Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma Cells

Retinoic Acid Promotes Neuronal Differentiation While Increasing Proteins and Organelles Related to Autophagy

Retinoic acid (RA) is commonly used to differentiate SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. This effect is sustained by a specific modulation of gene transcription, leading to marked changes in cellular proteins. In this scenario, autophagy may be pivotal in balancing protein synthesis and degradation. The present study analyzes whether some autophagy-related proteins and organelles are modified during RA-induced differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells. RA-induced effects were compared to those induced by starvation. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with a single dose of 10 µM RA or grown in starvation, for 3 days or 7 days. After treatments, cells were analyzed at light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to assess cell morphology and immunostaining for specific markers (nestin, βIII-tubulin, NeuN) and some autophagy-related proteins (Beclin 1, LC3). We found that both RA and starvation differentiate SH-SY5Y cells. Specifically, cell differentiation was concomitant with an increase in autophagy proteins and autophagy-related organelles. However, the effects of a single dose of 10 μM RA persist for at least 7 days, while prolonged starvation produces cell degeneration and cell loss. Remarkably, the effects of RA are modulated in the presence of autophagy inhibitors or stimulators. The present data indicate that RA-induced differentiation is concomitant with an increased autophagy.

mTOR and SGLT-2 Inhibitors: Their Synergistic Effect on Age-Related Processes

The aging process contributes significantly to the onset of chronic diseases, which are the primary causes of global mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs. Numerous studies have shown that the removal of senescent cells from tissues extends lifespan and reduces the occurrence of age-related diseases. Consequently, there is growing momentum in the development of drugs targeting these cells. Among them, mTOR and SGLT-2 inhibitors have garnered attention due to their diverse effects: mTOR inhibitors regulate cellular growth, metabolism, and immune responses, while SGLT-2 inhibitors regulate glucose reabsorption in the kidneys, resulting in various beneficial metabolic effects. Importantly, these drugs may act synergistically by influencing senescence processes and pathways. Although direct studies on the combined effects of mTOR inhibition and SGLT-2 inhibition on age-related processes are limited, this review aims to highlight the potential synergistic benefits of these drugs in targeting senescence.

Mechanistic insights into circRNA-mediated regulation of PI3K signaling pathway in glioma progression

Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) characterized by a stable circular structure that regulates gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. They play diverse roles, including protein interactions, DNA methylation modification, protein-coding potential, pseudogene creation, and miRNA sponging, all of which influence various physiological processes. CircRNAs are often highly expressed in brain tissues, and their levels vary with neural development, suggesting their significance in nervous system diseases such as gliomas. Research has shown that circRNA expression related to the PI3K pathway correlates with various clinical features of gliomas. There is an interact between circRNAs and the PI3K pathway to regulate glioma cell processes such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, inflammation, angiogenesis, and treatment resistance. Additionally, PI3K pathway-associated circRNAs hold potential as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. In this study, we reviewed the latest advances in the expression and cellular roles of PI3K-mediated circRNAs and their connections to glioma carcinogenesis and progression. We also highlighted the significance of circRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in glioma.

In Silico Molecular Modeling to Identify the Role of Enzymes Involved in Mitochondriogenesis Upon Malvidin-3-Glucoside Effect

Aim

Mitochondriogenesis refers to the process of creating and maintaining mitochondria, which plays an essential role in cellular metabolism. Mitochondrial processes such as energy generation, the response to oxidative stress, and cell death are all tightly regulated by enzymes. The flavonoid molecule malvidin-3-glucoside (M3G), which may be found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, has been shown to improve mitochondrial activity. However, the precise enzymes that mediate M3G's effect on mitochondriogenesis are yet unknown.

Method

Here, we used in silico molecular modeling tools to look at how enzymes contribute to mitochondriogenesis after M3G administration. We used computational methods to discover candidate target enzymes known to interact with M3G and play important roles in mitochondrial physiology. Molecular docking was conducted to measure the binding affinity and stability of the M3G-enzyme complexes. The found enzymes' structural and functional features were analyzed using bioinformatics techniques, and the predicted functional implications of their interaction with M3G were formulated.

Result

Our goal in doing these studies was to understand better how M3G regulates mitochondriogenesis by the action of altering SIRT-1, AMPK, and PGC-1α via M3G.

Conclusion

In sum, our findings provide light on the molecular pathways by which M3G influences mitochondriogenesis. Furthermore, experimental validation of the discovered enzymes and their interactions with M3G may aid in the development of therapeutic approaches to improve mitochondrial function and cellular health.

The mitochondriogenic but not the immunosuppressant effects of mTOR inhibitors prompt neuroprotection and delay disease evolution in a mouse model of progressive multiple sclerosis

INTRODUCTION

Purportedly, the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) occurs when neurodegenerative processes due to derangement of axonal bioenergetics take over the autoimmune response. However, a clear picture of the causative interrelationship between autoimmunity and axonal mitochondrial dysfunction in progressive MS (PMS) pathogenesis waits to be provided.

METHODS

In the present study, by adopting the NOD mouse model of PMS, we compared the pharmacological effects of the immunosuppressants dexamethasone and fingolimod with those of mTOR inhibitors rapamycin and everolimus that, in addition to immunosuppression, also regulate mitochondrial functioning. Female Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice were immunized with MOG35-55 and treated with drugs to evaluate functional, immune and mitochondrial parameters during disease evolution.

RESULTS

We found that dexamethasone and fingolimod did not affect the pattern of progression as well as survival. Conversely, mTOR inhibitors rapamycin and everolimus delayed disease progression and robustly extended survival of immunized mice. The same effects were obtained when treatment was delayed by 30 days after immunization. Remarkably, dexamethasone and fingolimod prompted the same degree of immunosuppression of rapamycin within both spleen and spinal cord of mice. However, only rapamycin prompted mitochondriogenesis by increasing mitochondrial content, and expression of several mitochondrial respiratory complex subunits, thereby preventing mtDNA reduction in the spinal cords of immunized mice. These pharmacodynamic effects were not reproduced in healthy NOD mice, suggesting a disease context-dependent pharmacodynamic effect.

DISCUSSION

Data corroborate the key role of mitochondriogenesis to treatment of MS progression, and for the first time disclose the translational potential of mTOR inhibitors in PMS therapy.

Adult IDH Wild-Type Glioblastoma Ultrastructural Investigation Suggests a Possible Correlation between Morphological Biomarkers and Ki-67 Index

Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor with an average life expectancy between 14 and 16 months after diagnosis. The Ki-67 labeling index (LI), a measure of cellular proliferation, is emerging as a prognostic marker in GBM. In this study, we investigated the ultrastructure of glioblastoma tissue from 9 patients with the same molecular profile (adult IDH wild-type glioblastoma, wild-type ATRX, and positive for TP53 expression, GFAP expression, and EGFR overexpression) to find possible ultrastructural features to be used as biomarkers and correlated with the only parameter that differs among our samples, the Ki-67 LI. Our main results were the visualization of the anatomical basis of astrocyte-endothelial cells crosstalk; the ultrastructural in situ imaging of clusters of hyperactivated microglia cells (MsEVs); the ultrastructural in situ imaging of microglia cells storing lipid vesicles (MsLVs); the ultrastructural in situ imaging of neoplastic cells mitophagy (NCsM). The statistical analysis of our data indicated that MsEVs and MsLVs correlate with the Ki-67 LI value. We can thus assume they are good candidates to be considered morphological biomarkers correlating to Ki-67 LI. The role of NCsM instead must be further evaluated. Our study findings demonstrate that by combining ultrastructural characteristics with molecular information, we can discover biomarkers that have the potential to enhance diagnostic precision, aid in treatment decision-making, identify targets for therapy, and enable personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient. However, further research with larger sample sizes is needed to validate these findings and fully utilize the potential of ultrastructural analysis in managing glioblastoma.

Autophagy Activation Associates with Suppression of Prion Protein and Improved Mitochondrial Status in Glioblastoma Cells

Cells from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) feature up-regulation of the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR), which brings deleterious effects on malignancy and disease course. At the cellular level, up-regulation of mTOR affects a number of downstream pathways and suppresses autophagy, which is relevant for the neurobiology of GBM. In fact, autophagy acts on several targets, such as protein clearance and mitochondrial status, which are key in promoting the malignancy GBM. A defective protein clearance extends to cellular prion protein (PrPc). Recent evidence indicates that PrPc promotes stemness and alters mitochondrial turnover. Therefore, the present study measures whether in GBM cells abnormal amount of PrPc and mitochondrial alterations are concomitant in baseline conditions and whether they are reverted by mTOR inhibition. Proteins related to mitochondrial turnover were concomitantly assessed. High amounts of PrPc and altered mitochondria were both mitigated dose-dependently by the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, which produced a persistent activation of the autophagy flux and shifted proliferating cells from S to G1 cell cycle phase. Similarly, mTOR suppression produces a long-lasting increase of proteins promoting mitochondrial turnover, including Pink1/Parkin. These findings provide novel evidence about the role of autophagy in the neurobiology of GBM.

Bacopa Protects against Neurotoxicity Induced by MPP+ and Methamphetamine

The neurotoxins methamphetamine (METH) and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺) damage catecholamine neurons. Although sharing the same mechanism to enter within these neurons, METH neurotoxicity mostly depends on oxidative species, while MPP⁺ toxicity depends on the inhibition of mitochondrial activity. This explains why only a few compounds protect against both neurotoxins. Identifying a final common pathway that is shared by these neurotoxins is key to prompting novel remedies for spontaneous neurodegeneration. In the present study we assessed whether natural extracts from Bacopa monnieri (BM) may provide a dual protection against METH- and MPP⁺-induced cell damage as measured by light and electron microscopy. The protection induced by BM against catecholamine cell death and degeneration was dose-dependently related to the suppression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and mitochondrial alterations. These were measured by light and electron microscopy with MitoTracker Red and Green as well as by the ultrastructural morphometry of specific mitochondrial structures. In fact, BM suppresses the damage of mitochondrial crests and matrix dilution and increases the amount of healthy and total mitochondria. The present data provide evidence for a natural compound, which protects catecholamine cells independently by the type of experimental toxicity. This may be useful to counteract spontaneous degenerations of catecholamine cells.

Alterations of Mitochondrial Structure in Methamphetamine Toxicity

Recent evidence shows that methamphetamine (METH) produces mitochondrial alterations that contribute to neurotoxicity. Nonetheless, most of these studies focus on mitochondrial activity, whereas mitochondrial morphology remains poorly investigated. In fact, morphological evidence about the fine structure of mitochondria during METH toxicity is not available. Thus, in the present study we analyzed dose-dependent mitochondrial structural alterations during METH exposure. Light and transmission electron microscopy were used, along with ultrastructural stoichiometry of catecholamine cells following various doses of METH. In the first part of the study cell death and cell degeneration were assessed and they were correlated with mitochondrial alterations observed using light microscopy. In the second part of the study, ultrastructural evidence of specific mitochondrial alterations of crests, inner and outer membranes and matrix were quantified, along with in situ alterations of mitochondrial proteins. Neurodegeneration induced by METH correlates significantly with specific mitochondrial damage, which allows definition of a scoring system for mitochondrial integrity. In turn, mitochondrial alterations are concomitant with a decrease in fission/mitophagy protein Fis1 and DRP1 and an increase in Pink1 and Parkin in situ, at the mitochondrial level. These findings provide structural evidence that mitochondria represent both direct and indirect targets of METH-induced toxicity

Occurrence of Total and Proteinase K-Resistant Alpha-Synuclein in Glioblastoma Cells Depends on mTOR Activity

Simple Summary

The accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is considered a pathological hallmark of the neurodegenerative disorders known as synucleinopathies. The clearance of α-syn depends on autophagy activity, which is inhibited by the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). Thus, it is likely that α-syn accumulation may occur whenever mTOR is overactive and autophagy is suppressed. In fact, the lack of effective autophagy increases the amount of α-syn and may produce protein aggregation. Therefore, in the present study, we questioned whether cells from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a lethal brain neoplasm, wherein mTOR is upregulated and autophagy is suppressed, may overexpress α-syn. In fact, a large quantity of α-syn is measured in GBM cells compared with astrocytes, which includes proteinase K-resistant α-syn. Rapamycin, while inhibiting mTOR activity, significantly reduces the amount of α-syn and allocates α-syn within autophagy-like vacuoles.

Abstract

Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a protein considered to be detrimental in a number of degenerative disorders (synucleinopathies) of which α-syn aggregates are considered a pathological hallmark. The clearance of α-syn strongly depends on autophagy, which can be stimulated by inhibiting the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). Thus, the overexpression of mTOR and severe autophagy suppression may produce α-syn accumulation, including the proteinase K-resistant protein isoform. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a lethal brain tumor that features mTOR overexpression and severe autophagy inhibition. Cell pathology in GBM is reminiscent of a fast, progressive degenerative disorder. Therefore, the present work questions whether, as is analogous to neurons during degenerative disorders, an overexpression of α-syn occurs within GBM cells. A high amount of α-syn was documented in GBM cells via real-time PCR (RT-PCR), Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, immuno-fluorescence, and ultrastructural stoichiometry, compared with the amount of β- and γ-synucleins and compared with the amount of α-syn counted within astrocytes. The present study indicates that (i) α-syn is overexpressed in GBM cells, (ii) α-syn expression includes a proteinase-K resistant isoform, (iii) α-syn is dispersed from autophagy-like vacuoles to the cytosol, (iv) α-syn overexpression and cytosol dispersion are mitigated by rapamycin, and (v) the α-syn-related GBM-like phenotype is mitigated by silencing the SNCA gene.

Lactoferrin Protects against Methamphetamine Toxicity by Modulating Autophagy and Mitochondrial Status

Lactoferrin (LF) was used at first as a vehicle to deliver non-soluble active compounds to the body, including the central nervous system (CNS). Nonetheless, it soon became evident that, apart from acting as a vehicle, LF itself owns active effects in the CNS. In the present study, the effects of LF are assessed both in baseline conditions, as well as to counteract methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurodegeneration by assessing cell viability, cell phenotype, mitochondrial status, and specific autophagy steps. In detail, cell integrity in baseline conditions and following METH administration was carried out by using H&E staining, Trypan blue, Fluoro Jade B, and WST-1. Western blot and immuno-fluorescence were used to assess the expression of the neurofilament marker βIII-tubulin. Mitochondria were stained using Mito Tracker Red and Green and were further detailed and quantified by using transmission electron microscopy. Autophagy markers were analyzed through immuno-fluorescence and electron microscopy. LF counteracts METH-induced degeneration. In detail, LF significantly attenuates the amount of cell loss and mitochondrial alterations produced by METH; and mitigates the dissipation of autophagy-related proteins from the autophagy compartment, which is massively induced by METH. These findings indicate a protective role of LF in the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration.

Autophagy as a gateway for the effects of methamphetamine: From neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity to psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders

As a major eukaryotic cell clearing machinery, autophagy grants cell proteostasis, which is key for neurotransmitter release, synaptic plasticity, and neuronal survival. In line with this, besides neuropathological events, autophagy dysfunctions are bound to synaptic alterations that occur in mental disorders, and early on, in neurodegenerative diseases. This is also the case of methamphetamine (METH) abuse, which leads to psychiatric disturbances and neurotoxicity. While consistently altering the autophagy machinery, METH produces behavioral and neurotoxic effects through molecular and biochemical events that can be recapitulated by autophagy blockade. These consist of altered physiological dopamine (DA) release, abnormal stimulation of DA and glutamate receptors, as well as oxidative, excitotoxic, and neuroinflammatory events. Recent molecular insights suggest that METH early impairs the autophagy machinery, though its functional significance remains to be investigated. Here we discuss evidence suggesting that alterations of DA transmission and autophagy are intermingled within a chain of events underlying behavioral alterations and neurodegenerative phenomena produced by METH. Understanding how METH alters the autophagy machinery is expected to provide novel insights into the neurobiology of METH addiction sharing some features with psychiatric disorders and parkinsonism.

A Key Pathway to Cancer Resilience: The Role of Autophagy in Glioblastomas

There are no effective strategies for the successful treatment of glioblastomas (GBM). Current therapeutic modalities effectively target bulk tumor cells but leave behind marginal GBM cells that escape from the surgical margins and radiotherapy field, exhibiting high migratory phenotype and resistance to all available anti-glioma therapies. Drug resistance is mostly driven by tumor cell plasticity: a concept associated with reactivating transcriptional programs in response to adverse and dynamic conditions from the tumor microenvironment. Autophagy, or "self-eating", pathway is an emerging target for cancer therapy and has been regarded as one of the key drivers of cell plasticity in response to energy demanding stress conditions. Many studies shed light on the importance of autophagy as an adaptive mechanism, protecting GBM cells from unfavorable conditions, while others recognize that autophagy can kill those cells by triggering a non-apoptotic cell death program, called 'autophagy cell death' (ACD). In this review, we carefully analyzed literature data and conclude that there is no clear evidence indicating the presence of ACD under pathophysiological settings in GBM disease. It seems to be exclusively induced by excessive (supra-physiological) stress signals, mostly from in vitro cell culture studies. Instead, pre-clinical and clinical data indicate that autophagy is an emblematic example of the 'dark-side' of a rescue pathway that contributes profoundly to a pro-tumoral adaptive response. From a standpoint of treating the real human disease, only combinatorial therapy targeting autophagy with cytotoxic drugs in the adjuvant setting for GBM patients, associated with the development of less toxic and more specific autophagy inhibitors, may inhibit adaptive response and enhance the sensibility of glioma cells to conventional therapies.

Rapamycin Ameliorates Defects in Mitochondrial Fission and Mitophagy in Glioblastoma Cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) cells feature mitochondrial alterations, which are documented and quantified in the present study, by using ultrastructural morphometry. Mitochondrial impairment, which roughly occurs in half of the organelles, is shown to be related to mTOR overexpression and autophagy suppression. The novelty of the present study consists of detailing an mTOR-dependent mitophagy occlusion, along with suppression of mitochondrial fission. These phenomena contribute to explain the increase in altered mitochondria reported here. Administration of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin rescues mitochondrial alterations. In detail, rapamycin induces the expression of genes promoting mitophagy (PINK1, PARKIN, ULK1, AMBRA1) and mitochondrial fission (FIS1, DRP1). This occurs along with over-expression of VPS34, an early gene placed upstream in the autophagy pathway. The topographic stoichiometry of proteins coded by these genes within mitochondria indicates that, a remarkable polarization of proteins involved in fission and mitophagy within mitochondria including LC3 takes place. Co-localization of these proteins within mitochondria, persists for weeks following rapamycin, which produces long-lasting mitochondrial plasticity. Thus, rapamycin restores mitochondrial status in GBM cells. These findings add novel evidence about mitochondria and GBM, while fostering a novel therapeutic approach to restore healthy mitochondria through mTOR inhibition.

Ultrastructural characterization of peripheral denervation in a mouse model of Type III spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a heritable, autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder characterized by a loss of the survival of motor neurons (SMN) protein, which leads to degeneration of lower motor neurons, and muscle atrophy. Despite SMA being nosographically classified as a motor neuron disease, recent advances indicate that peripheral alterations at the level of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), involving the muscle, and axons of the sensory-motor system, occur early, and may even precede motor neuron loss. In the present study, we used a mouse model of slow progressive (type III) SMA, whereby the absence of the mouse SMN protein is compensated by the expression of two human genes (heterozygous SMN1A2G, and SMN2). This leads to late disease onset and prolonged survival, which allows for dissecting slow degenerative steps operating early in SMA pathogenesis. In this purely morphological study carried out at transmission electron microscopy, we extend the examination of motor neurons and proximal axons towards peripheral components, including distal axons, muscle fibers, and also muscle spindles. We document remarkable ultrastructural alterations being consistent with early peripheral denervation in SMA, which may shift the ultimate anatomical target in neuromuscular disease from the spinal cord towards the muscle. This concerns mostly mitochondrial alterations within distal axons and muscle, which are quantified here through ultrastructural morphometry. The present study is expected to provide a deeper knowledge of early pathogenic mechanisms in SMA.

Neuroprotective Effects of Curcumin in Methamphetamine-Induced Toxicity

Curcumin (CUR), a natural polyphenol extracted from rhizome of the Curcuma longa L, has received great attention for its multiple potential health benefits as well as disease prevention. For instance, CUR protects against toxic agents acting on the human body, including the nervous system. In detail, CUR possesses, among others, strong effects as an autophagy activator. The present study indicates that CUR counteracts methamphetamine (METH) toxicity. Such a drug of abuse is toxic by disturbing the autophagy machinery. We profited from an unbiased, low variable cell context by using rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cell line. In such a system, a strong protection was exerted by CUR against METH toxicity. This was associated with increased autophagy flux, merging of autophagosomes with lysosomes and replenishment of autophagy vacuoles with LC3, which instead is moved out from the vacuoles by METH. This is expected to enable the autophagy machinery. In fact, while in METH-treated cells the autophagy substrates α-synuclein accumulates in the cytosol, CUR speeds up α-synuclein clearance. Under the effects of CUR LC3 penetrate in autophagy vacuoles to commit them to cell clearance and promotes the autophagy flux. The present data provide evidence that CUR counteracts the neurotoxic effects induced by METH by promoting autophagy.

Merging the Multi-Target Effects of Phytochemicals in Neurodegeneration: From Oxidative Stress to Protein Aggregation and Inflammation

Wide experimental evidence has been provided in the last decade concerning the neuroprotective effects of phytochemicals in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Generally, the neuroprotective effects of bioactive compounds belonging to different phytochemical classes are attributed to antioxidant, anti-aggregation, and anti-inflammatory activity along with the restoration of mitochondrial homeostasis and targeting alterations of cell-clearing systems. Far from being independent, these multi-target effects represent interconnected events that are commonly implicated in the pathogenesis of most neurodegenerative diseases, independently of etiology, nosography, and the specific misfolded proteins being involved. Nonetheless, the increasing amount of data applying to a variety of neurodegenerative disorders joined with the multiple effects exerted by the wide variety of plant-derived neuroprotective agents may rather confound the reader. The present review is an attempt to provide a general guideline about the most relevant mechanisms through which naturally occurring agents may counteract neurodegeneration. With such an aim, we focus on some popular phytochemical classes and bioactive compounds as representative examples to design a sort of main highway aimed at deciphering the most relevant protective mechanisms which make phytochemicals potentially useful in counteracting neurodegeneration. In this frame, we emphasize the potential role of the cell-clearing machinery as a kernel in the antioxidant, anti-aggregation, anti-inflammatory, and mitochondrial protecting effects of phytochemicals.