
- Department of Neuro-Rehabilitation, NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Nandini Gokulchandran
- Department of Medical Services and Clinical Research, NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Prerna Badhe
- Department of Medical Services and Clinical Research, NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute, Mumbai, India
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Mead AF, Petrov M, Malik AS, Mitchell MA, Childers MK, Bogan JR, Seidner G, Kornegay JN, Stedman HH. Diaphragm remodeling and compensatory respiratory mechanics in a canine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2014; 116:807-15. [PMID: 24408990 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00833.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ventilatory insufficiency remains the leading cause of death and late stage morbidity in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). To address critical gaps in our knowledge of the pathobiology of respiratory functional decline, we used an integrative approach to study respiratory mechanics in a translational model of DMD. In studies of individual dogs with the Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) mutation, we found evidence of rapidly progressive loss of ventilatory capacity in association with dramatic morphometric remodeling of the diaphragm. Within the first year of life, the mechanics of breathing at rest, and especially during pharmacological stimulation of respiratory control pathways in the carotid bodies, shift such that the primary role of the diaphragm becomes the passive elastic storage of energy transferred from abdominal wall muscles, thereby permitting the expiratory musculature to share in the generation of inspiratory pressure and flow. In the diaphragm, this physiological shift is associated with the loss of sarcomeres in series (∼ 60%) and an increase in muscle stiffness (∼ 900%) compared with those of the nondystrophic diaphragm, as studied during perfusion ex vivo. In addition to providing much needed endpoint measures for assessing the efficacy of therapeutics, we expect these findings to be a starting point for a more precise understanding of respiratory failure in DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A F Mead
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Snow WM, Anderson JE, Fry M. Regional and genotypic differences in intrinsic electrophysiological properties of cerebellar Purkinje neurons from wild-type and dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2014; 107:19-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2013.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2013] [Revised: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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