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Clark AS, Huayta J, Morton KS, Meyer JN, San-Miguel A. Morphological hallmarks of dopaminergic neurodegeneration are associated with altered neuron function in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurotoxicology 2024; 100:100-106. [PMID: 38070655 PMCID: PMC10872346 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an excellent model system to study neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, as it enables analysis of both neuron morphology and function in live animals. Multiple structural changes in neurons, such as cephalic dendrite morphological abnormalities, have been considered hallmarks of neurodegeneration in this model, but their relevance to changes in neuron function are not entirely clear. We sought to test whether hallmark morphological changes associated with chemically induced dopaminergic neuron degeneration, such as dendrite blebbing, breakage, and loss, are indicative of neuronal malfunction and result in changes in behavior. We adapted an established dopaminergic neuronal function assay by measuring paralysis in the presence of exogenous dopamine, which revealed clear differences between cat-2 dopamine deficient mutants, wildtype worms, and dat-1 dopamine abundant mutants. Next, we integrated an automated image processing algorithm and a microfluidic device to segregate worm populations by their cephalic dendrite morphologies. We show that nematodes with dopaminergic dendrite degeneration markers, such as blebbing or breakage, paralyze at higher rates in a dopamine solution, providing evidence that dopaminergic neurodegeneration morphologies are correlated with functional neuronal outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Clark
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Javier Huayta
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Joel N Meyer
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Adriana San-Miguel
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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Clark AS, Huayta J, Morton KS, Meyer JN, San-Miguel A. Morphological hallmarks of dopaminergic neurodegeneration are associated with altered neuron function in Caenorhabditis elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.22.554364. [PMID: 37662210 PMCID: PMC10473754 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.22.554364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an excellent model system to study neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, as it enables analysis of both neuron morphology and function in live animals. Multiple structural changes in neurons, such as cephalic dendrite morphological abnormalities, have been considered hallmarks of neurodegeneration in this model, but their relevance to changes in neuron function are not entirely clear. We sought to test whether hallmark morphological changes associated with chemically induced dopaminergic neuron degeneration, such as dendrite blebbing, breakage, and loss, are indicative of neuronal malfunction and result in changes in behavior. We adapted an established dopaminergic neuronal function assay by measuring paralysis in the presence of exogenous dopamine, which revealed clear differences between cat-2 dopamine deficient mutants, wildtype worms, and dat-1 dopamine abundant mutants. Next, we integrated an automated image processing algorithm and a microfluidic device to segregate worm populations by their cephalic dendrite morphologies. We show that nematodes with dopaminergic dendrite degeneration markers, such as blebbing or breakage, paralyze at higher rates in a dopamine solution, providing evidence that dopaminergic neurodegeneration morphologies are correlated with functional neuronal outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Clark
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Javier Huayta
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Katherine S Morton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joel N Meyer
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Adriana San-Miguel
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Ma C, Feng Y, Li X, Sun L, He Z, Gan J, He M, Zhang X, Chen X. Potential Therapeutic Effects of Policosanol from Insect Wax on Caenorhabditis elegans Models of Parkinson's Disease. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2023; 18:127-144. [PMID: 36637699 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-022-10057-4] [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: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. The standard treatments for PD focus on symptom relief rather than attempting to address the underlying degenerative processes completely. This study aimed to evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of policosanol derived from insect wax (PIW) by investigating improvements in disease symptoms represented in Caenorhabditis elegans models of PD. For our assessments, we used the following three models: NL5901, which is a transgenic model for α-synuclein aggregation; wild-type N2 induced with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA); and 6-OHDA-induced BZ555 as a model for loss of dopaminergic neurons (DNs). Specifically, we examined the effects of PIW treatment on α-synuclein aggregation, the loss of DNs, lipid abundance, and the lifespan of treated organisms. Further, we examined treatment-related changes in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as the mRNA production profiles of relevant genes. A 10 µg/mL dose of PIW reduced the aggregation of α-synuclein in NL5901 and suppressed the loss of DNs in 6-OHDA-induced BZ555. Overall, PIW treatment decreased ROS and MDA levels, restored lipid abundance, and prolonged the lifespans of worms in all the three models, which may be associated with changes in the expression profiles of genes related to cell survival and oxidative stress response pathways. Our findings show that PIW alleviated the symptoms of PD in these models, possibly by regulating the stress responses initiated by injuries such as α-synuclein aggregation or 6-OHDA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenjing Ma
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Panlong District, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Ying Feng
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Panlong District, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Xian Li
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Panlong District, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Long Sun
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Panlong District, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Zhao He
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Panlong District, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Jin Gan
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Panlong District, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Minjie He
- Health Management Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650000, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Panlong District, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan Province, China.
| | - Xiaoming Chen
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Panlong District, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan Province, China
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Clark AS, Kalmanson Z, Morton K, Hartman J, Meyer J, San-Miguel A. An unbiased, automated platform for scoring dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.02.526781. [PMID: 36778421 PMCID: PMC9915681 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.02.526781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) has served as a simple model organism to study dopaminergic neurodegeneration, as it enables quantitative analysis of cellular and sub-cellular morphologies in live animals. These isogenic nematodes have a rapid life cycle and transparent body, making high-throughput imaging and evaluation of fluorescently tagged neurons possible. However, the current state-of-the-art method for quantifying dopaminergic degeneration requires researchers to manually examine images and score dendrites into groups of varying levels of neurodegeneration severity, which is time consuming, subject to bias, and limited in data sensitivity. We aim to overcome the pitfalls of manual neuron scoring by developing an automated, unbiased image processing algorithm to quantify dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans . The algorithm can be used on images acquired with different microscopy setups and only requires two inputs: a maximum projection image of the four cephalic neurons in the C. elegans head and the pixel size of the user’s camera. We validate the platform by detecting and quantifying neurodegeneration in nematodes exposed to rotenone, cold shock, and 6-hydroxydopamine using 63x epifluorescence, 63x confocal, and 40x epifluorescence microscopy, respectively. Analysis of tubby mutant worms with altered fat storage showed that, contrary to our hypothesis, increased adiposity did not sensitize to stressor-induced neurodegeneration. We further verify the accuracy of the algorithm by comparing code-generated, categorical degeneration results with manually scored dendrites of the same experiments. The platform, which detects 19 different metrics of neurodegeneration, can provide comparative insight into how each exposure affects dopaminergic neurodegeneration patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Clark
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zachary Kalmanson
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Katherine Morton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jessica Hartman
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Joel Meyer
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Adriana San-Miguel
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Chang CH, Wei CC, Ho CT, Liao VHC. N-γ-(L-glutamyl)-L-selenomethionine shows neuroprotective effects against Parkinson's disease associated with SKN-1/Nrf2 and TRXR-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 92:153733. [PMID: 34537465 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, yet fundamental treatments for the disease remain sparse. Thus, the search for potentially efficacious compounds from medicinal plants that can be used in the treatment of PD has gained significant interest. PURPOSE In many medicinal plants, selenium is primarily found in an organic form. We investigated the neuroprotective potential of an organic form of selenium, N-γ-(L-glutamyl)-L-selenomethionine (Glu-SeMet) in a Caenorhabditis elegans PD model and its possible molecular mechanisms. METHODS We used a C. elegans pharmacological PD strain (BZ555) that specifically expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) in dopaminergic neurons and a transgenic PD strain (NL5901) that expresses human α-synuclein (α-syn) in muscle cells to investigate the neuroprotective potential of Glu-SeMet against PD. RESULTS We found that Glu-SeMet significantly ameliorated 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced dopaminergic neuron damage in the transgenic BZ555 strain, with corresponding improvements in slowing behavior and intracellular ROS levels. In addition, compared with clinical PD drugs (L-DOPA and selegiline), Glu-SeMet demonstrated stronger ameliorated effects on 6-OHDA-induced toxicity. Glu-SeMet also triggered the nuclear translocation of SKN-1/Nrf2 and significantly increased SKN-1, GST-4, and GCS-1 mRNA levels in the BZ555 strain. However, Glu-SeMet did not increase mRNA levels or ameliorate the damage to dopaminergic neurons when the BZ555 strain was subjected to skn-1 RNA interference (RNAi). Glu-SeMet also upregulated the mRNA levels of the selenoprotein TRXR-1 in both the BZ555 and BZ555; skn-1 RNAi strains and significantly decreased α-syn accumulation in the NL5901 strain, although this was not observed in the NL5901; trxr-1 strain. CONCLUSION We found that Glu-SeMet has a neuroprotective effect against PD in a C. elegans PD model and that the anti-PD effects of Glu-SeMet were associated with SKN-1/Nrf2 and TRXR-1. Glu-SeMet may thus have the potential for use in therapeutic applications or supplements to slow the progression of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Han Chang
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Cheng Wei
- Institute of Food Safety and Health, National Taiwan University, No. 17, Xuzhou Rd., Taipei 100, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 17, Xuzhou Rd., Taipei, 100, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Tang Ho
- Department of Food Science, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, 65 Dudley Rd., New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520, United States
| | - Vivian Hsiu-Chuan Liao
- Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
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Selvaraj B, Nguyen UTT, Huh G, Nguyen DH, Mok IK, Lee H, Kang K, Bae AN, Kim DW, Lee JW. Synthesis and biological evaluation of chalcone derivatives as neuroprotective agents against glutamate-induced HT22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cell death. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127597. [PMID: 33022369 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Seventeen chalcone analogues were synthesized from 7-methoxy-3,4-dihydronaphthalen1(2H)-one and various aromatic aldehydes under basic conditions and their therapeutic properties were studied in mouse hippocampal cell line HT-22 against neuronal cell death induced by glutamate. From this study, we selected an analogue C01 as a active compound which showed significantly high neuroprotection. This compound inhibited Ca2+ influx and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation inside cells. The glutamate-induced cell death was analyzed by flow cytometry and it showed that C01 significantly reduced apoptotic or dead cell induced by 5 mM glutamate. Western blot analysis indicates that glutamate-mediated activation of MAPKs were inhibited by compound C01 treatment. In addition, the C01enhanced Bcl-2 and decreased Bax, the anti and pro apoptotic proteins respectively. Further analysis showed that, C01 prevented the nuclear translocation of AIF (apoptosis inducing factor) and inhibited neuronal cell death. Taken together, compound C01 treatment resulted in decreased neurotoxicity induced by 5 mM of glutamate. Our finding confirmed that compound C01 has neuro-therapeutic potential against glutamate-mediated neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baskar Selvaraj
- Natural Product Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung 25451, Republic of Korea; Convergent Research Center for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Care System of Dementia, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejun 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Uyen Tran Tu Nguyen
- Natural Product Informatics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung 25451, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyewon Huh
- Natural Product Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung 25451, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejun 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Duc Hung Nguyen
- Department of Biotechnology, Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST), Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Il-Kyoon Mok
- Institute of Food Industrialization, Institutes of Green Bio Science & Technology and Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do 25354, Republic of Korea
| | - Heesu Lee
- Department of Anatomy, College of Dentistry, Gangnueng Wonju National University (GWNU), Gangneung 25457, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungsu Kang
- Natural Product Informatics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung 25451, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejun 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Ae Nim Bae
- Convergent Research Center for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Care System of Dementia, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejun 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae Won Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Dentistry, Gangneung Wonju National University (GWNU), Gangneung 25457, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jae Wook Lee
- Natural Product Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung 25451, Republic of Korea; Convergent Research Center for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Care System of Dementia, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejun 34113, Republic of Korea.
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A functionalized hydroxydopamine quinone links thiol modification to neuronal cell death. Redox Biol 2019; 28:101377. [PMID: 31760358 PMCID: PMC6880099 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2019.101377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent findings suggest that dopamine oxidation contributes to the development of Parkinson's disease (PD); however, the mechanistic details remain elusive. Here, we compare 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a product of dopamine oxidation that commonly induces dopaminergic neurodegeneration in laboratory animals, with a synthetic alkyne-functionalized 6-OHDA variant. This synthetic molecule provides insights into the reactivity of quinone and neuromelanin formation. Employing Huisgen cycloaddition chemistry (or “click chemistry”) and fluorescence imaging, we found that reactive 6-OHDA p-quinones cause widespread protein modification in isolated proteins, lysates and cells. We identified cysteine thiols as the target site and investigated the impact of proteome modification by quinones on cell viability. Mass spectrometry following cycloaddition chemistry produced a large number of 6-OHDA modified targets including proteins involved in redox regulation. Functional in vitro assays demonstrated that 6-OHDA inactivates protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), which is a central player in protein folding and redox homeostasis. Our study links dopamine oxidation to protein modification and protein folding in dopaminergic neurons and the PD model. Chemical modification of 6-OHDA increases stability of 6-OHDA p-quinone by preventing neuromelanin formation. Modified 6-OHDA enables visualization of thiol-dependent protein modification by p-quinone. Wide-spread proteome modification by 6-OHDA p-quinone impairs neuroblastoma viability. 6-OHDA p-quinone inactivates PDI linking dopamine oxidation to protein unfolding.
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