1
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Diarra S, Ghosh S, Cissé L, Coulibaly T, Yalcouyé A, Harmison G, Diallo S, Diallo SH, Coulibaly O, Schindler A, Cissé CAK, Maiga AB, Bamba S, Samassekou O, Khokha MK, Mis EK, Lakhani SA, Donovan FX, Jacobson S, Blackstone C, Guinto CO, Landouré G, Bonifacino JS, Fischbeck KH, Grunseich C. AP2A2 mutation and defective endocytosis in a Malian family with hereditary spastic paraplegia. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 198:106537. [PMID: 38772452 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106537] [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: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) comprises a large group of neurogenetic disorders characterized by progressive lower extremity spasticity. Neurological evaluation and genetic testing were completed in a Malian family with early-onset HSP. Three children with unaffected consanguineous parents presented with symptoms consistent with childhood-onset complicated HSP. Neurological evaluation found lower limb weakness, spasticity, dysarthria, seizures, and intellectual disability. Brain MRI showed corpus callosum thinning with cortical and spinal cord atrophy, and an EEG detected slow background in the index patient. Whole exome sequencing identified a homozygous missense variant in the adaptor protein (AP) complex 2 alpha-2 subunit (AP2A2) gene. Western blot analysis showed reduced levels of AP2A2 in patient-iPSC derived neuronal cells. Endocytosis of transferrin receptor (TfR) was decreased in patient-derived neurons. In addition, we observed increased axon initial segment length in patient-derived neurons. Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles with ap2a2 knockout showed cerebral edema and progressive seizures. Immunoprecipitation of the mutant human AP-2-appendage alpha-C construct showed defective binding to accessory proteins. We report AP2A2 as a novel genetic entity associated with HSP and provide functional data in patient-derived neuron cells and a frog model. These findings expand our understanding of the mechanism of HSP and improve the genetic diagnosis of this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salimata Diarra
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques, et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali; Neurogenetics Branch, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States; Yale University, Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Department of Pediatrics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Saikat Ghosh
- Neurosciences and Cellular and Structural Biology Division, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Lassana Cissé
- Service de Neurologie, CHU du Point "G", Bamako, Mali
| | - Thomas Coulibaly
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques, et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali; Neurosciences and Cellular and Structural Biology Division, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Abdoulaye Yalcouyé
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques, et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali; Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - George Harmison
- Neurogenetics Branch, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | | | | | - Oumar Coulibaly
- Service de Chirurgie Pédiatrique, CHU du Gabriel Touré, Bamako, Mali
| | - Alice Schindler
- Neurogenetics Branch, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Cheick A K Cissé
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques, et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali
| | - Alassane B Maiga
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques, et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali; Service de Neurologie, CHU du Point "G", Bamako, Mali
| | - Salia Bamba
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques, et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali
| | - Oumar Samassekou
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques, et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali
| | - Mustafa K Khokha
- Yale University, Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Department of Pediatrics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Emily K Mis
- Yale University, Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Department of Pediatrics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Saquib A Lakhani
- Yale University, Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Department of Pediatrics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Frank X Donovan
- Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch, NHGRI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Steve Jacobson
- Neuroimmunology Division, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Craig Blackstone
- Movement Disorders Division, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medicine School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Cheick O Guinto
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques, et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali; Service de Neurologie, CHU du Point "G", Bamako, Mali
| | - Guida Landouré
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques, et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali; Neurogenetics Branch, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States; Service de Neurologie, CHU du Point "G", Bamako, Mali
| | - Juan S Bonifacino
- Neurosciences and Cellular and Structural Biology Division, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
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2
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Zhang Q, Yang Q, Luo J, Zhou X, Yi S, Tan S, Qin Z. Clinical features and molecular genetic investigation of infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP) in two Chinese siblings caused by a novel splice site ALS2 variation. BMC Med Genomics 2024; 17:44. [PMID: 38297306 PMCID: PMC10829245 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-024-01805-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: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE ALS2-related disorder involves retrograde degeneration of the upper motor neurons of the pyramidal tracts, among which autosomal recessive Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP) is a rare phenotype. In this study, we gathered clinical data from two Chinese siblings who were affected by IAHSP. Our aim was to assess the potential pathogenicity of the identified variants and analyze their clinical and genetic characteristics. METHOD Here, Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on proband to identify the candidate variants. Subsequently, Sanger sequencing was used to verify identified candidate variants and to assess co-segregation among available family members. Utilizing both silico prediction and 3D protein modeling, an analysis was conducted to evaluate the potential functional implications of the variants on the encoded protein, and minigene assays were performed to unravel the effect of the variants on the cleavage of pre-mRNA. RESULTS Both patients were characterized by slurred speech, astasia, inability to walk, scoliosis, lower limb hypertonia, ankle clonus, contracture of joint, foot pronation and no psychomotor retardation was found. Genetic analysis revealed a novel homozygous variant of ALS2, c.1815G > T(p.Lys605Asn) in two Chinese siblings. To our knowledge, it is the first confirmed case of a likely pathogenic variant leading to IAHSP in a Chinese patient. CONCLUSION This study broadens the range of ALS2 variants and has practical implications for prenatal and postnatal screening of IAHSR. Symptom-based diagnosis of IAHSP is frequently difficult for medical practitioners. WES can be a beneficial resource to identify a particular disorder when the diagnosis cannot be determined from the symptoms alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhang
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of reproductive health and birth defect prevention, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of reproductive health and birth defect prevention, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Jingsi Luo
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of reproductive health and birth defect prevention, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Xunzhao Zhou
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of reproductive health and birth defect prevention, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Shang Yi
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of reproductive health and birth defect prevention, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Shuyin Tan
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of reproductive health and birth defect prevention, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Zailong Qin
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, China.
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Genetic Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China.
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of reproductive health and birth defect prevention, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China.
- Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, The Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China.
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3
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Eltoum A, O'Rourke D, Sharif F. Infantile onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. BMJ Case Rep 2022; 15:e240941. [PMID: 35039335 PMCID: PMC8767962 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-240941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A 3½-year-old girl, presented with delayed motor development and increased tone in lower limbs along with tight tendoachilles, toe walking and bilateral clonus. There were normal antenatal and perinatal period, however, after birth there was twitching of her lower limbs. Examination showed lower limb spasticity.Brain and spinal MRI along with EEG were normal. Serum amino acids revealed hyperprolinemia type 1. Hereditary spastic paraplegia gene panel confirmed a homozygous pathogenic variant in ALS2 gene, confirming a diagnosis of infantile onset ascending hereditary spastic paraparesis. She was fitted with ankle-foot orthotics, uses a Kaye walker and is on baclofen and diazepam as she can experience spasticity and painful muscle cramps. She is being managed by a multidisciplinary team involving paediatrician, paediatric neurologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, dietitian and social worker. Infantile onset ascending hereditary spastic paraplegia represents a rare cause of early onset spasticity with a progressive prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Eltoum
- Paediatric Department, Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar, Mullingar, Ireland
| | - Declan O'Rourke
- Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Farhana Sharif
- Paediatric Department, Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar, Mullingar, Ireland
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
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4
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Rossi Sebastiano M, Ermondi G, Hadano S, Caron G. AI-based protein structure databases have the potential to accelerate rare diseases research: AlphaFoldDB and the case of IAHSP/Alsin. Drug Discov Today 2021; 27:1652-1660. [PMID: 34958957 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based protein structure databases are expected to have an impact on drug discovery. Here, we show how AlphaFold could support rare diseases research programs. We focus on Alsin, a protein responsible for rare motor neuron diseases, such as infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP) and juvenile primary lateral sclerosis (JPLS), and involved in some cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). First, we compared the AlphaFoldDB human Alsin model with homology models of alsin domains. We then evaluated the flexibility profile of Alsin and of experimentally characterized mutants present in patients with IAHSP. Next, we compared preliminary models of dimeric/tetrameric Alsin responsible for its physiological action with hypothetical models reported in the literature. Finally, we suggest the best animal model for drug candidates testing. Overall, we computationally show that drug discovery efforts toward Alsin-involving diseases should be pursued.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Rossi Sebastiano
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, University of Torino, Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ermondi
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, University of Torino, Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Shinji Hadano
- Molecular Neuropathobiology Laboratory, Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
| | - Giulia Caron
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, University of Torino, Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy.
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5
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Sprute R, Jergas H, Ölmez A, Alawbathani S, Karasoy H, Dafsari HS, Becker K, Daimagüler HS, Nürnberg P, Muntoni F, Topaloglu H, Uyanik G, Cirak S. Genotype-phenotype correlation in seven motor neuron disease families with novel ALS2 mutations. Am J Med Genet A 2020; 185:344-354. [PMID: 33155358 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.61951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Autosomal-recessive mutations in the Alsin Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (ALS2) gene may cause specific subtypes of childhood-onset progressive neurodegenerative motor neuron diseases (MND). These diseases can manifest with a clinical continuum from infantile ascending hereditary spastic paraplegia (IAHSP) to juvenile-onset forms with or without lower motor neuron involvement, the juvenile primary lateral sclerosis (JPLS) and the juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS). We report 11 patients from seven unrelated Turkish and Yemeni families with clinical signs of IAHSP or JPLS. We performed haplotype analysis or next-generation panel sequencing followed by Sanger Sequencing to unravel the genetic disease cause. We described their clinical phenotype and analyzed the pathogenicity of the detected variants with bioinformatics tools. We further reviewed all previously reported cases with ALS2-related MND. We identified five novel homozygous pathogenic variants in ALS2 at various positions: c.275_276delAT (p.Tyr92CysfsTer11), c.1044C>G (p.Tyr348Ter), c.1718C>A (p.Ala573Glu), c.3161T>C (p.Leu1054Pro), and c.1471+1G>A (NM_020919.3, NP_065970.2). In our cohort, disease onset was in infancy or early childhood with rapid onset of motor neuron signs. Muscle weakness, spasticity, severe dysarthria, dysphagia, and facial weakness were common features in the first decade of life. Frameshift and nonsense mutations clustered in the N-terminal Alsin domains are most prevalent. We enriched the mutational spectrum of ALS2-related disorders with five novel pathogenic variants. Our study indicates a high detection rate of ALS2 mutations in patients with a clinically well-characterized early onset MND. Intrafamilial and even interfamilial diversity in patients with identical pathogenic variants suggest yet unknown modifiers for phenotypic expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanne Sprute
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hannah Jergas
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Akgün Ölmez
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Salem Alawbathani
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hatice Karasoy
- Department of Neurology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Hormos Salimi Dafsari
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kerstin Becker
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hülya-Sevcan Daimagüler
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Peter Nürnberg
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Francesco Muntoni
- The Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, National Institute for Health Research Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Haluk Topaloglu
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gökhan Uyanik
- Medical School, Sigmund Freud Private University, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Medical Genetics, Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebahattin Cirak
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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6
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Helal M, Mazaheri N, Shalbafan B, Malamiri RA, Dilaver N, Buchert R, Mohammadiasl J, Golchin N, Sedaghat A, Mehrjardi MYV, Haack TB, Riess O, Chung WK, Galehdari H, Shariati G, Maroofian R. Clinical presentation and natural history of infantile-onset ascending spastic paralysis from three families with an ALS2 founder variant. Neurol Sci 2018; 39:1917-1925. [PMID: 30128655 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-018-3526-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Biallelic mutations of the alsin Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (ALS2) gene cause a group of overlapping autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorders including infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP), juvenile primary lateral sclerosis (JPLS), and juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS/ALS2), caused by retrograde degeneration of the upper motor neurons of the pyramidal tracts. Here, we describe 11 individuals with IAHSP, aged 2-48 years, with IAHSP from three unrelated consanguineous Iranian families carrying the homozygous c.1640+1G>A founder mutation in ALS2. Three affected siblings from one family exhibit generalized dystonia which has not been previously described in families with IAHSP and has only been reported in three unrelated consanguineous families with JALS/ALS2. We report the oldest individuals with IAHSP to date and provide evidence that these patients survive well into their late 40s with preserved cognition and normal eye movements. Our study delineates the phenotypic spectrum of IAHSP and ALS2-related disorders and provides valuable insights into the natural disease course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayada Helal
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, Room 620, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Neda Mazaheri
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.,Narges Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Laboratory, East Mihan Ave., Kianpars, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Bita Shalbafan
- Iranian Social Security Organization, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Azizi Malamiri
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Golestan Medical, Educational, and Research Centre, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Nafi Dilaver
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Rebecca Buchert
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Javad Mohammadiasl
- Department of Genetics, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Ahvaz Noor Genetics Laboratory, Ahvaz, Iran
| | | | - Alireza Sedaghat
- Narges Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Laboratory, East Mihan Ave., Kianpars, Ahvaz, Iran.,Diabetes Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Yahya Vahidi Mehrjardi
- Medical Genetics Research Centre, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.,Diabetes Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Tobias B Haack
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Wendy K Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, Room 620, New York, NY, 10032, USA.,Departments of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, Room 620, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Hamid Galehdari
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Shariati
- Narges Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Laboratory, East Mihan Ave., Kianpars, Ahvaz, Iran.,Department of Genetics, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, UK.
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7
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Daud S, Kakar N, Goebel I, Hashmi AS, Yaqub T, Nürnberg G, Nürnberg P, Morris-Rosendahl DJ, Wasim M, Volk AE, Kubisch C, Ahmad J, Borck G. Identification of two novel ALS2 mutations in infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paraplegia. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2016; 17:260-5. [PMID: 26751646 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2015.1125501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Biallelic mutations of ALS2 cause a clinical spectrum of overlapping autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorders: infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP), juvenile primary lateral sclerosis (JPLS), and juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS2). We report on eleven individuals affected with IAHSP from two consanguineous Pakistani families. A combination of linkage analysis with homozygosity mapping and targeted sequencing identified two novel ALS2 mutations, a c.194T > C (p.Phe65Ser) missense substitution located in the first RCC-like domain of ALS2/alsin and a c.2998delA (p.Ile1000*) nonsense mutation. This study of extended families including a total of eleven affected individuals suggests that a given ALS2 mutation may lead to a phenotype with remarkable intrafamilial clinical homogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakeela Daud
- a Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (IBBt), UVAS , Lahore , Pakistan
| | - Naseebullah Kakar
- b Institute of Human Genetics, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany .,c International Graduate School in Molecular Medicine Ulm, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany .,d Department of Biotechnology and Informatics , BUITEMS , Quetta , Pakistan
| | - Ingrid Goebel
- b Institute of Human Genetics, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany .,e Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany
| | - Abu Saeed Hashmi
- a Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (IBBt), UVAS , Lahore , Pakistan
| | - Tahir Yaqub
- a Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (IBBt), UVAS , Lahore , Pakistan .,f Department of Microbiology , UVAS , Lahore , Pakistan
| | - Gudrun Nürnberg
- g Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany
| | - Peter Nürnberg
- g Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany .,h Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany .,i Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany
| | - Deborah J Morris-Rosendahl
- j Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Royal Brompton Hospital , London , United Kingdom .,k National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London , London , United Kingdom
| | - Muhammad Wasim
- a Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (IBBt), UVAS , Lahore , Pakistan
| | - Alexander E Volk
- b Institute of Human Genetics, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany .,e Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany
| | - Christian Kubisch
- b Institute of Human Genetics, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany .,e Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany
| | - Jamil Ahmad
- d Department of Biotechnology and Informatics , BUITEMS , Quetta , Pakistan
| | - Guntram Borck
- b Institute of Human Genetics, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
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8
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Huntsman R, Lemire E, Norton J, Dzus A, Blakley P, Hasal S. The differential diagnosis of spastic diplegia. Arch Dis Child 2015; 100:500-4. [PMID: 25700542 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2014-307443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Spastic diplegia is the most common form of cerebral palsy worldwide. Many disorders mimic spastic diplegia, which can result in misdiagnosis for the child with resultant negative treatment and family counselling implications. In this paper, the authors provide a brief review of spastic diplegia and the various disorders in the differential diagnosis. We also provide a diagnostic algorithm to assist physicians in making the correct diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Huntsman
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Edmond Lemire
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Jonathon Norton
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Anne Dzus
- Division of Pediatric Orthopedics, Department of Surgery, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Patricia Blakley
- Division of Developmental Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Simona Hasal
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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9
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Eker HK, Unlü SE, Al-Salmi F, Crosby AH. A novel homozygous mutation in ALS2 gene in four siblings with infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. Eur J Med Genet 2014; 57:275-8. [PMID: 24704789 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autosomal recessive early onset forms of motor neuron disorders including infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paraplegia (OMIM #607225) are due to homozygous mutations in the ALS2 gene. Here, we report on a novel splice-site mutation of the ALS2 (c.2351+2C>A) in four children of a consanguineous union with infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paraplegia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice Koçak Eker
- Department of Medical Genetics, Dr Faruk Sükan Maternity and Pediatric Hospital, Konya, Turkey.
| | | | - Fatema Al-Salmi
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Andrew H Crosby
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
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10
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Racis L, Tessa A, Pugliatti M, Storti E, Agnetti V, Santorelli FM. Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis: a case report and brief literature review. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2014; 18:235-9. [PMID: 24144828 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2013.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP) is a rare, early-onset autosomal recessive motor neuron disease associated with mutations in ALS2. AIM We studied a 17-year-old boy who had features of IAHSP. We also reviewed the current literature on ALS2-related syndromes. METHODS Clinical and neuroimaging studies were performed. Blood DNA analyses were combined with mRNA studies in cultured skin fibroblasts. RESULTS Like previously described cases, the patient presented with severe spastic paraparesis and showed rapid progression of paresis to the upper limbs. He also developed bulbar involvement and severe scoliosis during childhood. In blood DNA we identified a novel splice-site homozygous mutation in ALS2 (c.3836+1G > T), producing exon skipping in fibroblast mRNA and predicting premature protein truncation. CONCLUSIONS This case adds to the allelic heterogeneity of IAHSP. Review of the pertinent literature indicates a fairly homogeneous clinical picture in IAHSP that should facilitate molecular confirmation and prevention of long-term complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loretta Racis
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Sassari, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Maura Pugliatti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Virgilio Agnetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Sassari, Italy
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11
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Sheerin UM, Schneider SA, Carr L, Deuschl G, Hopfner F, Stamelou M, Wood NW, Bhatia KP. ALS2 mutations: juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and generalized dystonia. Neurology 2014; 82:1065-7. [PMID: 24562058 PMCID: PMC3962990 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000000254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To determine the genetic etiology in 2 consanguineous families who presented a novel phenotype of autosomal recessive juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with generalized dystonia. Methods: A combination of homozygosity mapping and whole-exome sequencing in the first family and Sanger sequencing of candidate genes in the second family were used. Results: Both families were found to have homozygous loss-of-function mutations in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2 (juvenile) (ALS2) gene. Conclusions: We report generalized dystonia and cerebellar signs in association with ALS2-related disease. We suggest that the ALS2 gene should be screened for mutations in patients who present with a similar phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Una-Marie Sheerin
- From the Department of Molecular Neuroscience (U.-M.S.) and Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders (M.S., K.P.B.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; University of Kiel (S.A.S., G.D., F.H.), Movement Disorders Clinic, Germany; Department of Paediatrics (L.C.), Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK; Second Department of Neurology (M.S.), University of Athens, Greece; and UCL Department of Molecular Neuroscience and UCL Genetics Institute (N.W.W.), University College London, UK
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12
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Denora PS, Santorelli FM, Bertini E. Hereditary spastic paraplegias: one disease for many genes, and still counting. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2013; 113:1899-912. [PMID: 23622413 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-59565-2.00060-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are genetically heterogeneous Mendelian disorders characterized by spastic gait with stiffness and weakness in the legs and an associated plethora of neurological or extraneurological signs in "complicated" forms. Major advances have been made during the past two decades in our understanding of their molecular bases with the identification of a large number of gene loci and the cloning of a set of them. The combined genetic and clinical information obtained has permitted a new, molecularly-driven classification and an improved diagnosis of these conditions. This represents a prerequisite for better counseling in families and more appropriate therapeutic options. However, further heterogeneity is expected and new insight into the possible mechanisms anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola S Denora
- Molecular Medicine and Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, IRCCS-Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
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13
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The genetics and neuropathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2012; 124:339-52. [PMID: 22903397 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-012-1022-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 276] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2012] [Revised: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of motor neurons leading to death from respiratory failure within about 3 years of symptom onset. A family history of ALS is obtained in about 5 % but the distinction between familial and apparently sporadic ALS is artificial and genetic factors play a role in all types. For several years, only one gene was known to have a role in ALS pathogenesis, SOD1. In the last few years there has been a rapid advance in our genetic knowledge of the causes of ALS, and the relationship of the genetic subtypes with pathological subtypes and clinical phenotype. Mutations in the gene for TDP-43 protein, TARDBP, highlight this, with pathology mimicking closely that found in other types of ALS, and a phenotypic spectrum that includes frontotemporal dementia. Mutations in the FUS gene, closely related to TDP-43, lead to a similar clinical phenotype but distinct pathology, so that the three pathological groups represented by SOD1, TARDBP, and FUS are distinct. In this review, we explore the genetic architecture of ALS, highlight some of the genes implicated in pathogenesis, and describe their phenotypic range and overlap with other diseases.
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14
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Geva-Dayan K, Domenievitz D, Zahalka R, Fattal-Valevski A. Botulinum toxin injections for pediatric patients with hereditary spastic paraparesis. J Child Neurol 2010; 25:969-75. [PMID: 20406997 DOI: 10.1177/0883073809356037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Limited information is available on the use of botulinum toxin type A injections for children with hereditary spastic paraplegia. This report includes 12 children with hereditary spastic paraplegia (mean age 4.8 +/- 2.5 years) who underwent 1 to 6 sessions of botulinum toxin A injections to the hamstrings, adductors and gastrocnemius muscles. Patients showed both improved muscle tone (mean 1.9 +/- 0.5 vs 1.18 +/- 0.33, P < .001, Ashworth Scale) and motor function (75.3 +/- 11.9 vs 77.7 +/- 11, P < .001, Gross Motor Function Measure). The effect lasted for a mean of 6.6 +/- 3.6 months. During the study period (mean 2.8 +/- 1.8 years), the preinjection Gross Motor Function Measure increased (69.2 +/- 14.7 vs 78.3 +/- 13.5, P = .005), whereas the Ashworth Scale remained stable, suggesting a prolonged effect of botulinum toxin A on motor function. The authors conclude that botulinum toxin A injections to lower limbs of pediatric patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia result in prolonged functional improvement despite the progressive nature of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keren Geva-Dayan
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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15
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Ticozzi N, Silani V, LeClerc AL, Keagle P, Gellera C, Ratti A, Taroni F, Kwiatkowski TJ, McKenna-Yasek DM, Sapp PC, Brown RH, Landers JE. Analysis of FUS gene mutation in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis within an Italian cohort. Neurology 2009; 73:1180-5. [PMID: 19741215 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181bbff05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Mutations in the FUS gene on chromosome 16 have been recently discovered as a cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS). This study determined the frequency and identities of FUS gene mutations in a cohort of Italian patients with FALS. METHODS We screened all 15 coding exons of FUS for mutations in 94 Italian patients with FALS. RESULTS We identified 4 distinct missense mutations in 5 patients; 2 were novel. The mutations were not present in 376 healthy Italian controls and thus are likely to be pathogenic. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that FUS mutations cause approximately 4% of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases in the Italian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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16
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Rowland LP. Primary lateral sclerosis, hereditary spastic paraplegia, and mutations in thealsingene: Historical background for the first International Conference. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 6:67-76. [PMID: 16036429 DOI: 10.1080/14660820510039032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis P Rowland
- Eleanor and Lou Gehrig MDA/ALS Center, Neurological Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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17
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Salman MS, Marles SL, Booth FA, Del Bigio MR. Early-onset neurodegenerative disease of the cerebellum and motor axons. Pediatr Neurol 2009; 40:365-70. [PMID: 19380073 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2008.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2008] [Revised: 11/17/2008] [Accepted: 11/25/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We describe a novel hereditary neurodegenerative disease of infancy affecting an Aboriginal family from northern Manitoba, Canada. The parents are nonconsanguineous, without a family history of neurodegenerative diseases. Four of 10 siblings (three males and one female) presented with neurologic abnormalities including arthrogryposis, seizures, and severe developmental delay shortly after birth. In two children, cerebellar atrophy and mild cerebral atrophy were documented on neuroimaging. Two children, a boy who died at age 40 months and a girl who died at age 22 months, underwent muscle biopsies at 3 weeks and 4 months of age, respectively. The biopsies revealed fiber-size variability in the boy, and grouped atrophy with fiber-type grouping in the girl. Two boys who died at ages 7.5 and 37 months underwent autopsies that indicated severe atrophy of the cerebellar hemispheres (especially the inferior lobules and vermis), hypomyelination of white-matter fascicles in the striatum, severe atrophy of corticospinal tracts in the brainstem and spinal cord, and atrophy of the anterior spinal roots. In the spinal cord, motor neuron cell bodies and the posterior columns were spared. This clinical entity likely represents a novel neurodegenerative disease of the cerebellum and long motor axons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Salman
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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18
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Jacquier A, Bellouze S, Blanchard S, Bohl D, Haase G. Astrocytic protection of spinal motor neurons but not cortical neurons against loss of Als2/alsin function. Hum Mol Genet 2009; 18:2127-39. [PMID: 19304783 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddp136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Three neurodegenerative diseases affecting upper and/or lower motor neurons have been associated with loss of ALS2/Alsin function: juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, primary lateral sclerosis and infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. The distinct neuronal vulnerability and the role of glia in these diseases remains, however, unclear. We here demonstrate that alsin-depleted spinal motor neurons can be rescued from defective survival and axon growth by co-cultured astrocytes. The astrocytic rescue is mediated by a soluble protective factor rather than by cellular contact. Cortical neurons are intrinsically as vulnerable to alsin depletion as spinal motor neurons but cannot be rescued by co-cultured astrocytes. To our knowledge, these data provide the first example of non-cell-autonomous glial effects in a recessive form of motor neuron disease and a potential rationale for the higher vulnerability of upper versus lower motor neurons in ALS2/Alsin-linked disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Jacquier
- Laboratory of Motor Neuron Disease Modeling and Therapy, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille Luminy, Université Aix-Marseille, Case 907, Parc scientifique de Luminy, F-13273 Marseille cedex 09, France
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Hourani R, El-Hajj T, Barada WH, Hourani M, Yamout BI. MR imaging findings in autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2009; 30:936-40. [PMID: 19193756 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a1483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a disorder characterized by degeneration of the corticospinal tracts and posterior column of the spinal cord. Previously described radiologic findings included nonspecific brain abnormalities such as brain atrophy and white matter lesions, as well as atrophy of the spinal cord. In our study, we aimed to better characterize brain and spine MR imaging findings in a series of patients with HSP. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nine patients from 4 different Lebanese families with the autosomal recessive form of HSP were included in the study. All patients underwent brain and whole-spine MR imaging. We assessed the presence of white matter abnormalities mainly along the corticospinal tracts, brain atrophy, thinning of the corpus callosum, and the presence of spinal cord atrophy or abnormal signal intensity. RESULTS Imaging revealed mild brain atrophy (44%), atrophy of the corpus callosum (55%), white matter lesions (67%), abnormal T2 high signal intensity in the posterior limb of the internal capsule (55%), and mild spinal cord atrophy (33%). CONCLUSIONS The MR imaging findings of HSP are nonspecific and variable; however, the most prominent features include atrophy of the corpus callosum, T2 signal intensity in the posterior limb of the internal capsule, and spinal cord atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Hourani
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
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20
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Le Forestier N, Meininger V. [Primary lateral sclerosis: the era of international diagnosis criteria]. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2008; 165:415-29. [PMID: 18842276 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2008.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2008] [Revised: 06/06/2008] [Accepted: 07/22/2008] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Since Charcot's first description, primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) remains a rare clinical syndrome, a neuropathological phenotype of motor system degeneration. In turn, PLS has been described as belonging to the large spectrum of motoneuron diseases or to the diverse degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Clinically, it is characterized by progressive pyramidal involvement in patients who present insidiously progressive gait disorders and, on examination, have relatively symmetrical lower limb weakness, increased muscle tone, pathologic hyper-reflexia, and exaggerated extensor plantar responses. Pinprick, light touch, and temperature sensations are preserved. Viewed in another way, PLS mimicks progressive hereditary spastic paraparesis (HSP) and the "central" phenotype of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). PLS is considered "idiopathic" and, depending on the presence or absence of similarly affected family members, the syndrome of idiopathic HSP and ALS are labeled "hereditary" or "apparently sporadic". The juvenile form of PLS and early age at onset in cases of HSP complicate our understanding of the relationship between these two disorders. Guidelines for diagnosis and genetic counseling have been published for HSP and ALS. Recently, since the first international workshop, guidelines for diagnosis of PLS propose a classification system, e.g. for heterogeneous HSP into "pure PLS", complicated or "plus PLS", symptomatic PLS and upper motor neuron-dominant ALS. However, when reviewing known cases of PLS drawn from the literature, rigorous retrospective application of these new PLS criteria raises an unanswered question: does pure PLS exist?
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Affiliation(s)
- N Le Forestier
- Pôle des maladies du système nerveux, fédération de neurologie, hôpital de la Salpêtrière, 47-83, boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75651 Paris cedex 13, France.
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Herzfeld T, Wolf N, Winter P, Hackstein H, Vater D, Müller U. Maternal uniparental heterodisomy with partial isodisomy of a chromosome 2 carrying a splice acceptor site mutation (IVS9-2A>T) in ALS2 causes infantile-onset ascending spastic paralysis (IAHSP). Neurogenetics 2008; 10:59-64. [PMID: 18810511 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-008-0148-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2008] [Accepted: 09/01/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Infantile-onset ascending spastic paralysis (OMIM #607225) is a rare autosomal recessive early onset motor neuron disease caused by mutations in the gene ALS2. We report on a splice acceptor site mutation in intron 9 of ALS2 (IVS9-2A>T) in a German patient from nonconsanguineous parents. The mutation results in skipping of exon 10. This causes a frame-shift in exon 11 and a premature stop codon. Analysis of the parental ALS2 gene revealed heterozygosity for the mutation in the mother but not in the father. Therefore, we studied polymorphic markers scattered along chromosome 2 in both parents and the patient and found maternal uniparental disomy in the patient. While homozygosity was observed at several loci of chromosome 2 including ALS2, other loci were heterozygous, i.e., both maternal alleles were present. The findings can be explained by at least four recombination events during maternal meiosis followed by a meiosis I error and postzygotic trisomy rescue or gamete complementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilo Herzfeld
- Institut für Humangenetik, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
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22
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Gros-Louis F, Kriz J, Kabashi E, McDearmid J, Millecamps S, Urushitani M, Lin L, Dion P, Zhu Q, Drapeau P, Julien JP, Rouleau GA. Als2 mRNA splicing variants detected in KO mice rescue severe motor dysfunction phenotype in Als2 knock-down zebrafish. Hum Mol Genet 2008; 17:2691-702. [PMID: 18558633 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddn171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Recessive ALS2 mutations are linked to three related but slightly different neurodegenerative disorders: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hereditary spastic paraplegia and primary lateral sclerosis. To investigate the function of the ALS2 encoded protein, we generated Als2 knock-out (KO) mice and zAls2 knock-down zebrafish. The Als2(-/-) mice lacking exon 2 and part of exon 3 developed mild signs of neurodegeneration compatible with axonal transport deficiency. In contrast, zAls2 knock-down zebrafish had severe developmental abnormalities, swimming deficits and motor neuron perturbation. We identified, by RT-PCR, northern and western blotting novel Als2 transcripts in mouse central nervous system. These Als2 transcripts were present in Als2 null mice as well as in wild-type littermates and some rescued the zebrafish phenotype. Thus, we speculate that the newly identified Als2 mRNA species prevent the Als2 KO mice from developing severe neurodegenerative disease and might also regulate the severity of the motor neurons phenotype observed in ALS2 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Gros-Louis
- Department of Medicine, Center for Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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23
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Verschuuren-Bemelmans CC, Winter P, Sival DA, Elting JW, Brouwer OF, Müller U. Novel homozygous ALS2 nonsense mutation (p.Gln715X) in sibs with infantile-onset ascending spastic paralysis: the first cases from northwestern Europe. Eur J Hum Genet 2008; 16:1407-11. [PMID: 18523452 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2008.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a previously not recognized nonsense mutation in exon 10 of the ALS2 gene in two sibs with infantile-onset ascending spastic paralysis. The mutation predicts chain termination at amino-acid position 715 of the gene product ALSIN (p.Gln715X). The sibs' parents are descendants of a common ancestor who lived in the northern Netherlands during the eighteenth century. This is the first ALS2 mutation detected in northwestern Europeans. The findings emphasize that mutations in ALS2 also need to be considered in patients from northwestern Europe with early-onset spastic paralysis and amyotrophic or primary lateral sclerosis.
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Sztriha L, Panzeri C, Kálmánchey R, Szabó N, Endreffy E, Túri S, Baschirotto C, Bresolin N, Vekerdy Z, Bassi MT. First case of compound heterozygosity in ALS2 gene in infantile-onset ascending spastic paralysis with bulbar involvement. Clin Genet 2008; 73:591-3. [PMID: 18394004 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.2008.00993.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Hadano S, Kunita R, Otomo A, Suzuki-Utsunomiya K, Ikeda JE. Molecular and cellular function of ALS2/alsin: Implication of membrane dynamics in neuronal development and degeneration. Neurochem Int 2007; 51:74-84. [PMID: 17566607 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2007.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2007] [Revised: 04/18/2007] [Accepted: 04/19/2007] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
ALS2 is a causative gene for a juvenile autosomal recessive form of motor neuron diseases (MNDs), including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2 (ALS2), juvenile primary lateral sclerosis, and infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. These disorders are characterized by ascending degeneration of the upper motor neurons with or without lower motor neuron involvement. Thus far, a total of 12 independent ALS2 mutations, which include a small deletion, non-sense mutation, or missense mutation spreading widely across the entire coding sequence, are reported. They are predicted to result in either premature termination of translation or substitution of an evolutionarily conserved amino acid. Thus, a loss of functions in the ALS2-coded protein accounts for motor dysfunction and/or degeneration in the ALS2-linked MNDs. The ALS2 gene encodes a novel 184kDa protein of 1657 amino acids, ALS2 or alsin, comprising three predicted guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) domains: the N-terminal RCC1-like domain, the central Dbl homology and pleckstrin homology (DH/PH) domains, and the C-terminal vacuolar protein sorting 9 (VPS9) domain. In addition, eight consecutive membrane occupation and recognition nexus (MORN) motifs are noted in the region between DH/PH and VPS9 domains. ALS2 activates Rab5 small GTPase and involves in endosome/membrane trafficking and fusions in the cells, and also promotes neurite outgrowth in neuronal cultures. Further, a neuroprotective role for ALS2 against cytotoxicity; i.e., the mutant Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1)-mediated toxicity, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity, has recently been implied. This review outlines current understandings of the molecular and cellular functions of ALS2 and its related proteins on safeguarding the integrity of motor neurons, and sheds light on the molecular pathogenesis of MNDs as well as other conditions of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Hadano
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
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26
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Maystadt I, Rezsöhazy R, Barkats M, Duque S, Vannuffel P, Remacle S, Lambert B, Najimi M, Sokal E, Munnich A, Viollet L, Verellen-Dumoulin C. The nuclear factor kappaB-activator gene PLEKHG5 is mutated in a form of autosomal recessive lower motor neuron disease with childhood onset. Am J Hum Genet 2007; 81:67-76. [PMID: 17564964 PMCID: PMC1950913 DOI: 10.1086/518900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2007] [Accepted: 04/05/2007] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lower motor neuron diseases (LMNDs) include a large spectrum of clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders. Studying a large inbred African family, we recently described a novel autosomal recessive LMND variant characterized by childhood onset, generalized muscle involvement, and severe outcome, and we mapped the disease gene to a 3.9-cM interval on chromosome 1p36. We identified a homozygous missense mutation (c.1940 T-->C [p.647 Phe-->Ser]) of the Pleckstrin homology domain-containing, family G member 5 gene, PLEKHG5. In transiently transfected HEK293 and MCF10A cell lines, we found that wild-type PLEKHG5 activated the nuclear factor kappa B (NF kappa B) signaling pathway and that both the stability and the intracellular location of mutant PLEKHG5 protein were altered, severely impairing the NF kappa B transduction pathway. Moreover, aggregates were observed in transiently transfected NSC34 murine motor neurons overexpressing the mutant PLEKHG5 protein. Both loss of PLEKHG5 function and aggregate formation may contribute to neurotoxicity in this novel form of LMND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Maystadt
- Centre de Génétique Humaine et Unité de Génétique Médicale, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
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Kunita R, Otomo A, Mizumura H, Suzuki-Utsunomiya K, Hadano S, Ikeda JE. The Rab5 Activator ALS2/alsin Acts as a Novel Rac1 Effector through Rac1-activated Endocytosis. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:16599-611. [PMID: 17409386 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m610682200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the ALS2 gene cause a number of recessive motor neuron diseases, indicating that the ALS2 protein (ALS2/alsin) is vital for motor neurons. ALS2 acts as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for Rab5 (Rab5GEF) and is involved in endosome dynamics. However, the spatiotemporal regulation of the ALS2-mediated Rab5 activation is unclear. Here we identified an upstream activator for ALS2 and showed a functional significance of the ALS2 activation in endosome dynamics. ALS2 preferentially interacts with activated Rac1. In the cells activated Rac1 recruits cytoplasmic ALS2 to membrane ruffles and subsequently to nascent macropinosomes via Rac1-activated macropinocytosis. At later endocytic stages macropinosomal ALS2 augments fusion of the ALS2-localized macropinosomes with the transferrin-positive endosomes, depending on the ALS2-associated Rab5GEF activity. These results indicate that Rac1 promotes the ALS2 membranous localization, thereby rendering ALS2 active via Rac1-activated endocytosis. Thus, ALS2 is a novel Rac1 effector and is involved in Rac1-activated macropinocytosis. All together, loss of ALS2 may perturb macropinocytosis and/or the following membrane trafficking, which gives rise to neuronal dysfunction in the ALS2-linked motor neuron diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Kunita
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
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Shaw CE, Arechavala-Gomeza V, Al-Chalabi A. Chapter 14 Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2007; 82:279-300. [PMID: 18808899 DOI: 10.1016/s0072-9752(07)80017-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
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Contino G, Novelli G. Hereditary spastic paraplegia: clinical genomics and pharmacogenetic perspectives. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2006; 7:1849-56. [PMID: 17020412 DOI: 10.1517/14656566.7.14.1849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are a group of single-gene disorders characterised by degeneration of the corticospinal tract axons, leading to bilateral, symmetrical, slowly-progressive spastic paraparesis, predominantly of the lower extremities. So far, ~ 30 different chromosomal HSP loci have been identified by genetic linkage analysis. Defects in intracellular trafficking and transport in myelination and abnormalities of mitochondrial proteins have been involved in HSP pathogenesis. At present, treatment of the HSPs is primarily directed symptomatically toward reducing muscle spasticity. Yet, recent progresses in the identification of HSP mutations are providing formidable tools to pharmacogenetic approaches of drug discovery, validation and prediction of individual response.
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Yamanaka K, Miller TM, McAlonis-Downes M, Chun SJ, Cleveland DW. Progressive spinal axonal degeneration and slowness in ALS2-deficient mice. Ann Neurol 2006; 60:95-104. [PMID: 16802286 DOI: 10.1002/ana.20888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Homozygous mutation in the ALS2 gene and the resulting loss of the guanine exchange factor activity of the ALS2 protein is causative for autosomal recessive early-onset motor neuron disease that is thought to predominantly affect upper motor neurons. The goal of this study was to elucidate how the motor system is affected by the deletion of ALS2. METHODS ALS2-deficient mice were generated by gene targeting. Motor function and upper and lower motor neuron pathology were examined in ALS2-deficient mice and in mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mice that develop ALS-like disease from expression of an ALS-linked mutation in SOD1. RESULTS ALS2-deficient mice demonstrated progressive axonal degeneration in the lateral spinal cord that is also prominent in mutant SOD1 mice. Despite the vulnerability of these spinal axons, lower motor neurons in ALS2-deficient mice were preserved. Behavioral studies demonstrated slowed movement without muscle weakness in ALS2(-/-) mice, consistent with upper motor neuron defects that lead to spasticity in humans. INTERPRETATION The combined evidence from mice and humans shows that deficiency in ALS2 causes an upper motor neuron disease that in humans closely resembles a severe form of hereditary spastic paralysis, and that is quite distinct from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Yamanaka
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine and Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0670, USA.
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Jacquier A, Buhler E, Schäfer MKE, Bohl D, Blanchard S, Beclin C, Haase G. Alsin/Rac1 signaling controls survival and growth of spinal motoneurons. Ann Neurol 2006; 60:105-17. [PMID: 16802292 DOI: 10.1002/ana.20886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recessive mutations in alsin, a guanine-nucleotide exchange factor for the GTPases Rab5 and Rac1, cause juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS2) and related motoneuron disorders. Alsin function in motoneurons remained unclear because alsin knock-out mice do not develop overt signs of motoneuron degeneration. METHODS To generate an alsin loss-of-function model in an ALS-relevant cell type, we developed a new small interfering RNA electroporation technique that allows efficient knock down of alsin in embryonic rat spinal motoneurons. RESULTS After small interfering RNA-mediated alsin knockdown, cultured motoneurons displayed a reduced apparent size of EEA1-labeled early endosomes and an increased intracellular accumulation of transferrin and L1CAM. Alsin knockdown induced cell death in 32 to 48% of motoneurons and significantly inhibited axon growth in the surviving neurons. Both cellular phenotypes were mimicked by expression of a dominant-negative Rac1 mutant and were completely blocked by expression of a constitutively active Rac1 mutant. Expression of dominant-negative or constitutively active forms of Rab5 had no such effects. INTERPRETATION Our data demonstrate that alsin controls the growth and survival of motoneurons in a Rac1-dependant manner. The strategy reported here illustrates how small interfering RNA electroporation can be used to generate cellular models of neurodegenerative disease involving a loss-of-function mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Jacquier
- Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Médicale, Marseille, France
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Eymard-Pierre E, Yamanaka K, Haeussler M, Kress W, Gauthier-Barichard F, Combes P, Cleveland DW, Boespflug-Tanguy O. Novel missense mutation in ALS2 gene results in infantile ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. Ann Neurol 2006; 59:976-80. [PMID: 16718699 DOI: 10.1002/ana.20879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recessive mutations in ALS2 (juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) are causative for early-onset upper motor neuron diseases, including infantile ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP). The goal of this study is to identify novel disease-causing ALS2 mutations. METHODS Mutations in ALS2 were screened by direct sequencing of complementary DNA obtained from patients' lymphoblasts. RESULTS We report a novel ALS2 missense mutation in patients affected by IAHSP. This homozygous G669A mutation in exon 4 is predicted to result in a tyrosine substitution at cysteine 156 of the RCC1 (regulator of chromatin condensation)-like domain, encoding a putative guanine exchange factor for Ran guanosine triphosphatase, leading to a loss of ALS2 function due to instability of mutant protein. INTERPRETATION These results highlight the important role of the RCC1-like domain in ALS2 stability and function that is essential for upper motor neuron maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonore Eymard-Pierre
- Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Médicale U384 and Human Genetics Department, CHU, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Pradat PF, Bruneteau G. Quels sont les critères cliniques de la sclérose latérale amyotrophique en fonction des formes cliniques ? Rev Neurol (Paris) 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/s0035-3787(06)75162-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Robay D, Patel H, Simpson MA, Brown NA, Crosby AH. Endogenous spartin, mutated in hereditary spastic paraplegia, has a complex subcellular localization suggesting diverse roles in neurons. Exp Cell Res 2006; 312:2764-77. [PMID: 16781711 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2006.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2006] [Revised: 05/03/2006] [Accepted: 05/05/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mutation of spartin (SPG20) underlies a complicated form of hereditary spastic paraplegia, a disorder principally defined by the degeneration of upper motor neurons. Using a polyclonal antibody against spartin to gain insight into the function of the endogenous molecule, we show that the endogenous molecule is present in two main isoforms of 85 kDa and 100 kDa, and 75 kDa and 85 kDa in human and murine, respectively, with restricted subcellular localization. Immunohistochemical studies on human and mouse embryo sections and in vitro cell studies indicate that spartin is likely to possess both nuclear and cytoplasmic functions. The nuclear expression of spartin closely mirrors that of the snRNP (small nuclear ribonucleoprotein) marker alpha-Sm, a component of the spliceosome. Spartin is also enriched at the centrosome within mitotic structures. Notably we show that spartin protein undergoes dynamic positional changes in differentiating human SH-SY5Y cells. In undifferentiated non-neuronal cells, spartin displays a nuclear and diffuse cytosolic profile, whereas spartin transiently accumulates in the trans-Golgi network and subsequently decorates discrete puncta along neurites in terminally differentiated neuroblastic cells. Investigation of these spartin-positive vesicles reveals that a large proportion colocalizes with the synaptic vesicle marker synaptotagmin. Spartin is also enriched in synaptic-like structures and in synaptic vesicle-enriched fraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri Robay
- Medical Genetics, St. George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK
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James PA, Talbot K. The molecular genetics of non-ALS motor neuron diseases. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2006; 1762:986-1000. [PMID: 16765570 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2006.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2006] [Revised: 03/23/2006] [Accepted: 04/11/2006] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary disorders of voluntary motor neurons are individually relatively uncommon, but have the potential to provide significant insights into motor neuron function in general and into the mechanisms underlying the more common form of sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Recently, mutations in a number of novel genes have been associated with Lower Motor Neuron (HSPB1, HSPB8, GARS, Dynactin), Upper Motor Neuron (Spastin, Atlastin, Paraplegin, HSP60, KIF5A, NIPA1) or mixed ALS-like phenotypes (Alsin, Senataxin, VAPB, BSCL2). In comparison to sporadic ALS these conditions are usually associated with slow progression, but as experience increases, a wide variation in clinical phenotype has become apparent. At the molecular level common themes are emerging that point to areas of specific vulnerability for motor neurons such as axonal transport, endosomal trafficking and RNA processing. We review the clinical and molecular features of this diverse group of genetically determined conditions and consider the implications for the broad group of motor neuron diseases in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A James
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
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Bai O, Vorbach S, Hallett M, Floeter MK. Movement-related cortical potentials in primary lateral sclerosis. Ann Neurol 2006; 59:682-90. [PMID: 16566016 DOI: 10.1002/ana.20803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Some patients with primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) have a clinical course suggestive of a length-dependent dying-back of corticospinal axons. We measured movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) in these patients to determine whether cortical functions that are generated through short, intracortical connections were preserved when functions conducted by longer corticospinal projections were impaired. METHODS An electroencephalogram was recorded from scalp electrodes of 10 PLS patients and 7 age-matched healthy control subjects as they made individual finger-tap movements on a keypad. MRCPs were derived from back-averaging the electroencephalogram to the movement. RESULTS MRCPs produced by finger taps were markedly reduced in PLS patients, including components generated by premotor areas of the cortex as well as the primary motor cortex. In contrast, the beta-band event-related desynchronization from the motor cortex was preserved. INTERPRETATION These findings suggest that impairment in PLS is not limited to the distal axons of corticospinal neurons, but also affects neurons within the primary motor cortex and premotor cortical areas. The loss of the MRCP may serve as a useful marker of upper motor neuron dysfunction. Preservation of event-related desynchronization suggests that the cells of origin differ from the large pyramidal cells that generate the MRCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ou Bai
- Human Motor Control, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Soderblom C, Blackstone C. Traffic accidents: Molecular genetic insights into the pathogenesis of the hereditary spastic paraplegias. Pharmacol Ther 2006; 109:42-56. [PMID: 16005518 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2005.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2005] [Accepted: 06/06/2005] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) comprise a clinically and genetically diverse group of inherited neurological disorders in which the primary manifestation is progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. The identification of over 25 genetic loci and 11 gene products for these disorders has yielded new insights into the molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of HSPs. In particular, causative mutations in proteins implicated in mitochondrial function, intracellular transport and trafficking, axonal development, and myelination have been identified. In many cases, the proper intracellular trafficking and distribution of molecules and organelles are ultimately thought to be involved in HSP pathogenesis. In fact, deficits in intracellular cargo trafficking and transport are concordant with the length dependence of the distal axonopathy of upper motor neurons observed in HSP patients. Through a better understanding of the functions of the HSP gene products, novel therapeutic targets for treatment and prevention are being identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Soderblom
- Cellular Neurology Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Hadano S, Benn SC, Kakuta S, Otomo A, Sudo K, Kunita R, Suzuki-Utsunomiya K, Mizumura H, Shefner JM, Cox GA, Iwakura Y, Brown RH, Ikeda JE. Mice deficient in the Rab5 guanine nucleotide exchange factor ALS2/alsin exhibit age-dependent neurological deficits and altered endosome trafficking. Hum Mol Genet 2005; 15:233-50. [PMID: 16321985 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddi440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
ALS2/alsin is a member of guanine nucleotide exchange factors for the small GTPase Rab5 (Rab5GEFs), which act as modulators in endocytic pathway. Loss-of-function mutations in human ALS2 account for a number of juvenile recessive motor neuron diseases (MNDs). However, the normal physiological role of ALS2 in vivo and the molecular mechanisms underlying motor dysfunction are still unknown. To address these issues, we have generated mice homozygous for disruption of the Als2 gene. The Als2-null mice observed through 21 months of age demonstrated no obvious developmental, reproductive or motor abnormalities. However, immunohistochemical and electrophysiological analyses identified an age-dependent, slowly progressive loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells and disturbance of spinal motor neurons associated with astrocytosis and microglial cell activation, indicating a subclinical dysfunction of motor system in Als2-null mice. Further, quantitative epidermal growth factor (EGF)-uptake analysis identified significantly smaller-sized EGF-positive endosomes in Als2-null fibroblasts, suggesting an alteration of endosome/vesicle trafficking in the cells. Collectively, while loss of ALS2 does not produce a severe disease phenotype in mice, these Als2-null animals should provide a useful model with which to understand the interplay between endosomal dynamics and the long-term viability of large neurons such as Purkinje cells and spinal motor neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Hadano
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, The Institute of Medical Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
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Dipti S, Childs AM, Livingston JH, Aggarwal AK, Miller M, Williams C, Crow YJ. Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome; variability in age at onset and disease progression highlighting the phenotypic overlap with Fazio-Londe disease. Brain Dev 2005; 27:443-6. [PMID: 16122634 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2004.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2004] [Revised: 10/01/2004] [Accepted: 10/14/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
We report four siblings showing features of a pontobulbar palsy, a mixed spinal and upper motor neuropathy and variable deafness. The observation of affected males and females born to consanguineous first cousin parents suggests autosomal recessive inheritance. Two children presented in the first 16 months of life with stridor and died of respiratory failure by the age of 2 years. Hearing loss was not apparent in these infants. In contrast, 2 further siblings developed a bulbar palsy in their sixth year followed by the onset of deafness and features of an anterior horn neuropathy with corticospinal tract involvement. They exhibited a relatively slow but relentless decline over a period of several years. These cases highlight the phenotypic overlap of Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome with Fazio-Londe disease. Rather than representing two separate disorders, our findings suggest the possibility of a single disease entity which may usefully be considered a form of juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Devon RS, Schwab C, Topp JD, Orban PC, Yang YZ, Pape TD, Helm JR, Davidson TL, Rogers DA, Gros-Louis F, Rouleau G, Horazdovsky BF, Leavitt BR, Hayden MR. Cross-species characterization of the ALS2 gene and analysis of its pattern of expression in development and adulthood. Neurobiol Dis 2005; 18:243-57. [PMID: 15686953 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2004.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2004] [Revised: 09/07/2004] [Accepted: 10/08/2004] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the ALS2 gene, which encodes alsin, cause autosomal recessive juvenile-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS2) and related conditions. Using both a novel monoclonal antibody and LacZ knock-in mice, we demonstrate that alsin is widely expressed in neurons of the CNS, including the cortex, brain stem and motor neurons of the spinal cord. Interestingly, the highest levels of alsin are found in the molecular layer of the cerebellum, a brain region not previously implicated in ALS2. During development, alsin is expressed by day E9.5, but CNS expression does not become predominant until early postnatal life. At the subcellular level, alsin is tightly associated with endosomal membranes and is likely to be part of a large protein complex that may include the actin cytoskeleton. ALS2 is present in primates, rodents, fish and flies, but not in the nematode worm or yeast, and is more highly conserved than expected among mammals. Additionally, the product of a second, widely expressed gene, ALS2 C-terminal like (ALS2CL), may subserve or modulate some of the functions of alsin as an activator of Rab and Rho GTPases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Devon
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children and Women's Hospital, 980 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4H4
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Millecamps S, Gentil BJ, Gros-Louis F, Rouleau G, Julien JP. Alsin is partially associated with centrosome in human cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2005; 1745:84-100. [PMID: 16085057 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2004.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2004] [Revised: 12/01/2004] [Accepted: 12/22/2004] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the ALS2 gene has recently been linked to cases of juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, juvenile primary lateral sclerosis and ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. All reported mutations predict the production of truncated forms of Alsin suggesting a loss of function mechanism for these motor neuron disorders. Here we used the tetracycline-regulated expression system to overexpress the full-length and truncated forms of Alsin in different cell lines. Alsin overexpression caused severe phenotypic changes in monkey COS-7 cells including the enlargement and accumulation of early endosomes, impairment of mitochondria trafficking and fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus. Our results further demonstrate the requirement of the Alsin VPS9 domain for occurrence of the vacuolation process and the role of Alsin as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rab5. Transfected human SW13 cells exhibited an unexpected centrosomal localization for Alsin that was linked to the presence of the c-terminal part of the protein. Immunofluorescence staining revealed a colocalization of Alsin with the centrosomal markers gamma-tubulin and A kinase anchoring protein (AKAP-450). Similar results were obtained with human LA-N-2 and SK-N-SH neuronal cells. Moreover endogenous Alsin was detected in a centrosome preparation purified from human cortical brain. Considering the crucial role of centrosome in the production of microtubules required for intracellular transport, these findings are of potential relevance for unravelling the disease mechanisms linked to Alsin mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Millecamps
- Research Centre of CHUQ, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Laval University, 2705 Boulevard Laurier, Quebec, QC, Canada G1V 4G2
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Proukakis C, Cross H, Patel H, Patton MA, Valentine A, Crosby AH. Troyer syndrome revisited. A clinical and radiological study of a complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia. J Neurol 2004; 251:1105-10. [PMID: 15372254 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-004-0491-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2003] [Revised: 01/27/2004] [Accepted: 03/09/2004] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Troyer syndrome, originally described in 1967 in an Old Order Amish population, is a complicated form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion and slowly progressive. The cardinal features are spastic paraparesis, pseudobulbar palsy and distal amyotrophy, together with mild developmental delay and subtle skeletal abnormalities. We report a detailed evaluation of 21 cases of Troyer syndrome in the same Amish population, including three from the original study. Imaging of the brain revealed white matter abnormalities, particularly in the temporoparietal periventricular area. This study, coupled with the recent identification of the gene responsible (SPG20, encoding spartin), increases our understanding of this form of HSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Proukakis
- Dept. of Medical Genetics, St. George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK
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Kanekura K, Hashimoto Y, Kita Y, Sasabe J, Aiso S, Nishimoto I, Matsuoka M. A Rac1/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt3 anti-apoptotic pathway, triggered by AlsinLF, the product of the ALS2 gene, antagonizes Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) mutant-induced motoneuronal cell death. J Biol Chem 2004; 280:4532-43. [PMID: 15579468 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m410508200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AlsinLF, the product of the ALS2 gene, inhibits Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) mutant-induced neurotoxicity via its Rho guanine nucleotide-exchanging factor domain. We here identified Rac1, a Rho family small GTPase, as a target for the Rho guanine nucleotide-exchanging factor activity of alsinLF. Rac1 associates with alsinLF. The amount of the GTP form of Rac1 is up-regulated by enforced overexpression of alsinLF. We further found not only that constitutively active Rac1 suppresses motoneuronal cell death induced by SOD1 mutants but also that the neuroprotective activity of alsinLF was completely inhibited by knocking down the endogenous Rac1 expression with small interfering RNA for Rac1, indicating that Rac1 is the major effector for alsinLF-mediated neuroprotection. Such alsinLF/Rac1-mediated neuroprotection occurs specifically against the SOD1 mutant-induced cell death but not against the cell death induced by any other neurotoxic insults in motoneuronal NSC34 cells. We further demonstrated that the alsinLF/Rac1-mediated neuroprotective signal is transmitted to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt anti-apoptotic axis. Among three Akt family proteins, Akt3 is the major downstream mediator for alsinLF/Rac1-mediated neuroprotection, which is specifically effective against SOD1 mutant-induced neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohsuke Kanekura
- Department of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, KEIO University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
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Kunita R, Otomo A, Mizumura H, Suzuki K, Showguchi-Miyata J, Yanagisawa Y, Hadano S, Ikeda JE. Homo-oligomerization of ALS2 through its unique carboxyl-terminal regions is essential for the ALS2-associated Rab5 guanine nucleotide exchange activity and its regulatory function on endosome trafficking. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:38626-35. [PMID: 15247254 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m406120200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the ALS2 gene have been known to account for a juvenile recessive form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS2), a rare juvenile recessive form of primary lateral sclerosis, and a form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), indicating that the ALS2 protein is essential for the maintenance of motor neurons. Recently, we have demonstrated that the ALS2 protein specifically binds to the small GTPase Rab5 and acts as a GEF (guanine nucleotide exchange factor) for Rab5. We have also shown that its Rab5GEF-requisite domain resides within the C-terminal 640-amino acid region spanning membrane occupation and recognition nexus motifs and the vacuolar protein sorting 9 domain. Transiently expressed ALS2 localized onto early endosomal compartments and stimulated endosome fusions in neuronal and non-neuronal cells in an Rab5GEF activity-dependent manner. These results indicate that the C-terminal region of ALS2 plays a crucial role in endosomal dynamics by its Rab5GEF activity. Here we delineate a molecular feature of the ALS2-associated function through the C-terminal region-mediated homo-oligomerization. A yeast two-hybrid screen for interacting proteins with the ALS2 C-terminal portion identified ALS2 itself. ALS2 forms a homophilic oligomer through its distinct C-terminal regions. This homo-oligomerization is crucial for the Rab5GEF activity in vitro and the ALS2-mediated endosome enlargement in the cells. Taken together, these results indicate that oligomerization of the ALS2 protein is one of the fundamental features for its physiological function involving endosome dynamics in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Kunita
- Solution Oriented Research for Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, (Tokai University School of Medicine), Kanagawa, Japan
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Yamanaka K, Vande Velde C, Eymard-Pierre E, Bertini E, Boespflug-Tanguy O, Cleveland DW. Unstable mutants in the peripheral endosomal membrane component ALS2 cause early-onset motor neuron disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2003; 100:16041-6. [PMID: 14668431 PMCID: PMC307689 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2635267100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in ALS2, carrying three putative guanine exchange factor (GEF) domains, are causative for a juvenile, autosomal recessive form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), primary lateral sclerosis, and infantile-ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. Endogenous ALS2 is shown here to be enriched in nervous tissue and to be peripherally bound to the cytoplasmic face of endosomal membranes, an association that requires the amino-terminal "RCC1 (regulator of chromatin condensation)-like" GEF domain. Disease-causing mutants and a naturally truncated isoform of ALS2 are shown to be rapidly degraded when expressed in cultured human cells, including lymphocytes derived from patients with ALS2 mutations. Thus, mutations in the ALS2 gene linked to early-onset motor neuron disease uniformly produce loss of activity through decreased protein stability of this endosomal GEF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Yamanaka
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Departments of Medicine and Neuroscience, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Devon RS, Helm JR, Rouleau GA, Leitner Y, Lerman-Sagie T, Lev D, Hayden MR. The first nonsense mutation in alsin results in a homogeneous phenotype of infantile-onset ascending spastic paralysis with bulbar involvement in two siblings. Clin Genet 2003; 64:210-5. [PMID: 12919135 DOI: 10.1034/j.1399-0004.2003.00138.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Eight mutations in the ALS2 gene have been described as causing autosomal-recessive juvenile-onset forms of the motor neuron diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, primary lateral sclerosis and hereditary spastic paraplegia. All mutations are small deletions that are predicted to result in a frameshift and premature truncation of the alsin protein. Here we describe a ninth ALS2 mutation, in two siblings affected by infantile-onset ascending spastic paraplegia with bulbar involvement. This mutation is predicted to result in the substitution of an amino acid by a stop codon, and thus is the first nonsense mutation detected in this gene. It is probable that full-length alsin is required for the proper development and/or functioning of upper motor neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Devon
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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