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Jiménez-Villegas J, Ferraiuolo L, Mead RJ, Shaw PJ, Cuadrado A, Rojo AI. NRF2 as a therapeutic opportunity to impact in the molecular roadmap of ALS. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 173:125-141. [PMID: 34314817 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating heterogeneous disease with still no convincing therapy. To identify the most strategically significant hallmarks for therapeutic intervention, we have performed a comprehensive transcriptomics analysis of dysregulated pathways, comparing datasets from ALS patients and healthy donors. We have identified crucial alterations in RNA metabolism, intracellular transport, vascular system, redox homeostasis, proteostasis and inflammatory responses. Interestingly, the transcription factor NRF2 (nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) has significant effects in modulating these pathways. NRF2 has been classically considered as the master regulator of the antioxidant cellular response, although it is currently considered as a key component of the transduction machinery to maintain coordinated control of protein quality, inflammation, and redox homeostasis. Herein, we will summarize the data from NRF2 activators in ALS pre-clinical models as well as those that are being studied in clinical trials. As we will discuss, NRF2 is a promising target to build a coordinated transcriptional response to motor neuron injury, highlighting its therapeutic potential to combat ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Jiménez-Villegas
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Paz (IdiPaz), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - L Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - R J Mead
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - P J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - A Cuadrado
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Paz (IdiPaz), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - A I Rojo
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Paz (IdiPaz), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
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Neurophysiological Mechanisms Underlying Cortical Hyper-Excitability in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Review. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11050549. [PMID: 33925493 PMCID: PMC8145013 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neuromotor disease characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs), resulting in muscle paralysis and death. Early cortical hyper-excitability is a common pathological process observed clinically and in animal disease models. Although the mechanisms that underlie cortical hyper-excitability are not completely understood, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that cause enhanced neuronal intrinsic excitability and changes in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity are starting to emerge. Here, we review the evidence for an anterograde glutamatergic excitotoxic process, leading to cortical hyper-excitability via intrinsic cellular and synaptic mechanisms and for the role of interneurons in establishing disinhibition in clinical and experimental settings. Understanding the mechanisms that lead to these complex pathological processes will likely produce key insights towards developing novel therapeutic strategies to rescue upper MNs, thus alleviating the impact of this fatal disease.
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Kazama M, Kato Y, Kakita A, Noguchi N, Urano Y, Masui K, Niida-Kawaguchi M, Yamamoto T, Watabe K, Kitagawa K, Shibata N. Astrocytes release glutamate via cystine/glutamate antiporter upregulated in response to increased oxidative stress related to sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuropathology 2020; 40:587-598. [PMID: 33305472 DOI: 10.1111/neup.12716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A vast body of evidence implicates increased oxidative stress and extracellular glutamate accumulation in the pathomechanism of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Cystine/glutamate antiporter (xCT) carries extracellular cystine uptake and intracellular glutamate release (cystine/glutamate exchange) in the presence of oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to determine the involvement of xCT in ALS. Immunohistochemical observations in the spinal cord sections demonstrated that xCT was mainly expressed in astrocytes, with staining more intense in 12 sporadic ALS patients as compared to 12 age-matched control individuals. Western blot and densitometric analyses of the spinal cord samples revealed that the relative value of xCT/β-actin optical density ratio was significantly higher in the ALS group as compared to the control group. Next, we conducted cell culture experiments using a human astrocytoma-derived cell line (1321N1) and a mouse motor neuron/neuroblastoma hybrid cell line (NSC34). In 1321N1 cells, the normalized xCT expression levels in cell lysates were significantly increased by H2 O2 treatment. Glutamate concentrations in 1321 N1 cell culture-conditioned media were significantly elevated by H2 O2 treatment, and the H2 O2 -driven elevations were completely canceled by the xCT inhibitor erastin pretreatment. In motor neuron-differentiated NSC34 cells (NSC34d cells), both the normalized xCT expression levels in the cell lysates and glutamate concentrations in the cell-conditioned media were constant with or without H2 O2 treatment. The present results provide in vivo and in vitro evidence that astrocytes upregulate xCT expression to release glutamate in response to increased oxidative stress associated with ALS, contributing to extracellular glutamate accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miku Kazama
- Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoichiro Kato
- Division of Pathological Neuroscience, Department of Pathology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Noriko Noguchi
- Department of Medical Life Systems, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Japan
| | - Yasuomi Urano
- Department of Medical Life Systems, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Japan
| | - Kenta Masui
- Division of Pathological Neuroscience, Department of Pathology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoko Niida-Kawaguchi
- Division of Pathological Neuroscience, Department of Pathology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Yamamoto
- Division of Pathological Neuroscience, Department of Pathology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Watabe
- Department of Medical Technology, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Kitagawa
- Department of Neurology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Shibata
- Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
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Ng Kee Kwong KC, Mehta AR, Nedergaard M, Chandran S. Defining novel functions for cerebrospinal fluid in ALS pathophysiology. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:140. [PMID: 32819425 PMCID: PMC7439665 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01018-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the considerable progress made towards understanding ALS pathophysiology, several key features of ALS remain unexplained, from its aetiology to its epidemiological aspects. The glymphatic system, which has recently been recognised as a major clearance pathway for the brain, has received considerable attention in several neurological conditions, particularly Alzheimer's disease. Its significance in ALS has, however, been little addressed. This perspective article therefore aims to assess the possibility of CSF contribution in ALS by considering various lines of evidence, including the abnormal composition of ALS-CSF, its toxicity and the evidence for impaired CSF dynamics in ALS patients. We also describe a potential role for CSF circulation in determining disease spread as well as the importance of CSF dynamics in ALS neurotherapeutics. We propose that a CSF model could potentially offer additional avenues to explore currently unexplained features of ALS, ultimately leading to new treatment options for people with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koy Chong Ng Kee Kwong
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Arpan R Mehta
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Maiken Nedergaard
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, inStem, Bangalore, India.
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Yamashita T, Hatakeyama T, Sato K, Fukui Y, Hishikawa N, Ohta Y, Nishiyama Y, Kawai N, Tamiya T, Abe K. Flow-metabolism uncoupling in the cervical spinal cord of ALS patients. Neurol Sci 2017; 38:659-665. [PMID: 28120243 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-017-2823-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disease. In ALS, both glucose consumption and neuronal intensity reportedly decrease in the cerebral motor cortex when measured by positron emission tomography (PET). In this study, we evaluated cervical spinal glucose metabolism, blood flow, and neuronal intensity of 10 ALS patients with upper extremity (U/E) atrophy both with 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) PET and 11C-flumazenil (11C-FMZ) PET. On the ipsilateral side of C5 and T1 levels, 18F-FDG uptake increased significantly (*p < 0.05), and was correlated with the rate of progression of the ALS FRS-R-U/E score (R = 0.645, *p = 0.041). Despite this hyperglucose metabolism, the 11C-FMZ PET study did not show a coupled increase of spinal blood flow even though neuronal intensity did not decrease. These results indicate a strong correlation between hyperglucose metabolism and ALS progression alongside the uncoupling of flow-metabolism. This mechanism, which could result in subsequent motor neuronal death, may be a potential therapeutic target for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Yamashita
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Tetsuhiro Hatakeyama
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Kota Sato
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Yusuke Fukui
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Nozomi Hishikawa
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Ohta
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Nishiyama
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Kawai
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Kagawa General Rehabilitation Hospital, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Takashi Tamiya
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Koji Abe
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.
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King AE, Woodhouse A, Kirkcaldie MT, Vickers JC. Excitotoxicity in ALS: Overstimulation, or overreaction? Exp Neurol 2016; 275 Pt 1:162-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Massie A, Boillée S, Hewett S, Knackstedt L, Lewerenz J. Main path and byways: non-vesicular glutamate release by system xc(-) as an important modifier of glutamatergic neurotransmission. J Neurochem 2015; 135:1062-79. [PMID: 26336934 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
System xc(-) is a cystine/glutamate antiporter that exchanges extracellular cystine for intracellular glutamate. Cystine is intracellularly reduced to cysteine, a building block of GSH. As such, system xc(-) can regulate the antioxidant capacity of cells. Moreover, in several brain regions, system xc(-) is the major source of extracellular glutamate. As such this antiporter is able to fulfill key physiological functions in the CNS, while evidence indicates it also plays a role in certain brain pathologies. Since the transcription of xCT, the specific subunit of system xc(-), is enhanced by the presence of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokines, system xc(-) could be involved in toxic extracellular glutamate release in neurological disorders that are associated with increased oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. System xc(-) has also been reported to contribute to the invasiveness of brain tumors and, as a source of extracellular glutamate, could participate in the induction of peritumoral seizures. Two independent reviews (Pharmacol. Rev. 64, 2012, 780; Antioxid. Redox Signal. 18, 2013, 522), approached from a different perspective, have recently been published on the functions of system xc(-) in the CNS. In this review, we highlight novel achievements and insights covering the regulation of system xc(-) as well as its involvement in emotional behavior, cognition, addiction, neurological disorders and glioblastomas, acquired in the past few years. System xc(-) constitutes an important source of extrasynaptic glutamate in the brain. By modulating the tone of extrasynaptic metabotropic or ionotropic glutamate receptors, it affects excitatory neurotransmission, the threshold for overexcitation and excitotoxicity and, as a consequence, behavior. This review describes the current knowledge of how system xc(-) is regulated and involved in physiological as well as pathophysiological brain functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Massie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Séverine Boillée
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Sandra Hewett
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Lori Knackstedt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jan Lewerenz
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, Ulm, Germany
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Zhang F, Wang W, Siedlak SL, Liu Y, Liu J, Jiang K, Perry G, Zhu X, Wang X. Miro1 deficiency in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:100. [PMID: 26074815 PMCID: PMC4443026 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper transportation of mitochondria to sites with high energy demands is critical for neuronal function and survival. Impaired mitochondrial movement has been repeatedly reported in motor neurons of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and indicated as an important mechanism contributing to motor neuron degeneration in ALS. Miro1, a RhoGTPase also referred to as Rhot1, is a key regulator of mitochondrial movement linking mitochondria and motor proteins. In this study, we investigated whether the expression of Miro1 was altered in ALS patients and ALS animal models. Immunoblot analysis revealed that Miro1 was significantly reduced in the spinal cord tissue of ALS patients. Consistently, the decreased expression of Miro1 was also noted only in the spinal cord, and not in the brain tissue of transgenic mice expressing ALS-associated SOD1 G93A or TDP-43 M337V. Glutamate excitotoxicity is one of the major pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of ALS, and we found that excessive glutamate challenge lead to significant reduction of Miro1 expression in spinal cord motor neurons both in vitro and in mice. Taken together, these findings show Miro1 deficiency in ALS patients and ALS animal models and suggest glutamate excitotoxicity as a likely cause of Miro1 deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA ; Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Wenzhang Wang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sandra L Siedlak
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Yingchao Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai, China
| | - Keji Jiang
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences Shanghai, China
| | - George Perry
- College of Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Xiongwei Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Xinglong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
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Kim RB, Irvin CW, Tilva KR, Mitchell CS. State of the field: An informatics-based systematic review of the SOD1-G93A amyotrophic lateral sclerosis transgenic mouse model. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2015; 17:1-14. [PMID: 25998063 PMCID: PMC4724331 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2015.1047455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Numerous sub-cellular through system-level disturbances have been identified in over 1300 articles examining the superoxide dismutase-1 guanine 93 to alanine (SOD1-G93A) transgenic mouse amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathophysiology. Manual assessment of such a broad literature base is daunting. We performed a comprehensive informatics-based systematic review or 'field analysis' to agnostically compute and map the current state of the field. Text mining of recaptured articles was used to quantify published data topic breadth and frequency. We constructed a nine-category pathophysiological function-based ontology to systematically organize and quantify the field's primary data. Results demonstrated that the distribution of primary research belonging to each category is: systemic measures an motor function, 59%; inflammation, 46%; cellular energetics, 37%; proteomics, 31%; neural excitability, 22%; apoptosis, 20%; oxidative stress, 18%; aberrant cellular chemistry, 14%; axonal transport, 10%. We constructed a SOD1-G93A field map that visually illustrates and categorizes the 85% most frequently assessed sub-topics. Finally, we present the literature-cited significance of frequently published terms and uncover thinly investigated areas. In conclusion, most articles individually examine at least two categories, which is indicative of the numerous underlying pathophysiological interrelationships. An essential future path is examination of cross-category pathophysiological interrelationships and their co-correspondence to homeostatic regulation and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renaid B Kim
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University , Atlanta , Georgia , USA
| | - Cameron W Irvin
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University , Atlanta , Georgia , USA
| | - Keval R Tilva
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University , Atlanta , Georgia , USA
| | - Cassie S Mitchell
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University , Atlanta , Georgia , USA
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Sumoylation of critical proteins in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: emerging pathways of pathogenesis. Neuromolecular Med 2013; 15:760-70. [PMID: 24062161 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-013-8262-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Emerging lines of evidence suggest a relationship between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and protein sumoylation. Multiple studies have demonstrated that several of the proteins involved in the pathogenesis of ALS, including superoxide dismutase 1, fused in liposarcoma, and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), are substrates for sumoylation. Additionally, recent studies in cellular and animal models of ALS revealed that sumoylation of these proteins impact their localization, longevity, and how they functionally perform in disease, providing novel areas for mechanistic investigations and therapeutics. In this article, we summarize the current literature examining the impact of sumoylation of critical proteins involved in ALS and discuss the potential impact for the pathogenesis of the disease. In addition, we report and discuss the implications of new evidence demonstrating that sumoylation of a fragment derived from the proteolytic cleavage of the astroglial glutamate transporter, EAAT2, plays a direct role in downregulating the expression levels of full-length EAAT2 by binding to a regulatory region of its promoter.
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11
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Albano R, Liu X, Lobner D. Regulation of system x(c)- in the SOD1-G93A mouse model of ALS. Exp Neurol 2013; 250:69-73. [PMID: 24041987 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2013.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The cystine/glutamate antiporter (system xc-) is critical for the generation of the antioxidant glutathione by transporting cystine into the cell. At the same time, system xc- also releases glutamate, which can potentially lead to excitotoxicity. The dual actions of system xc- make it of great interest in any disease, like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in which there is evidence of the involvement of both oxidative stress and excitotoxicity. The present study investigated the regulation of system xc- in the spinal cord of the SOD1-G93A transgenic mouse model of ALS. In acute spinal cord slices of 70day old SOD1-G93A transgenic mice cystine uptake by system xc- was significantly increased compared to age matched non-transgenic mice; but it was not significantly different at 55, 100, or 130days. The 70day old SOD1-G93A transgenic mice also showed significantly increased glutamate release in the presence of cystine. d-Aspartate uptake through excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs), the main mechanism by which glutamate is cleared from the extracellular space, was also examined. In spinal cord slices of 70day old SOD1-G93A mice no change in d-aspartate uptake was found. Together, these findings suggest that at 70days of age, SOD1-G93A transgenic mice have increased system xc- activity, but no change in EAAT function. These results raise the possibility that excitotoxicity in the SOD1-G93A transgenic mouse, at least at early time points, may be due to increased system xc- activity and not decreased EAAT function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Albano
- Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, 561 N. 15th Street, Rm 426, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA.
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12
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Dumont AO, Hermans E, Goursaud S. Differential regulation of the glutamate transporter variants GLT-1a and GLT-1b in the cortex and spinal cord of transgenic rats expressing hSOD1(G93A). Neurochem Int 2013; 63:61-8. [PMID: 23665075 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2013.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Revised: 04/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Altered expression and activity of GLT-1 have been characterized in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and in animal models of the disease. Data suggest that the expression of two C-terminus splice variants of GLT-1 (namely GLT-1a and GLT-1b) can be differentially regulated in this pathological context. We herein characterized the expression of GLT-1a and GLT-1b mRNA and the glutamate uptake activity in the fronto-temporal cortex and the lumbar spinal cord of transgenic rats expressing hSOD1(G93A) at various stages of the disease. We also investigated the expression and activity of the other key glutamate transporters GLAST and EAAC1. While the progression of the disease was associated with a reduction of the overall GLT-1 activity in both cortex and spinal cord, the regulation of GLT-1a and GLT-1b transcripts showed different profiles. In the cortex, GLT-1a mRNA which appears as the most abundant isoform at a pre-symptomatic stage was strongly decreased during the progression of the disease while GLT-1b mRNA increased to reach a similar level as GLT-1a at end-stage. In the lumbar spinal cord of transgenic rats, both GLT-1a and GLT-1b mRNAs, expressed at the same levels before the symptom onset, were strongly decreased in the ventral horns. While no modification of GLAST was detected, EAAC1 mRNA was highly increased at a pre-symptomatic stage in transgenic animals, explaining a higher activity of glutamate transporters at this age. These results demonstrate that glutamate transporters are differentially expressed in nervous structures of wild-type and transgenic animals although the total GLT-1 activity was constantly decreased during the disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie O Dumont
- Institute of Neuroscience, Group of Neuropharmacology, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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Quinlan KA. Links between electrophysiological and molecular pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Integr Comp Biol 2011; 51:913-25. [PMID: 21989221 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icr116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple deficits have been described in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), from the first changes in normal functioning of the motoneurons and glia to the eventual loss of spinal and cortical motoneurons. In this review, current results, including changes in size, and electrical properties of motoneurons, glutamate excitotoxicity, calcium buffering, deficits in mitochondrial and cellular transport, impediments to proteostasis which lead to stress of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and glial contributions to motoneuronal vulnerability are recapitulated. Results are mainly drawn from the mutant SOD1 mouse model of ALS, and emphasis is placed on early changes that precede the onset of symptoms and the interplay between molecular and electrical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina A Quinlan
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Correlation of cerebral spinal fluid pH and HCO3- with disease progression in ALS. J Neurol Sci 2011; 307:74-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2011.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2010] [Revised: 05/06/2011] [Accepted: 05/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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15
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Abstract
Although often considered as a group, spinal motor neurons are highly diverse in terms of their morphology, connectivity, and functional properties and differ significantly in their response to disease. Recent studies of motor neuron diversity have clarified developmental mechanisms and provided novel insights into neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Motor neurons of different classes and subtypes--fast/slow, alpha/gamma--are grouped together into motor pools, each of which innervates a single skeletal muscle. Distinct mechanisms regulate their development. For example, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has effects that are pool-specific on motor neuron connectivity, column-specific on axonal growth, and subtype-specific on survival. In multiple degenerative contexts including ALS, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and aging, fast-fatigable (FF) motor units degenerate early, whereas motor neurons innervating slow muscles and those involved in eye movement and pelvic sphincter control are strikingly preserved. Extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms that confer resistance represent promising therapeutic targets in these currently incurable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C Kanning
- Department of Pathology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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16
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Foran E, Trotti D. Glutamate transporters and the excitotoxic path to motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Antioxid Redox Signal 2009; 11:1587-602. [PMID: 19413484 PMCID: PMC2842587 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2009.2444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Responsible for the majority of excitatory activity in the central nervous system (CNS), glutamate interacts with a range of specific receptor and transporter systems to establish a functional synapse. Excessive stimulation of glutamate receptors causes excitotoxicity, a phenomenon implicated in both acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases [e.g., ischemia, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)]. In physiology, excitotoxicity is prevented by rapid binding and clearance of synaptic released glutamate by high-affinity, Na(+)-dependent glutamate transporters and amplified by defects to the glutamate transporter and receptor systems. ALS pathogenetic mechanisms are not completely understood and characterized, but excitotoxicity has been regarded as one firm mechanism implicated in the disease because of data obtained from ALS patients and animal and cellular models as well as inferred by the documented efficacy of riluzole, a generic antiglutamatergic drug, has in patients. In this article, we critically review the several lines of evidence supporting a role for glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity in the death of motor neurons occurring in ALS, putting a particular emphasis on the impairment of the glutamate-transport system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Foran
- Weinberg Unit for ALS Research, Farber Institute for the Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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17
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Prow NA, Irani DN. The inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1 beta, mediates loss of astroglial glutamate transport and drives excitotoxic motor neuron injury in the spinal cord during acute viral encephalomyelitis. J Neurochem 2008; 105:1276-86. [PMID: 18194440 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05230.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes remove glutamate from the synaptic cleft via specific transporters, and impaired glutamate reuptake may promote excitotoxic neuronal injury. In a model of viral encephalomyelitis caused by neuroadapted Sindbis virus (NSV), mice develop acute paralysis and spinal motor neuron degeneration inhibited by the AMPA receptor antagonist, NBQX. To investigate disrupted glutamate homeostasis in the spinal cord, expression of the main astroglial glutamate transporter, GLT-1, was examined. GLT-1 levels declined in the spinal cord during acute infection while GFAP expression was preserved. There was simultaneous production of inflammatory cytokines at this site, and susceptible animals treated with drugs that blocked IL-1beta release also limited paralysis and prevented the loss of GLT-1 expression. Conversely, infection of resistant mice that develop mild paralysis following NSV challenge showed higher baseline GLT-1 levels as well as lower production of IL-1beta and relatively preserved GLT-1 expression in the spinal cord compared to susceptible hosts. Finally, spinal cord GLT-1 expression was largely maintained following infection of IL-1beta-deficient animals. Together, these data show that IL-1beta inhibits astrocyte glutamate transport in the spinal cord during viral encephalomyelitis. They provide one of the strongest in vivo links between innate immune responses and the development of excitotoxicity demonstrated to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie A Prow
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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18
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Rattray M, Bendotti C. Does excitotoxic cell death of motor neurons in ALS arise from glutamate transporter and glutamate receptor abnormalities? Exp Neurol 2006; 201:15-23. [PMID: 16806177 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2006.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2006] [Revised: 05/02/2006] [Accepted: 05/04/2006] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Rattray
- King's College London, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Guy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
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19
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Darman J, Backovic S, Dike S, Maragakis NJ, Krishnan C, Rothstein JD, Irani DN, Kerr DA. Viral-induced spinal motor neuron death is non-cell-autonomous and involves glutamate excitotoxicity. J Neurosci 2005; 24:7566-75. [PMID: 15329404 PMCID: PMC6729638 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2002-04.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroadapted Sindbis virus (NSV) is a neurotropic virus capable of inducing the death of spinal motor neurons in mice and rats. In this study we investigated the mechanisms that underlie NSV-induced motor neuron death. We found that many degenerating spinal motor neurons were not infected directly with NSV, suggesting that bystander cell death occurs. An excitotoxic mechanism was confirmed when blockade of calcium-permeable AMPA receptors attenuated motor neuron death both in vitro and in vivo. Blockade of astroglial glutamate reuptake potentiated NSV-induced motor neuron loss in vivo, suggesting that astrocyte-mediated removal of perisynaptic glutamate is important in limiting NSV-induced excitotoxic injury. Astroglial glutamate transport was reduced markedly in the spinal cord during NSV infection, in advance of motor neuron injury in susceptible mice. In contrast, we found 5.6-fold elevated glutamate uptake in the spinal cords of mice resistant to NSV-induced paralysis. Likewise, minocycline markedly increased spinal cord glutamate transport and protected mice from NSV-induced motor neuron death. These studies suggest that NSV infection triggers a cascade of events in the spinal cord resulting in impaired astrocytic glutamate transport and excitotoxic injury of motor neurons mediated via calcium-permeable AMPA receptors. Similar changes may occur in other motor neuron disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or West Nile Virus-induced poliomyelitis, suggesting a common tissue injury pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Darman
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
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20
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Ghadge GD, Slusher BS, Bodner A, Canto MD, Wozniak K, Thomas AG, Rojas C, Tsukamoto T, Majer P, Miller RJ, Monti AL, Roos RP. Glutamate carboxypeptidase II inhibition protects motor neurons from death in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis models. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2003; 100:9554-9. [PMID: 12876198 PMCID: PMC170956 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1530168100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 10% of cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and fatal degeneration that targets motor neurons (MNs), are inherited, and approximately 20% of these cases of familial ALS (FALS) are caused by mutations of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase type 1. Glutamate excitotoxicity has been implicated as a mechanism of MN death in both ALS and FALS. In this study, we tested whether a neuroprotective strategy involving potent and selective inhibitors of glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), which converts the abundant neuropeptide N-acetylaspartylglutamate to glutamate, could protect MNs in an in vitro and animal model of FALS. Data suggest that the GCPII inhibitors prevented MN cell death in both of these systems because of the resultant decrease in glutamate levels. GCPII inhibition may represent a new therapeutic target for the treatment of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghanashyam D Ghadge
- Department of Neurology, University of Chicago School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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