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Huang M, Liu YU, Yao X, Qin D, Su H. Variability in SOD1-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: geographic patterns, clinical heterogeneity, molecular alterations, and therapeutic implications. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:28. [PMID: 38811997 PMCID: PMC11138100 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-024-00416-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons, resulting in global health burden and limited post-diagnosis life expectancy. Although primarily sporadic, familial ALS (fALS) cases suggest a genetic basis. This review focuses on SOD1, the first gene found to be associated with fALS, which has been more recently confirmed by genome sequencing. While informative, databases such as ALSoD and STRENGTH exhibit regional biases. Through a systematic global examination of SOD1 mutations from 1993 to 2023, we found different geographic distributions and clinical presentations. Even though different SOD1 variants are expressed at different protein levels and have different half-lives and dismutase activities, these alterations lead to loss of function that is not consistently correlated with disease severity. Gain of function of toxic aggregates of SOD1 resulting from mutated SOD1 has emerged as one of the key contributors to ALS. Therapeutic interventions specifically targeting toxic gain of function of mutant SOD1, including RNA interference and antibodies, show promise, but a cure remains elusive. This review provides a comprehensive perspective on SOD1-associated ALS and describes molecular features and the complex genetic landscape of SOD1, highlighting its importance in determining diverse clinical manifestations observed in ALS patients and emphasizing the need for personalized therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaodan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yong U Liu
- Laboratory for Neuroimmunology in Health and Diseases, Guangzhou First People's Hospital School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Yao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Dajiang Qin
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510799, China.
| | - Huanxing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
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Cellular analysis of SOD1 protein-aggregation propensity and toxicity: a case of ALS with slow progression harboring homozygous SOD1-D92G mutation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12636. [PMID: 35879519 PMCID: PMC9314329 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16871-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations within Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), accounting for approximately 20% of familial cases. The pathological feature is a loss of motor neurons with enhanced formation of intracellular misfolded SOD1. Homozygous SOD1-D90A in familial ALS has been reported to show slow disease progression. Here, we reported a rare case of a slowly progressive ALS patient harboring a novel SOD1 homozygous mutation D92G (homD92G). The neuronal cell line overexpressing SOD1-D92G showed a lower ratio of the insoluble/soluble fraction of SOD1 with fine aggregates of the misfolded SOD1 and lower cellular toxicity than those overexpressing SOD1-G93A, a mutation that generally causes rapid disease progression. Next, we analyzed spinal motor neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) of a healthy control subject and ALS patients carrying SOD1-homD92G or heterozygous SOD1-L144FVX mutation. Lower levels of misfolded SOD1 and cell loss were observed in the motor neurons differentiated from patient-derived iPSCs carrying SOD1-homD92G than in those carrying SOD1-L144FVX. Taken together, SOD1-homD92G has a lower propensity to aggregate and induce cellular toxicity than SOD1-G93A or SOD1-L144FVX, and these cellular phenotypes could be associated with the clinical course of slowly progressive ALS.
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Corcia P, Blasco H, Besson G, Camdessanché JP, Pautot V, Beltran S, Couratier P, Andres C, Camu W, Vourc'h P. SOD1 mutation can mask C9orf72 abnormal expansion. Eur J Neurol 2017; 24:e24. [PMID: 28322003 DOI: 10.1111/ene.13257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P Corcia
- Centre de Ressources et de Compétences SLA, CHU Tours, Tours, France.,Inserm Unit UMR U930, Tours, France.,Fédération des Centres de Ressources et de Compétences de Tours et Limoges, LITORALS, Limoges, France
| | - H Blasco
- Inserm Unit UMR U930, Tours, France
| | - G Besson
- Service de Neurologie, CHU Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - J-P Camdessanché
- Centre de Ressources et de Compétences SLA, CHU St Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - V Pautot
- Centre de Ressources et de Compétences SLA, CHU Angers, Angers, France
| | - S Beltran
- Centre de Ressources et de Compétences SLA, CHU Tours, Tours, France.,Fédération des Centres de Ressources et de Compétences de Tours et Limoges, LITORALS, Limoges, France
| | - P Couratier
- Fédération des Centres de Ressources et de Compétences de Tours et Limoges, LITORALS, Limoges, France.,Centre de Ressources et de Compétences SLA, CHU Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - C Andres
- Inserm Unit UMR U930, Tours, France
| | - W Camu
- Centre de Ressources et de Compétences SLA, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Calvo A, Ilardi A, Moglia C, Canosa A, Carrara G, Valentini C, Ossola I, Brunetti M, Restagno G, Chiò A. An ALS case with a novel D90N-SOD1 heterozygous missense mutation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 13:393-5. [PMID: 22632444 DOI: 10.3109/17482968.2012.673170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of motor neuron disease. We describe the case of a patient with a rapidly progressive form of ALS characterized by both upper and lower motor neuron impairment, no early bulbar signs and severe pain in all four extremities. The patient had a heterozygous c.271G > A mutation in SOD1, leading to an amino acids substitution of asparagine to aspartate at position 90 of the protein chain (p.D90N). Our report confirms that ALS patients with D90 codon heterozygous mutations may be associated with rapid progression and a prominent pain syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Calvo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
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Vela A, Galán L, Valencia C, de la Torre P, Cuadrado L, Esteban J, Guerrero A, García-Redondo A, Matías-Guiu J. SOD1-N196 mutation in a family with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. NEUROLOGÍA (ENGLISH EDITION) 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2011.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
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Luquin N, Yu B, Trent RJ, Pamphlett R. DHPLC can be used to detect low-level mutations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 11:76-82. [PMID: 20184515 DOI: 10.3109/17482960802572699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Somatic mutations have been suggested as a cause of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS). These mutations can be difficult to detect since they may involve only a small percentage of cells within the tissue, so we devised a method to detect low mutation levels in brain DNA. Different proportions of a known SOD1 mutation were prepared to determine the sensitivity of DHPLC. The fraction containing the mutant signal was collected and re-amplified ('enriched') to increase sensitivity and to dideoxy sequence the mutation. The combined technique was used to screen all exons and the promoter of SOD1 in 23 SALS brains. DHPLC could detect a known SOD1 mutation in 5% of a sample of brain tissue. Using our enrichment technique doubled the height of the mutant sequencing signal, which allowed identification of an unknown mutation in 10% of brain tissue. No SOD1 mutations were found in the SALS brains using this technique. In conclusion, combining DHPLC and sequencing doubles the sensitivity of sequencing alone and can detect low levels of known and unknown mutations in brain DNA. No SALS SOD1 somatic mutations were detected, but DHPLC would be useful in looking for somatic mutations in other SALS candidate genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Luquin
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Genetics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
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Lansbury PT, Lashuel HA. A century-old debate on protein aggregation and neurodegeneration enters the clinic. Nature 2006; 443:774-9. [PMID: 17051203 DOI: 10.1038/nature05290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 507] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The correlation between neurodegenerative disease and protein aggregation in the brain has long been recognized, but a causal relationship has not been unequivocally established, in part because a discrete pathogenic aggregate has not been identified. The complexity of these diseases and the dynamic nature of protein aggregation mean that, despite progress towards understanding aggregation, its relationship to disease is difficult to determine in the laboratory. Nevertheless, drug candidates that inhibit aggregation are now being tested in the clinic. These have the potential to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and related disorders and could, if administered presymptomatically, drastically reduce the incidence of these diseases. The clinical trials could also settle the century-old debate about causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter T Lansbury
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
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Andersen PM. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with mutations in the CuZn superoxide dismutase gene. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2006; 6:37-46. [PMID: 16469270 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-996-0008-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This review highlights recent epidemiologic, clinical-genetic, and neurochemical advances in our understanding of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their relationships to familial ALS caused by superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene mutations. It is of fundamental importance to recognize that ALS is a biologically heterogeneous syndrome in which genetics, environment, and aging are inter-related. The discovery of mutations in the SOD1 gene is the greatest breakthrough in ALS research since Charcot's description of the disorder, but the putative toxic gain of function of mutant SOD1 remains elusive despite intense research. Currently, two dominant theories for the pathogenesis of SOD1 mutations exist: specific protein cytotoxicity and protein aggregation. Mutant SOD1 interacts specifically with neurofilament-light chain mRNA and the dynein/dynactin complex, suggesting that cytoskeletal defects and axonal transport are key players. In addition, mutant SOD1 protein has increased propensity to form aggregate-prone monomers, and the degree of instability correlates inversely with length of survival; therefore, increased propensity to aggregate may be the unifying common denominator for the 119 diverse SOD1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Andersen
- Department of Neurology, Umeå University Hospital, SE-901 85, Umeå, Sweden.
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