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Prasad K, Hassan MI, Raghuvanshi S, Kumar V. Understanding the relationship between cerebellum and the frontal-cortex region of C9orf72-related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A comparative analysis of genetic features. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301267. [PMID: 38753768 PMCID: PMC11098475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a relentlessly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative diseases for which at present no cure is available. Despite the extensive research the progress from diagnosis to prognosis in ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has been slow which represents suboptimal understanding of disease pathophysiological processes. In recent studies, several genes have been associated with the ALS and FTD diseases such as SOD1, TDP43, and TBK1, whereas the hexanucleotide GGGGCC repeat expansion (HRE) in C9orf72 gene is a most frequent cause of ALS and FTD, that has changed the understanding of these diseases. METHODS The goal of this study was to identify and spatially determine differential gene expression signature differences between cerebellum and frontal cortex in C9orf72-associated ALS (C9-ALS), to study the network properties of these differentially expressed genes, and to identify miRNAs targeting the common differentially expressed genes in both the tissues. This study thus highlights underlying differential cell susceptibilities to the disease mechanisms in C9-ALS and suggesting therapeutic target selection in C9-ALS. RESULTS In this manuscript, we have identified that the genes involved in neuron development, protein localization and transcription are mostly enriched in cerebellum of C9-ALS patients, while the UPR-related genes are enriched in the frontal cortex. Of note, UPR pathway genes were mostly dysregulated both in the C9-ALS cerebellum and frontal cortex. Overall, the data presented here show that defects in normal RNA processing and the UPR pathway are the pathological hallmarks of C9-ALS. Interestingly, the cerebellum showed more strong transcriptome changes than the frontal cortex. CONCLUSION Interestingly, the cerebellum region showed more significant transcriptomic changes as compared to the frontal cortex region suggesting its active participation in the disease process. This nuanced understanding may offer valuable insights for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating disease progression in C9-ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartikay Prasad
- Amity Institute of Neuropsychology & Neurosciences, Amity University, Noida, UP, India
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Saurabh Raghuvanshi
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi, South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Amity Institute of Neuropsychology & Neurosciences, Amity University, Noida, UP, India
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Udine E, DeJesus-Hernandez M, Tian S, das Neves SP, Crook R, Finch NA, Baker MC, Pottier C, Graff-Radford NR, Boeve BF, Petersen RC, Knopman DS, Josephs KA, Oskarsson B, Da Mesquita S, Petrucelli L, Gendron TF, Dickson DW, Rademakers R, van Blitterswijk M. Abundant transcriptomic alterations in the human cerebellum of patients with a C9orf72 repeat expansion. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:73. [PMID: 38641715 PMCID: PMC11031479 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02720-2] [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: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
The most prominent genetic cause of both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a repeat expansion in the gene C9orf72. Importantly, the transcriptomic consequences of the C9orf72 repeat expansion remain largely unclear. Here, we used short-read RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to profile the cerebellar transcriptome, detecting alterations in patients with a C9orf72 repeat expansion. We focused on the cerebellum, since key C9orf72-related pathologies are abundant in this neuroanatomical region, yet TDP-43 pathology and neuronal loss are minimal. Consistent with previous work, we showed a reduction in the expression of the C9orf72 gene and an elevation in homeobox genes, when comparing patients with the expansion to both patients without the C9orf72 repeat expansion and control subjects. Interestingly, we identified more than 1000 alternative splicing events, including 4 in genes previously associated with ALS and/or FTLD. We also found an increase of cryptic splicing in C9orf72 patients compared to patients without the expansion and controls. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the expression level of select RNA-binding proteins is associated with cryptic splice junction inclusion. Overall, this study explores the presence of widespread transcriptomic changes in the cerebellum, a region not confounded by severe neurodegeneration, in post-mortem tissue from C9orf72 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Udine
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | | | - Shulan Tian
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | | | - Richard Crook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - NiCole A Finch
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Matthew C Baker
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Cyril Pottier
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Björn Oskarsson
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Sandro Da Mesquita
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Rosa Rademakers
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marka van Blitterswijk
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
- Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
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3
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Yang S, Wijegunawardana D, Sheth U, Veire AM, Salgado JMS, Agrawal M, Zhou J, Pereira JD, Gendron TF, Guo JU. Aberrant splicing exonizes C9ORF72 repeat expansion in ALS/FTD. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.13.566896. [PMID: 38014069 PMCID: PMC10680656 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.13.566896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
A nucleotide repeat expansion (NRE) in the first annotated intron of the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). While C9 NRE-containing RNAs can be translated into several toxic dipeptide repeat proteins, how an intronic NRE can assess the translation machinery in the cytoplasm remains unclear. By capturing and sequencing NRE-containing RNAs from patient-derived cells, we found that C9 NRE was exonized by the usage of downstream 5' splice sites and exported from the nucleus in a variety of spliced mRNA isoforms. C9ORF72 aberrant splicing was substantially elevated in both C9 NRE + motor neurons and human brain tissues. Furthermore, NREs above the pathological threshold were sufficient to activate cryptic splice sites in reporter mRNAs. In summary, our results revealed a crucial and potentially widespread role of repeat-induced aberrant splicing in the biogenesis, localization, and translation of NRE-containing RNAs.
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4
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Seregin AA, Smirnova LP, Dmitrieva EM, Zavialova MG, Simutkin GG, Ivanova SA. Differential Expression of Proteins Associated with Bipolar Disorder as Identified Using the PeptideShaker Software. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15250. [PMID: 37894929 PMCID: PMC10607299 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015250] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of bipolar disorder (BD) in modern society is growing rapidly, but due to the lack of paraclinical criteria, its differential diagnosis with other mental disorders is somewhat challenging. In this regard, the relevance of proteomic studies is increasing due to the development of methods for processing large data arrays; this contributes to the discovery of protein patterns of pathological processes and the creation of new methods of diagnosis and treatment. It seems promising to search for proteins involved in the pathogenesis of BD in an easily accessible material-blood serum. Sera from BD patients and healthy individuals were purified via affinity chromatography to isolate 14 major proteins and separated using 1D SDS-PAGE. After trypsinolysis, the proteins in the samples were identified via HPLC/mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometric data were processed using the OMSSA and X!Tandem search algorithms using the UniProtKB database, and the results were analyzed using PeptideShaker. Differences in proteomes were assessed via an unlabeled NSAF-based analysis using a two-tailed Bonferroni-adjusted t-test. When comparing the blood serum proteomes of BD patients and healthy individuals, 10 proteins showed significant differences in NSAF values. Of these, four proteins were predominantly present in BD patients with the maximum NSAF value: 14-3-3 protein zeta/delta; ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 7; transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein ig-h3; and B-cell CLL/lymphoma 9 protein. Further exploration of the role of these proteins in BD is warranted; conducting such studies will help develop new paraclinical criteria and discover new targets for BD drug therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A. Seregin
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634014, Russia; (A.A.S.)
| | - Liudmila P. Smirnova
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634014, Russia; (A.A.S.)
| | - Elena M. Dmitrieva
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634014, Russia; (A.A.S.)
| | | | - German G. Simutkin
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634014, Russia; (A.A.S.)
| | - Svetlana A. Ivanova
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634014, Russia; (A.A.S.)
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Jiang X, Gatt A, Lashley T. HnRNP Pathologies in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration. Cells 2023; 12:1633. [PMID: 37371103 DOI: 10.3390/cells12121633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common form of young-onset (<65 years) dementia. Clinically, it primarily manifests as a disorder of behavioural, executive, and/or language functions. Pathologically, frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is the predominant cause of FTD. FTLD is a proteinopathy, and the main pathological proteins identified so far are tau, TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), and fused in sarcoma (FUS). As TDP-43 and FUS are members of the heterogeneous ribonucleic acid protein (hnRNP) family, many studies in recent years have expanded the research on the relationship between other hnRNPs and FTLD pathology. Indeed, these studies provide evidence for an association between hnRNP abnormalities and FTLD. In particular, several studies have shown that multiple hnRNPs may exhibit nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic mislocalisation within neurons in FTLD cases. However, due to the diversity and complex association of hnRNPs, most studies are still at the stage of histological discovery of different hnRNP abnormalities in FTLD. We herein review the latest studies relating hnRNPs to FTLD. Together, these studies outline an important role of multiple hnRNPs in the pathogenesis of FTLD and suggest that future research into FTLD should include the whole spectrum of this protein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwa Jiang
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 1PJ, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Ariana Gatt
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 1PJ, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Tammaryn Lashley
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 1PJ, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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6
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Rausch T, Snajder R, Leger A, Simovic M, Giurgiu M, Villacorta L, Henssen AG, Fröhling S, Stegle O, Birney E, Bonder MJ, Ernst A, Korbel JO. Long-read sequencing of diagnosis and post-therapy medulloblastoma reveals complex rearrangement patterns and epigenetic signatures. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100281. [PMID: 37082141 PMCID: PMC10112291 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Cancer genomes harbor a broad spectrum of structural variants (SVs) driving tumorigenesis, a relevant subset of which escape discovery using short-read sequencing. We employed Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read sequencing in a paired diagnostic and post-therapy medulloblastoma to unravel the haplotype-resolved somatic genetic and epigenetic landscape. We assembled complex rearrangements, including a 1.55-Mbp chromothripsis event, and we uncover a complex SV pattern termed templated insertion (TI) thread, characterized by short (mostly <1 kb) insertions showing prevalent self-concatenation into highly amplified structures of up to 50 kbp in size. TI threads occur in 3% of cancers, with a prevalence up to 74% in liposarcoma, and frequent colocalization with chromothripsis. We also perform long-read-based methylome profiling and discover allele-specific methylation (ASM) effects, complex rearrangements exhibiting differential methylation, and differential promoter methylation in cancer-driver genes. Our study shows the advantage of long-read sequencing in the discovery and characterization of complex somatic rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Rausch
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), GeneCore, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rene Snajder
- Division of Computational Genomics and Systems Genetics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty for Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- HIDSS4Health, Helmholtz Information and Data Science School for Health, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Adrien Leger
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Milena Simovic
- Group “Genome Instability in Tumors,” German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mădălina Giurgiu
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC) and Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Villacorta
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), GeneCore, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anton G. Henssen
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC) and Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Berlin, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Fröhling
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Stegle
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Computational Genomics and Systems Genetics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ewan Birney
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marc Jan Bonder
- Division of Computational Genomics and Systems Genetics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Corresponding author
| | - Aurelie Ernst
- Group “Genome Instability in Tumors,” German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Corresponding author
| | - Jan O. Korbel
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Bridging Research Division on Mechanisms of Genomic Variation and Data Science, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
- Corresponding author
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7
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Adey BN, Cooper-Knock J, Al Khleifat A, Fogh I, van Damme P, Corcia P, Couratier P, Hardiman O, McLaughlin R, Gotkine M, Drory V, Silani V, Ticozzi N, Veldink JH, van den Berg LH, de Carvalho M, Pinto S, Mora Pardina JS, Povedano Panades M, Andersen PM, Weber M, Başak NA, Shaw CE, Shaw PJ, Morrison KE, Landers JE, Glass JD, Vourc’h P, Dobson RJB, Breen G, Al-Chalabi A, Jones AR, Iacoangeli A. Large-scale analyses of CAV1 and CAV2 suggest their expression is higher in post-mortem ALS brain tissue and affects survival. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1112405. [PMID: 36937187 PMCID: PMC10017967 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1112405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Caveolin-1 and Caveolin-2 (CAV1 and CAV2) are proteins associated with intercellular neurotrophic signalling. There is converging evidence that CAV1 and CAV2 (CAV1/2) genes have a role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Disease-associated variants have been identified within CAV1/2 enhancers, which reduce gene expression and lead to disruption of membrane lipid rafts. Methods: Using large ALS whole-genome sequencing and post-mortem RNA sequencing datasets (5,987 and 365 tissue samples, respectively), and iPSC-derived motor neurons from 55 individuals, we investigated the role of CAV1/2 expression and enhancer variants in the ALS phenotype. Results: We report a differential expression analysis between ALS cases and controls for CAV1 and CAV2 genes across various post-mortem brain tissues and three independent datasets. CAV1 and CAV2 expression was consistently higher in ALS patients compared to controls, with significant results across the primary motor cortex, lateral motor cortex, and cerebellum. We also identify increased survival among carriers of CAV1/2 enhancer mutations compared to non-carriers within Project MinE and slower progression as measured by the ALSFRS. Carriers showed a median increase in survival of 345 days. Discussion: These results add to an increasing body of evidence linking CAV1 and CAV2 genes to ALS. We propose that carriers of CAV1/2 enhancer mutations may be conceptualised as an ALS subtype who present a less severe ALS phenotype with a longer survival duration and slower progression. Upregulation of CAV1/2 genes in ALS cases may indicate a causal pathway or a compensatory mechanism. Given prior research supporting the beneficial role of CAV1/2 expression in ALS patients, we consider a compensatory mechanism to better fit the available evidence, although further investigation into the biological pathways associated with CAV1/2 is needed to support this conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett N. Adey
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Johnathan Cooper-Knock
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ahmad Al Khleifat
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Isabella Fogh
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Philip van Damme
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philippe Corcia
- UMR 1253, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France
- Centre de référence sur la SLA, CHU de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- Centre de référence sur la SLA, CHRU de Limoges, Limoges, France
- UMR 1094, Université de Limoges, Inserm, Limoges, France
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Russell McLaughlin
- Complex Trait Genomics Laboratory, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marc Gotkine
- Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Vivian Drory
- Department of Neurology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Jan H. Veldink
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Leonard H. van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mamede de Carvalho
- Instituto de Fisiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susana Pinto
- Instituto de Fisiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Mónica Povedano Panades
- Functional Unit of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (UFELA), Service of Neurology, Bellvitge University Hospital, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Markus Weber
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit/ALS Clinic, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Nazli A. Başak
- Koc University School of Medicine, Translational Medicine Research Center, NDAL, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Christopher E. Shaw
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela J. Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Karen E. Morrison
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - John E. Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Jonathan D. Glass
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Patrick Vourc’h
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Service de Biochimie et Biologie molécularie, CHU de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Richard J. B. Dobson
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre and Dementia Unit at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at University College London Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gerome Breen
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- King’s College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley R. Jones
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alfredo Iacoangeli
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre and Dementia Unit at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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8
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Krach F, Stemick J, Boerstler T, Weiss A, Lingos I, Reischl S, Meixner H, Ploetz S, Farrell M, Hehr U, Kohl Z, Winner B, Winkler J. An alternative splicing modulator decreases mutant HTT and improves the molecular fingerprint in Huntington's disease patient neurons. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6797. [PMID: 36357392 PMCID: PMC9649613 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34419-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by poly-Q expansion in the Huntingtin (HTT) protein. Here, we delineate elevated mutant HTT (mHTT) levels in patient-derived cells including fibroblasts and iPSC derived cortical neurons using mesoscale discovery (MSD) HTT assays. HD patients' fibroblasts and cortical neurons recapitulate aberrant alternative splicing as a molecular fingerprint of HD. Branaplam is a splicing modulator currently tested in a phase II study in HD (NCT05111249). The drug lowers total HTT (tHTT) and mHTT levels in fibroblasts, iPSC, cortical progenitors, and neurons in a dose dependent manner at an IC50 consistently below 10 nM without inducing cellular toxicity. Branaplam promotes inclusion of non-annotated novel exons. Among these Branaplam-induced exons, there is a 115 bp frameshift-inducing exon in the HTT transcript. This exon is observed upon Branaplam treatment in Ctrl and HD patients leading to a profound reduction of HTT RNA and protein levels. Importantly, Branaplam ameliorates aberrant alternative splicing in HD patients' fibroblasts and cortical neurons. These findings highlight the applicability of splicing modulators in the treatment of CAG repeat disorders and decipher their molecular effects associated with the pharmacokinetic and -dynamic properties in patient-derived cellular models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Krach
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Judith Stemick
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tom Boerstler
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Ioannis Lingos
- grid.428240.80000 0004 0553 4650Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Reischl
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Holger Meixner
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sonja Ploetz
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michaela Farrell
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ute Hehr
- Zentrum für Humangenetik Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Zacharias Kohl
- grid.7727.50000 0001 2190 5763Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Beate Winner
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany ,grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Center for Rare Diseases Erlangen (ZSEER), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Juergen Winkler
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany ,grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Center for Rare Diseases Erlangen (ZSEER), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
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9
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Dash BP, Freischmidt A, Weishaupt JH, Hermann A. Downstream Effects of Mutations in SOD1 and TARDBP Converge on Gene Expression Impairment in Patient-Derived Motor Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179652. [PMID: 36077049 PMCID: PMC9456253 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease marked by death of motor neurons (MNs) present in the spinal cord, brain stem and motor cortex. Despite extensive research, the reason for neurodegeneration is still not understood. To generate novel hypotheses of putative underlying molecular mechanisms, we used human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSCs)-derived motor neurons (MNs) from SOD1- and TARDBP (TDP-43 protein)-mutant-ALS patients and healthy controls to perform high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq). An integrated bioinformatics approach was employed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and key pathways underlying these familial forms of the disease (fALS). In TDP43-ALS, we found dysregulation of transcripts encoding components of the transcriptional machinery and transcripts involved in splicing regulation were particularly affected. In contrast, less is known about the role of SOD1 in RNA metabolism in motor neurons. Here, we found that many transcripts relevant for mitochondrial function were specifically altered in SOD1-ALS, indicating that transcriptional signatures and expression patterns can vary significantly depending on the causal gene that is mutated. Surprisingly, however, we identified a clear downregulation of genes involved in protein translation in SOD1-ALS suggesting that ALS-causing SOD1 mutations shift cellular RNA abundance profiles to cause neural dysfunction. Altogether, we provided here an extensive profiling of mRNA expression in two ALS models at the cellular level, corroborating the major role of RNA metabolism and gene expression as a common pathomechanism in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banaja P. Dash
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht-Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
| | | | - Jochen H. Weishaupt
- Division of Neurodegeneration, Department of Neurology, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht-Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock, University Medical Center Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)381-494-9541; Fax: +49-(0)381-494-9542
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10
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Aberrant NOVA1 function disrupts alternative splicing in early stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:413-435. [PMID: 35778567 PMCID: PMC9381448 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02450-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease characterized by aberrant alternative splicing (AS). Nuclear loss and cytoplasmic accumulation of the splicing factor TDP-43 in motor neurons (MN) are hallmarks of ALS at late stages of the disease. However, it is unknown if altered AS is present before TDP-43 pathology occurs. Here, we investigate altered AS and its origins in early stages of ALS using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons (MNs) from sporadic and familial ALS patients. We find high levels of the RNA-binding proteins NOVA1, NOVA2, and RBFOX2 in the insoluble protein fractions and observe that AS events in ALS-associated MNs are enriched for binding sites of these proteins. Our study points to an early disrupted function of NOVA1 that drives AS changes in a complex fashion, including events caused by a consistent loss of NOVA1 function. NOVA1 exhibits increased cytoplasmic protein levels in early stage MNs without TDP-43 pathology in ALS postmortem tissue. As nuclear TDP-43 protein level depletes, NOVA1 is reduced. Potential indications for a reduction of NOVA1 also came from mice over-expressing TDP-43 lacking its nuclear localization signal and iPSC-MN stressed with puromycin. This study highlights that additional RBP-RNA perturbations in ALS occur in parallel to TDP-43.
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11
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Tsai YL, Mu YC, Manley JL. Nuclear RNA transcript levels modulate nucleocytoplasmic distribution of ALS/FTD-associated protein FUS. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8180. [PMID: 35581240 PMCID: PMC9114323 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12098-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) is a nuclear RNA/DNA binding protein that mislocalizes to the cytoplasm in the neurodegenerative diseases ALS and FTD. Despite the existence of FUS pathogenic mutations that result in nuclear import defects, a subset of ALS/FTD patients display cytoplasmic accumulation of wild-type FUS, although the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here we confirm that transcriptional inhibition, specifically of RNA polymerase II (RNAP II), induces FUS cytoplasmic translocation, but we show that several other stresses do not. We found unexpectedly that the epitope specificity of different FUS antibodies significantly affects the apparent FUS nucleocytoplasmic ratio as determined by immunofluorescence, explaining inconsistent observations in previous studies. Significantly, depletion of the nuclear mRNA export factor NXF1 or RNA exosome cofactor MTR4 promotes FUS nuclear retention, even when transcription is repressed, while mislocalization was independent of the nuclear protein export factor CRM1 and import factor TNPO1. Finally, we report that levels of nascent RNAP II transcripts, including those known to bind FUS, are reduced in sporadic ALS iPS cells, linking possible aberrant transcriptional control and FUS cytoplasmic mislocalization. Our findings thus reveal that factors that influence accumulation of nuclear RNAP II transcripts modulate FUS nucleocytoplasmic homeostasis, and provide evidence that reduced RNAP II transcription can contribute to FUS mislocalization to the cytoplasm in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Lin Tsai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Yu Chun Mu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - James L Manley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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12
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Korobeynikov VA, Lyashchenko AK, Blanco-Redondo B, Jafar-Nejad P, Shneider NA. Antisense oligonucleotide silencing of FUS expression as a therapeutic approach in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Med 2022; 28:104-116. [PMID: 35075293 PMCID: PMC8799464 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01615-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is an RNA-binding protein that is genetically and pathologically associated with rare and aggressive forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). To explore the mechanisms by which mutant FUS causes neurodegeneration in ALS-FTD, we generated a series of FUS knock-in mouse lines that express the equivalent of ALS-associated mutant FUSP525L and FUSΔEX14 protein. In FUS mutant mice, we show progressive, age-dependent motor neuron loss as a consequence of a dose-dependent gain of toxic function, associated with the insolubility of FUS and related RNA-binding proteins. In this disease-relevant mouse model of ALS-FUS, we show that ION363, a non-allele-specific FUS antisense oligonucleotide, efficiently silences Fus and reduces postnatal levels of FUS protein in the brain and spinal cord, delaying motor neuron degeneration. In a patient with ALS with a FUSP525L mutation, we provide preliminary evidence that repeated intrathecal infusions of ION363 lower wild-type and mutant FUS levels in the central nervous system, resulting in a marked reduction in the burden of FUS aggregates that are a pathological hallmark of disease. In mouse genetic and human clinical studies, we provide evidence in support of FUS silencing as a therapeutic strategy in FUS-dependent ALS and FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav A Korobeynikov
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexander K Lyashchenko
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Beatriz Blanco-Redondo
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Rudolf-Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Neil A Shneider
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Neurology, Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Dhasmana S, Dhasmana A, Narula AS, Jaggi M, Yallapu MM, Chauhan SC. The panoramic view of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A fatal intricate neurological disorder. Life Sci 2022; 288:120156. [PMID: 34801512 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurological disease affecting both upper and lower motor neurons. In the United States alone, there are 16,000-20,000 established cases of ALS. The early disease diagnosis is challenging due to many overlapping pathophysiologies with other neurological diseases. The etiology of ALS is unknown; however, it is divided into two categories: familial ALS (fALS) which occurs due to gene mutations & contributes to 5-10% of ALS, and sporadic ALS (sALS) which is due to environmental factors & contributes to 90-95% of ALS. There is still no curative treatment for ALS: palliative care and symptomatic treatment are therefore essential components in the management of these patients. In this review, we provide a panoramic view of ALS, which includes epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiologies, biomarkers, diagnosis, therapeutics (natural, synthetic, gene-based, pharmacological, stem cell, extracellular vesicles, and physical therapy), controversies (in the clinical trials of ALS), the scope of nanomedicine in ALS, and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Dhasmana
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA; South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA
| | - Anupam Dhasmana
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA; South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA
| | - Acharan S Narula
- Narula Research LLC, 107 Boulder Bluff, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA
| | - Meena Jaggi
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA; South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA
| | - Murali M Yallapu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA; South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA
| | - Subhash C Chauhan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA; South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX 78504, USA.
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14
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Rossi S, Cozzolino M. Dysfunction of RNA/RNA-Binding Proteins in ALS Astrocytes and Microglia. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113005. [PMID: 34831228 PMCID: PMC8616248 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a neurological disease that primarily affects motor neurons in the cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. The process that leads to motor neuron degeneration is strongly influenced by non-motor neuronal events that occur in a variety of cell types. Among these, neuroinflammatory processes mediated by activated astrocytes and microglia play a relevant role. In recent years, it has become clear that dysregulation of essential steps of RNA metabolism, as a consequence of alterations in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), is a central event in the degeneration of motor neurons. Yet, a causal link between dysfunctional RNA metabolism and the neuroinflammatory processes mediated by astrocytes and microglia in ALS has been poorly defined. In this review, we will discuss the available evidence showing that RBPs and associated RNA processing are affected in ALS astrocytes and microglia, and the possible mechanisms involved in these events.
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15
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Liu YJ, Kuo HC, Chern Y. A system-wide mislocalization of RNA-binding proteins in motor neurons is a new feature of ALS. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 160:105531. [PMID: 34634461 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons. Mislocalization of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is an early event in the formation of cytoplasmic TDP-43-positive inclusions in motor neurons and a hallmark of ALS. However, the underlying mechanism and the pathogenic impact of this mislocalization are relatively unexplored. We previously reported that abnormal AMPK activation mediates TDP-43 mislocalization in motor neurons of humans and mice with ALS. In the present study, we hypothesized that other nuclear proteins are mislocalized in the cytoplasm of motor neurons due to the AMPK-mediated phosphorylation of importin-α1 and subsequently contribute to neuronal degeneration in ALS. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed motor neurons of sporadic ALS patients and found that when AMPK is activated, importin-α1 is abnormally located in the nucleus. Multiple integrative molecular and cellular approaches (including proteomics, immunoprecipitation/western blot analysis, immunohistological evaluations and gradient analysis of preribosomal complexes) were employed to demonstrate that numerous RNA binding proteins are mislocalized in a rodent motor neuron cell line (NSC34) and human motor neurons derived from iPSCs during AMPK activation. We used comparative proteomic analysis of importin-α1 complexes that were immunoprecipitated with a phosphorylation-deficient mutant of importin-α1 (importin-α1-S105A) and a phosphomimetic mutant of importin-α1 (importin-α1-S105D) to identify 194 proteins that have stronger affinity for the unphosphorylated form than the phosphorylated form of importin-α1. Furthermore, GO and STRING analyses suggested that RNA processing and protein translation is the major machinery affected by abnormalities in the AMPK-importin-α1 axis. Consistently, the expression of importin-α1-S105D alters the assembly of preribosomal complexes and increases cell apoptosis. Collectively, we propose that by impairing importin-α1-mediated nuclear import, abnormal AMPK activation in motor neurons alters the cellular distribution of many RNA-binding proteins, which pathogenically affect multiple cellular machineries in motor neurons and contribute to ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ju Liu
- Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chih Kuo
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yijuang Chern
- Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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16
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Castelli LM, Cutillo L, Souza CDS, Sanchez-Martinez A, Granata I, Lin YH, Myszczynska MA, Heath PR, Livesey MR, Ning K, Azzouz M, Shaw PJ, Guarracino MR, Whitworth AJ, Ferraiuolo L, Milo M, Hautbergue GM. SRSF1-dependent inhibition of C9ORF72-repeat RNA nuclear export: genome-wide mechanisms for neuroprotection in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:53. [PMID: 34376242 PMCID: PMC8353793 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00475-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Loss of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) leads to progressive paralysis and death. Dysregulation of thousands of RNA molecules with roles in multiple cellular pathways hinders the identification of ALS-causing alterations over downstream changes secondary to the neurodegenerative process. How many and which of these pathological gene expression changes require therapeutic normalisation remains a fundamental question. Methods Here, we investigated genome-wide RNA changes in C9ORF72-ALS patient-derived neurons and Drosophila, as well as upon neuroprotection taking advantage of our gene therapy approach which specifically inhibits the SRSF1-dependent nuclear export of pathological C9ORF72-repeat transcripts. This is a critical study to evaluate (i) the overall safety and efficacy of the partial depletion of SRSF1, a member of a protein family involved itself in gene expression, and (ii) a unique opportunity to identify neuroprotective RNA changes. Results Our study shows that manipulation of 362 transcripts out of 2257 pathological changes, in addition to inhibiting the nuclear export of repeat transcripts, is sufficient to confer neuroprotection in C9ORF72-ALS patient-derived neurons. In particular, expression of 90 disease-altered transcripts is fully reverted upon neuroprotection leading to the characterisation of a human C9ORF72-ALS disease-modifying gene expression signature. These findings were further investigated in vivo in diseased and neuroprotected Drosophila transcriptomes, highlighting a list of 21 neuroprotective changes conserved with 16 human orthologues in patient-derived neurons. We also functionally validated the high neuroprotective potential of one of these disease-modifying transcripts, demonstrating that inhibition of ALS-upregulated human KCNN1–3 (Drosophila SK) voltage-gated potassium channel orthologs mitigates degeneration of human motor neurons and Drosophila motor deficits. Conclusions Strikingly, the partial depletion of SRSF1 leads to expression changes in only a small proportion of disease-altered transcripts, indicating that not all RNA alterations need normalization and that the gene therapeutic approach is safe in the above preclinical models as it does not disrupt globally gene expression. The efficacy of this intervention is also validated at genome-wide level with transcripts modulated in the vast majority of biological processes affected in C9ORF72-ALS. Finally, the identification of a characteristic signature with key RNA changes modified in both the disease state and upon neuroprotection also provides potential new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13024-021-00475-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia M Castelli
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Luisa Cutillo
- School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Cleide Dos Santos Souza
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Alvaro Sanchez-Martinez
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Ilaria Granata
- National Research Council of Italy, High Performance Computing and Networking Institute (ICAR-CNR), 111 Via Pietro Castellino, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Ya-Hui Lin
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Monika A Myszczynska
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Paul R Heath
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Matthew R Livesey
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Ke Ning
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Mimoun Azzouz
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Mario R Guarracino
- National Research Council of Italy, High Performance Computing and Networking Institute (ICAR-CNR), 111 Via Pietro Castellino, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Alexander J Whitworth
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Marta Milo
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK. .,Present Address: AstraZeneca, Academy House, 136 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8PA, UK.
| | - Guillaume M Hautbergue
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK. .,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
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17
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Jones AR, Iacoangeli A, Adey BN, Bowles H, Shatunov A, Troakes C, Garson JA, McCormick AL, Al-Chalabi A. A HML6 endogenous retrovirus on chromosome 3 is upregulated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis motor cortex. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14283. [PMID: 34253796 PMCID: PMC8275748 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93742-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) play a significant role in central nervous system diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Studies of ALS have consistently identified retroviral enzyme reverse transcriptase activity in patients. Evidence indicates that ERVs are the cause of reverse transcriptase activity in ALS, but it is currently unclear whether this is due to a specific ERV locus or a family of ERVs. We employed a combination of bioinformatic methods to identify whether specific ERVs or ERV families are associated with ALS. Using the largest post-mortem RNA-sequence datasets available we selectively identified ERVs that closely resembled full-length proviruses. In the discovery dataset there was one ERV locus (HML6_3p21.31c) that showed significant increased expression in post-mortem motor cortex tissue after multiple-testing correction. Using six replication post-mortem datasets we found HML6_3p21.31c was consistently upregulated in ALS in motor cortex and cerebellum tissue. In addition, HML6_3p21.31c showed significant co-expression with cytokine binding and genes involved in EBV, HTLV-1 and HIV type-1 infections. There were no significant differences in ERV family expression between ALS and controls. Our results support the hypothesis that specific ERV loci are involved in ALS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley R. Jones
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 9NU UK
| | - Alfredo Iacoangeli
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 9NU UK ,grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.451056.30000 0001 2116 3923National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre and Dementia Unit at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Brett N. Adey
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Harry Bowles
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 9NU UK ,grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.451056.30000 0001 2116 3923National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre and Dementia Unit at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.451056.30000 0001 2116 3923National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Aleksey Shatunov
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 9NU UK
| | - Claire Troakes
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764MRC London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain Bank, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Jeremy A. Garson
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Adele L. McCormick
- grid.12896.340000 0000 9046 8598School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 9NU UK
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18
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The role of DNA damage response in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Essays Biochem 2021; 64:847-861. [PMID: 33078197 PMCID: PMC7588667 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly disabling and fatal neurodegenerative disease. Due to insufficient disease-modifying treatments, there is an unmet and urgent need for elucidating disease mechanisms that occur early and represent common triggers in both familial and sporadic ALS. Emerging evidence suggests that impaired DNA damage response contributes to age-related somatic accumulation of genomic instability and can trigger or accelerate ALS pathological manifestations. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent studies indicating a direct link between DNA damage response and ALS. Further mechanistic understanding of the role genomic instability is playing in ALS disease pathophysiology will be critical for discovering new therapeutic avenues.
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Kinoshita C, Kubota N, Aoyama K. Interplay of RNA-Binding Proteins and microRNAs in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105292. [PMID: 34069857 PMCID: PMC8157344 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of patients with neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) is increasing, along with the growing number of older adults. This escalation threatens to create a medical and social crisis. NDs include a large spectrum of heterogeneous and multifactorial pathologies, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and multiple system atrophy, and the formation of inclusion bodies resulting from protein misfolding and aggregation is a hallmark of these disorders. The proteinaceous components of the pathological inclusions include several RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), which play important roles in splicing, stability, transcription and translation. In addition, RBPs were shown to play a critical role in regulating miRNA biogenesis and metabolism. The dysfunction of both RBPs and miRNAs is often observed in several NDs. Thus, the data about the interplay among RBPs and miRNAs and their cooperation in brain functions would be important to know for better understanding NDs and the development of effective therapeutics. In this review, we focused on the connection between miRNAs, RBPs and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chisato Kinoshita
- Department of Pharmacology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan;
- Correspondence: (C.K.); (K.A.); Tel.: +81-3-3964-3794 (C.K.); +81-3-3964-3793 (K.A.)
| | - Noriko Kubota
- Department of Pharmacology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan;
- Teikyo University Support Center for Women Physicians and Researchers, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Koji Aoyama
- Department of Pharmacology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan;
- Correspondence: (C.K.); (K.A.); Tel.: +81-3-3964-3794 (C.K.); +81-3-3964-3793 (K.A.)
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20
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Tsai YL, Manley JL. Multiple ways to a dead end: diverse mechanisms by which ALS mutant genes induce cell death. Cell Cycle 2021; 20:631-646. [PMID: 33722167 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2021.1886661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a deadly neuromuscular disorder caused by progressive motor neuron loss in the brain and spinal cord. Over the past decades, a number of genetic mutations have been identified that cause or are associated with ALS disease progression. Numerous genes harbor ALS mutations, and they encode proteins displaying a wide range of physiological functions, with limited overlap. Despite the divergent functions, mutations in these genes typically trigger protein aggregation, which can confer gain- and/or loss-of-function to a number of essential cellular processes. Nuclear processes such as mRNA splicing and the response to DNA damage are significantly affected in ALS patients. Cytoplasmic organelles such as mitochondria are damaged by ALS mutant proteins. Processes that maintain cellular homeostasis such as autophagy, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and nucleocytoplasmic transport, are also impaired by ALS mutations. Here, we review the multiple mechanisms by which mutations in major ALS-associated genes, such as TARDBP, C9ORF72 and FUS, lead to impairment of essential cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Lin Tsai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - James L Manley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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21
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Soluble and insoluble dipeptide repeat protein measurements in C9orf72-frontotemporal dementia brains show regional differential solubility and correlation of poly-GR with clinical severity. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:184. [PMID: 33168090 PMCID: PMC7650212 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01036-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A C9orf72 repeat expansion is the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. One of the suggested pathomechanisms is toxicity from dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), which are generated via unconventional translation of sense and antisense repeat transcripts with poly-GA, poly-GP and poly-GR being the most abundant dipeptide proteins. Animal and cellular studies highlight a neurotoxic role of poly-GR and poly-PR and to a lesser degree of poly-GA. Human post-mortem studies in contrast have been much less clear on a potential role of DPR toxicity but have largely focused on immunohistochemical methods to detect aggregated DPR inclusions. This study uses protein fractionation and sensitive immunoassays to quantify not only insoluble but also soluble poly-GA, poly-GP and poly-GR concentrations in brain homogenates of FTD patients with C9orf72 mutation across four brain regions. We show that soluble DPRs are less abundant in clinically affected areas (i.e. frontal and temporal cortices). In contrast, the cerebellum not only shows the largest DPR load but also the highest relative DPR solubility. Finally, poly-GR levels and poly-GP solubility correlate with clinical severity. These findings provide the first cross-comparison of soluble and insoluble forms of all sense DPRs and shed light on the distribution and role of soluble DPRs in the etiopathogenesis of human C9orf72-FTD.
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22
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The role of hnRNPs in frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 140:599-623. [PMID: 32748079 PMCID: PMC7547044 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02203-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulated RNA metabolism is emerging as a crucially important mechanism underpinning the pathogenesis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and the clinically, genetically and pathologically overlapping disorder of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) comprise a family of RNA-binding proteins with diverse, multi-functional roles across all aspects of mRNA processing. The role of these proteins in neurodegeneration is far from understood. Here, we review some of the unifying mechanisms by which hnRNPs have been directly or indirectly linked with FTD/ALS pathogenesis, including their incorporation into pathological inclusions and their best-known roles in pre-mRNA splicing regulation. We also discuss the broader functionalities of hnRNPs including their roles in cryptic exon repression, stress granule assembly and in co-ordinating the DNA damage response, which are all emerging pathogenic themes in both diseases. We then present an integrated model that depicts how a broad-ranging network of pathogenic events can arise from declining levels of functional hnRNPs that are inadequately compensated for by autoregulatory means. Finally, we provide a comprehensive overview of the most functionally relevant cellular roles, in the context of FTD/ALS pathogenesis, for hnRNPs A1-U.
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23
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Wang Q, Conlon EG, Manley JL, Rio DC. Widespread intron retention impairs protein homeostasis in C9orf72 ALS brains. Genome Res 2020; 30:1705-1715. [PMID: 33055097 PMCID: PMC7706729 DOI: 10.1101/gr.265298.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The GGGGCC hexanucleotide expansion in C9orf72 (C9) is the most frequent known cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), yet a clear understanding of how C9 fits into the broader context of ALS/FTD pathology has remained lacking. The repetitive RNA derived from the C9 repeat is known to sequester hnRNPH, a splicing regulator, into insoluble aggregates, resulting in aberrant alternative splicing. Furthermore, hnRNPH insolubility and altered splicing of a robust set of targets have been observed to correlate in C9 and sporadic ALS/FTD patients alike, suggesting that changes along this axis are a core feature of disease pathogenesis. Here, we characterize previously uncategorized RNA splicing defects involving widespread intron retention affecting almost 2000 transcripts in C9ALS/FTD brains exhibiting a high amount of sequestered, insoluble hnRNPH. These intron retention events appear not to alter overall expression levels of the affected transcripts but rather the protein-coding regions. These retained introns affect transcripts in multiple cellular pathways predicted to be involved in C9 as well as sporadic ALS/FTD etiology, including the proteasomal and autophagy systems. The retained intron pre-mRNAs display a number of characteristics, including enrichment of hnRNPH-bound splicing enhancer motifs and a propensity for G-quadruplex (G-Q) formation, linking the defective splicing directly to high amounts of sequestered hnRNPH. Together, our results reveal previously undetected splicing defects in high insoluble hnRNPH-associated C9ALS brains, suggesting a feedback between effective RNA-binding protein dosage and protein quality control in C9, and perhaps all, ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Erin G Conlon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - James L Manley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Donald C Rio
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Pham J, Keon M, Brennan S, Saksena N. Connecting RNA-Modifying Similarities of TDP-43, FUS, and SOD1 with MicroRNA Dysregulation Amidst A Renewed Network Perspective of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Proteinopathy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103464. [PMID: 32422969 PMCID: PMC7278980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Beyond traditional approaches in understanding amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple recent studies in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs)-including transactive response DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS)-have instigated an interest in their function and prion-like properties. Given their prominence as hallmarks of a highly heterogeneous disease, this prompts a re-examination of the specific functional interrelationships between these proteins, especially as pathological SOD1-a non-RBP commonly associated with familial ALS (fALS)-exhibits similar properties to these RBPs including potential RNA-regulatory capabilities. Moreover, the cytoplasmic mislocalization, aggregation, and co-aggregation of TDP-43, FUS, and SOD1 can be identified as proteinopathies akin to other neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), eliciting strong ties to disrupted RNA splicing, transport, and stability. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have also been increasingly implicated in the disease, and are of greater significance as they are the master regulators of RNA metabolism in disease pathology. However, little is known about the role of these proteins and how they are regulated by miRNA, which would provide mechanistic insights into ALS pathogenesis. This review seeks to discuss current developments across TDP-43, FUS, and SOD1 to build a detailed snapshot of the network pathophysiology underlying ALS while aiming to highlight possible novel therapeutic targets to guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Pham
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2033, Australia;
| | - Matt Keon
- Iggy Get Out, Neurodegenerative Disease Section, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; (M.K.); (S.B.)
| | - Samuel Brennan
- Iggy Get Out, Neurodegenerative Disease Section, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; (M.K.); (S.B.)
| | - Nitin Saksena
- Iggy Get Out, Neurodegenerative Disease Section, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; (M.K.); (S.B.)
- Correspondence:
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Tsai YL, Coady TH, Lu L, Zheng D, Alland I, Tian B, Shneider NA, Manley JL. ALS/FTD-associated protein FUS induces mitochondrial dysfunction by preferentially sequestering respiratory chain complex mRNAs. Genes Dev 2020; 34:785-805. [PMID: 32381627 PMCID: PMC7263147 DOI: 10.1101/gad.335836.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the DNA/RNA-binding protein FUS causes certain subtypes of ALS/FTD by largely unknown mechanisms. Recent evidence has shown that FUS toxic gain of function due either to mutations or to increased expression can disrupt critical cellular processes, including mitochondrial functions. Here, we demonstrate that in human cells overexpressing wild-type FUS or expressing mutant derivatives, the protein associates with multiple mRNAs, and these are enriched in mRNAs encoding mitochondrial respiratory chain components. Notably, this sequestration leads to reduced levels of the encoded proteins, which is sufficient to bring about disorganized mitochondrial networks, reduced aerobic respiration and increased reactive oxygen species. We further show that mutant FUS associates with mitochondria and with mRNAs encoded by the mitochondrial genome. Importantly, similar results were also observed in fibroblasts derived from ALS patients with FUS mutations. Finally, we demonstrate that FUS loss of function does not underlie the observed mitochondrial dysfunction, and also provides a mechanism for the preferential sequestration of the respiratory chain complex mRNAs by FUS that does not involve sequence-specific binding. Together, our data reveal that respiratory chain complex mRNA sequestration underlies the mitochondrial defects characteristic of ALS/FTD and contributes to the FUS toxic gain of function linked to this disease spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Lin Tsai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Tristan H Coady
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Lei Lu
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Dinghai Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
| | - Isabel Alland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Bin Tian
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
| | - Neil A Shneider
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - James L Manley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
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26
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Olesen MN, Wuolikainen A, Nilsson AC, Wirenfeldt M, Forsberg K, Madsen JS, Lillevang ST, Brandslund I, Andersen PM, Asgari N. Inflammatory profiles relate to survival in subtypes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. NEUROLOGY(R) NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION 2020; 7:e697. [PMID: 32123048 PMCID: PMC7136052 DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000000697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate inflammatory cytokines in patients with motor neuron disease (MND) evaluating the putative contribution of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-causing gene variants. METHODS This study is a retrospective case series with prospective follow-up (1994-2016) of 248 patients with MND, of whom 164 had ALS who were screened for mutations in the genes for SOD1 and C9orf72. Paired CSF and plasma were collected at the diagnostic evaluation before treatment. A panel of cytokines were measured blindly via digital ELISA on the Simoa platform. RESULTS Time from disease onset to death was longer for patients with ALS-causing SOD1 mutations (mSOD1, n = 24) than those with C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (C9orf72HRE) ALS (n = 19; q = 0.001) and other ALS (OALS) (n = 119; q = 0.0008). Patients with OALS had higher CSF tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) compared with those with C9orf72HRE ALS (q = 0.014). Patients with C9orf72HRE ALS had higher CSF interferon alpha compared with those with OALS and mSOD1 ALS (q = 0.042 and q = 0.042). In patients with ALS, the survival was negatively correlated with plasma interleukin (IL) 10 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.30). Plasma TNF-α, IL-10, and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) (HR 1.01 [1.00-1.02], 1.15 [1.02-1.30], and 1.01 [1.00-1.01], respectively) of patients with OALS, plasma IL-1β (HR 5.90 [1.27-27.5]) of patients with C9orf72HRE ALS, and CSF TRAIL (10.5 [1.12-98.6]) of patients with mSOD1 ALS all correlated negatively with survival. CONCLUSIONS Differences in survival times in ALS subtypes were correlated with cytokine levels, suggesting specific immune responses related to ALS genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads Nikolaj Olesen
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Anna Wuolikainen
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Anna Christine Nilsson
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Martin Wirenfeldt
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Karin Forsberg
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Jonna Skov Madsen
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Soeren Thue Lillevang
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Ivan Brandslund
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Peter Munch Andersen
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Nasrin Asgari
- From the Institutes of Regional Health Research and Molecular Medicine (M.N.O., N.A.), University of Southern Denmark; Departments of Neurology (M.N.O.), Slagelse Hospital & Biochemistry & Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (A.W., K.F., P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Clinical Immunology (A.C.N., S.T.L.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Pathology (M.W.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Biochemistry & Immunology (J.S.M., I.B.), Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research (J.S.M., I.B.), University of Southern Denmark, Odense; Department of Neurology (N.A.), Slagelse Hospital; and OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (N.A.), Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
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Masaki K, Sonobe Y, Ghadge G, Pytel P, Lépine P, Pernin F, Cui QL, Antel JP, Zandee S, Prat A, Roos RP. RNA-binding protein altered expression and mislocalization in MS. NEUROLOGY-NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION 2020; 7:7/3/e704. [PMID: 32217641 PMCID: PMC7176246 DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000000704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Objective To determine whether there are nuclear depletion and cellular mislocalization of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) transactivation response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43), fused in sarcoma (FUS), and polypyrimidine tract–binding protein (PTB) in MS, as is the case in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and oligodendrocytes infected with Theiler murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), we examined MS lesions and in vitro cultured primary human brain–derived oligodendrocytes. Methods Nuclear depletion and mislocalization of TDP-43, FUS, and PTB are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS and TMEV demyelination. The latter findings prompted us to investigate these RBPs in the demyelinated lesions of MS and in in vitro cultured human brain–derived oligodendrocytes under metabolic stress conditions. Results We found (1) mislocalized TDP-43 in oligodendrocytes in active lesions in some patients with MS; (2) decreased PTB1 expression in oligodendrocytes in mixed active/inactive demyelinating lesions; (3) decreased nuclear expression of PTB2 in neurons in cortical demyelinating lesions; and (4) nuclear depletion of TDP-43 in oligodendrocytes under metabolic stress induced by low glucose/low nutrient conditions compared with optimal culture conditions. Conclusion TDP-43 has been found to have a key role in oligodendrocyte function and viability, whereas PTB is important in neuronal differentiation, suggesting that altered expression and mislocalization of these RBPs in MS lesions may contribute to the pathogenesis of demyelination and neurodegeneration. Our findings also identify nucleocytoplasmic transport as a target for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuhisa Masaki
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Yoshifumi Sonobe
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Ghanashyam Ghadge
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Peter Pytel
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Paula Lépine
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Florian Pernin
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Qiao-Ling Cui
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Jack P Antel
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Stephanie Zandee
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandre Prat
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada
| | - Raymond P Roos
- From the Department of Neurology (K.M., Y.S., G.G., R.P.R.) and Department of Pathology (P.P.), University of Chicago Medical Center, IL; Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory (P.L., S.Z., A.P.), Centre du Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), QC, Canada; and Neuroimmunology Unit (F.P., Q.-L.C., J.P.A.), Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Canada.
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28
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Wong CO, Venkatachalam K. Motor neurons from ALS patients with mutations in C9ORF72 and SOD1 exhibit distinct transcriptional landscapes. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:2799-2810. [PMID: 31107959 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neuron disease that culminates in paralysis and death. Here, we present our analyses of publicly available multiOMIC data sets generated using motor neurons from ALS patients and control cohorts. Functional annotation of differentially expressed genes in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons generated from patients with mutations in C9ORF72 (C9-ALS) suggests elevated expression of genes that pertain to extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell adhesion, inflammation and TGFβ targets. On the other end of the continuum, we detected diminished expression of genes repressed by quiescence-promoting E2F4/DREAM complex. Proteins whose abundance was significantly altered in C9-ALS neurons faithfully recapitulated the transcriptional aberrations. Importantly, patterns of gene expression in spinal motor neurons dissected from C9-ALS or sporadic ALS patients were highly concordant with each other and with the C9-ALS iPSC neurons. In contrast, motor neurons from patients with mutations in SOD1 exhibited dramatically different signatures. Elevated expression of gene sets such as ECM and cell adhesion genes occurs in C9 and sporadic ALS but not SOD1-ALS. These analyses indicate that despite the similarities in outward manifestations, transcriptional and proteomic signatures in ALS motor neurons can vary significantly depending on the identity of the causal mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-On Wong
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center (UTHealth), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center and UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kartik Venkatachalam
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center (UTHealth), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center and UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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29
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Boivin M, Pfister V, Gaucherot A, Ruffenach F, Negroni L, Sellier C, Charlet-Berguerand N. Reduced autophagy upon C9ORF72 loss synergizes with dipeptide repeat protein toxicity in G4C2 repeat expansion disorders. EMBO J 2020; 39:e100574. [PMID: 31930538 PMCID: PMC7024836 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2018100574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of G4C2 repeats within the C9ORF72 gene is the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Such repeats lead to decreased expression of the autophagy regulator C9ORF72 protein. Furthermore, sense and antisense repeats are translated into toxic dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins. It is unclear how these repeats are translated, and in which way their translation and the reduced expression of C9ORF72 modulate repeat toxicity. Here, we found that sense and antisense repeats are translated upon initiation at canonical AUG or near‐cognate start codons, resulting in polyGA‐, polyPG‐, and to a lesser degree polyGR‐DPR proteins. However, accumulation of these proteins is prevented by autophagy. Importantly, reduced C9ORF72 levels lead to suboptimal autophagy, thereby impairing clearance of DPR proteins and causing their toxic accumulation, ultimately resulting in neuronal cell death. Of clinical importance, pharmacological compounds activating autophagy can prevent neuronal cell death caused by DPR proteins accumulation. These results suggest the existence of a double‐hit pathogenic mechanism in ALS/FTD, whereby reduced expression of C9ORF72 synergizes with DPR protein accumulation and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Boivin
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Véronique Pfister
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Angeline Gaucherot
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Frank Ruffenach
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Luc Negroni
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Chantal Sellier
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Nicolas Charlet-Berguerand
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
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30
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Oeckl P, Weydt P, Thal DR, Weishaupt JH, Ludolph AC, Otto M. Proteomics in cerebrospinal fluid and spinal cord suggests UCHL1, MAP2 and GPNMB as biomarkers and underpins importance of transcriptional pathways in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 139:119-134. [PMID: 31701227 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02093-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease and the proteins and pathways involved in the pathophysiology are not fully understood. Even less is known about the preclinical disease phase. To uncover new ALS-related proteins and pathways, we performed a comparative proteomic analysis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of asymptomatic (n = 14) and symptomatic (n = 14) ALS mutation carriers and sporadic ALS patients (n = 12) as well as post-mortem human spinal cord tissue (controls: n = 7, ALS, n = 8). Using a CSF-optimized proteomic workflow, we identified novel (e.g., UCHL1, MAP2, CAPG, GPNMB, HIST1H4A, HIST1H2B) and well-described (e.g., NEFL, NEFH, NEFM, CHIT1, CHI3L1) protein level changes in CSF of sporadic and genetic ALS patients with enrichment of proteins related to transcription, cell cycle and lipoprotein remodeling (total protein IDs: 2303). No significant alteration was observed in asymptomatic ALS mutation carriers representing the prodromal disease phase. We confirmed UCHL1, MAP2, CAPG and GPNMB as novel biomarker candidates for ALS in an independent validation cohort of patients (n = 117) using multiple reaction monitoring. In spinal cord tissue, 292 out of 6810 identified proteins were significantly changed in ALS with enrichment of proteins involved in mRNA splicing and of the neurofilament compartment. In conclusion, our proteomic data in asymptomatic ALS mutation carriers support the hypothesis of a sudden disease onset instead of a long preclinical phase. Both CSF and tissue proteomic data indicate transcriptional pathways to be amongst the most affected. UCHL1, MAP2 and GPNMB are promising ALS biomarker candidates which might provide additional value to the established neurofilaments in patient follow-up and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Oeckl
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Patrick Weydt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and Department of Pathology, UZ Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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31
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Cook C, Petrucelli L. Genetic Convergence Brings Clarity to the Enigmatic Red Line in ALS. Neuron 2019; 101:1057-1069. [PMID: 30897357 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an aggressive neurodegenerative disorder that orchestrates an attack on the motor nervous system that is unrelenting. Recent discoveries into the pathogenic consequences of repeat expansions in C9ORF72, which are the most common genetic cause of ALS, combined with the identification of new genetic mutations are providing novel insight into the underlying mechanism(s) that cause ALS. In particular, the myriad of functions linked to ALS-associated genes have collectively implicated four main pathways in disease pathogenesis, including RNA metabolism and translational biology; protein quality control; cytoskeletal integrity and trafficking; and mitochondrial function and transport. Through the identification of common disease mechanisms on which multiple ALS genes converge, key targets for potential therapeutic intervention are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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32
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Bellmann J, Monette A, Tripathy V, Sójka A, Abo-Rady M, Janosh A, Bhatnagar R, Bickle M, Mouland AJ, Sterneckert J. Viral Infections Exacerbate FUS-ALS Phenotypes in iPSC-Derived Spinal Neurons in a Virus Species-Specific Manner. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:480. [PMID: 31695598 PMCID: PMC6817715 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) arises from an interplay of genetic mutations and environmental factors. ssRNA viruses are possible ALS risk factors, but testing their interaction with mutations such as in FUS, which encodes an RNA-binding protein, has been difficult due to the lack of a human disease model. Here, we use isogenic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived spinal neurons (SNs) to investigate the interaction between ssRNA viruses and mutant FUS. We find that rabies virus (RABV) spreads ALS phenotypes, including the formation of stress granules (SGs) with aberrant composition due to increased levels of FUS protein, as well as neurodegeneration and reduced restriction activity by FUS mutations. Consistent with this, iPSC-derived SNs harboring mutant FUS are more sensitive to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and Zika viruses (ZIKV). We demonstrate that RABV and HIV-1 exacerbate cytoplasmic mislocalization of FUS. Our results demonstrate that viral infections worsen ALS pathology in SNs with genetic risk factors, suggesting a novel role for viruses in modulating patient phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Bellmann
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anne Monette
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vadreenath Tripathy
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anna Sójka
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Masin Abo-Rady
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Antje Janosh
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Marc Bickle
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrew J Mouland
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jared Sterneckert
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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33
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Perrone B, La Cognata V, Sprovieri T, Ungaro C, Conforti FL, Andò S, Cavallaro S. Alternative Splicing of ALS Genes: Misregulation and Potential Therapies. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2019; 40:1-14. [PMID: 31385134 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-019-00717-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's disease affect a rapidly increasing population worldwide. Although common pathogenic mechanisms have been identified (e.g., protein aggregation or dysfunction, immune response alteration and axonal degeneration), the molecular events underlying timing, dosage, expression, and location of RNA molecules are still not fully elucidated. In particular, the alternative splicing (AS) mechanism is a crucial player in RNA processing and represents a fundamental determinant for brain development, as well as for the physiological functions of neuronal circuits. Although in recent years our knowledge of AS events has increased substantially, deciphering the molecular interconnections between splicing and ALS remains a complex task and still requires considerable efforts. In the present review, we will summarize the current scientific evidence outlining the involvement of AS in the pathogenic processes of ALS. We will also focus on recent insights concerning the tuning of splicing mechanisms by epigenomic and epi-transcriptomic regulation, providing an overview of the available genomic technologies to investigate AS drivers on a genome-wide scale, even at a single-cell level resolution. In the future, gene therapy strategies and RNA-based technologies may be utilized to intercept or modulate the splicing mechanism and produce beneficial effects against ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Perrone
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Valentina La Cognata
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Catania, Italy
| | - Teresa Sprovieri
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Carmine Ungaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Francesca Luisa Conforti
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy.,Centro Sanitario, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Cavallaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Catania, Italy.
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34
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Halpern M, Brennand KJ, Gregory J. Examining the relationship between astrocyte dysfunction and neurodegeneration in ALS using hiPSCs. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 132:104562. [PMID: 31381978 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex and fatal neurodegenerative disease for which the causes of disease onset and progression remain unclear. Recent advances in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based models permit the study of the genetic factors associated with ALS in patient-derived neural cell types, including motor neurons and glia. While astrocyte dysfunction has traditionally been thought to exacerbate disease progression, astrocytic dysfunction may play a more direct role in disease initiation and progression. Such non-cell autonomous mechanisms expand the potential targets of therapeutic intervention, but only a handful of ALS risk-associated genes have been examined for their impact on astrocyte dysfunction and neurodegeneration. This review summarizes what is currently known about astrocyte function in ALS and suggests ways in which hiPSC-based models can be used to more effectively study the role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline Halpern
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Kristen J Brennand
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Department of Genetics and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America.
| | - James Gregory
- Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY 10013, United States of America.
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35
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Wang X, Goodrich KJ, Conlon EG, Gao J, Erbse AH, Manley JL, Cech TR. C9orf72 and triplet repeat disorder RNAs: G-quadruplex formation, binding to PRC2 and implications for disease mechanisms. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2019; 25:935-947. [PMID: 31048495 PMCID: PMC6633194 DOI: 10.1261/rna.071191.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Some neurological disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), fragile X syndrome, Huntington's disease, myotonic dystrophy, and various ataxias, can be caused by expansions of short nucleic acid sequence repeats in specific genes. A possible disease mechanism involves the transcribed repeat RNA binding an RNA-binding protein (RBP), resulting in its sequestration and thus dysfunction. Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), the histone methyltransferase that deposits the H3K27me3 mark of epigenetically silenced chromatin, binds G-rich RNAs and has especially high affinity for G-quadruplex (G-Q) structures. Here, we find that PRC2 target genes are derepressed and the RNA binding subunit EZH2 largely insoluble in postmortem brain samples from ALS/FTD patients with C9ORF72 (C9) repeat expansions, leading to the hypothesis that the (G4C2)n repeat RNA might be sequestering PRC2. Contrary to this expectation, we found that C9 repeat RNAs (n = 6 or 10) bind weakly to purified PRC2, and studies with the G-Q specific BG4 antibody and circular dichroism studies both indicated that these C9 RNAs have little propensity to form G-Qs in vitro. Several GC-rich triplet-repeat expansion RNAs also have low affinity for PRC2 and do not appreciably form G-Qs in vitro. The results are consistent with these sequences forming hairpin structures that outcompete G-Q folding when the repeat length is sufficiently large. We suggest that binding of PRC2 to these GC-rich RNAs is fundamentally weak but may be modulated in vivo by protein factors that affect secondary structure, such as helicases and other RBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
| | - Karen J Goodrich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
| | - Erin G Conlon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Jianchao Gao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Annette H Erbse
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
| | - James L Manley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Thomas R Cech
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
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36
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Tam OH, Ostrow LW, Gale Hammell M. Diseases of the nERVous system: retrotransposon activity in neurodegenerative disease. Mob DNA 2019; 10:32. [PMID: 31372185 PMCID: PMC6659213 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-019-0176-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable Elements (TEs) are mobile genetic elements whose sequences constitute nearly half of the human genome. Each TE copy can be present in hundreds to thousands of locations within the genome, complicating the genetic and genomic studies of these highly repetitive sequences. The recent development of better tools for evaluating TE derived sequences in genomic studies has enabled an increasing appreciation for the contribution of TEs to human development and disease. While some TEs have contributed novel and beneficial host functions, this review will summarize the evidence for detrimental TE activity in neurodegenerative disorders. Much of the evidence for pathogenicity implicates endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), a subset of TEs that entered the genome by retroviral infections of germline cells in our evolutionary ancestors and have since been passed down as a substantial fraction of the human genome. Human specific ERVs (HERVs) represent some of the youngest ERVs in the genome, and thus are presumed to retain greater function and resultant pathogenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver H Tam
- 1Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724 USA
| | - Lyle W Ostrow
- 2Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Molly Gale Hammell
- 1Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724 USA
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37
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Hale MA, Johnson NE, Berglund JA. Repeat-associated RNA structure and aberrant splicing. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1862:194405. [PMID: 31323433 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Over 30 hereditary disorders attributed to the expansion of microsatellite repeats have been identified. Despite variant nucleotide content, number of consecutive repeats, and different locations in the genome, many of these diseases have pathogenic RNA gain-of-function mechanisms. The repeat-containing RNAs can form structures in vitro predicted to contribute to the disease through assembly of intracellular RNA aggregates termed foci. The expanded repeat RNAs within these foci sequester RNA binding proteins (RBPs) with important roles in the regulation of RNA metabolism, most notably alternative splicing (AS). These deleterious interactions lead to downstream alterations in transcriptome-wide AS directly linked with disease symptoms. This review summarizes existing knowledge about the association between the repeat RNA structures and RBPs as well as the resulting aberrant AS patterns, specifically in the context of myotonic dystrophy. The connection between toxic, structured RNAs and dysregulation of AS in other repeat expansion diseases is also discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: RNA structure and splicing regulation edited by Francisco Baralle, Ravindra Singh and Stefan Stamm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Hale
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Nicholas E Johnson
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - J Andrew Berglund
- The RNA Institute, Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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38
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Does SCFD1 rs10139154 Polymorphism Decrease Alzheimer’s Disease Risk? J Mol Neurosci 2019; 69:343-350. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-019-01363-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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39
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Masaki K, Sonobe Y, Ghadge G, Pytel P, Roos RP. TDP-43 proteinopathy in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus infection. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007574. [PMID: 30742696 PMCID: PMC6390522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
TDP-43, an RNA-binding protein that is primarily nuclear and important in splicing and RNA metabolism, is mislocalized from the nucleus to the cytoplasm of neural cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and contributes to disease. We sought to investigate whether TDP-43 is mislocalized in infections with the acute neuronal GDVII strain and the persistent demyelinating DA strain of Theiler's virus murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), a member of the Cardiovirus genus of Picornaviridae because: i) L protein of both strains is known to disrupt nucleocytoplasmic transport, including transport of polypyrimidine tract binding protein, an RNA-binding protein, ii) motor neurons and oligodendrocytes are targeted in both TMEV infection and ALS. TDP-43 phosphorylation, cleavage, and cytoplasmic mislocalization to an aggresome were observed in wild type TMEV-infected cultured cells, with predicted splicing abnormalities. In contrast, cells infected with DA and GDVII strains that have L deletion had rare TDP-43 mislocalization and no aggresome formation. TDP-43 mislocalization was also present in neural cells of TMEV acutely-infected mice. Of note, TDP-43 was mislocalized six weeks after DA infection to the cytoplasm of oligodendrocytes and other glial cells in demyelinating lesions of spinal white matter. A recent study showed that TDP-43 knock down in oligodendrocytes in mice led to demyelination and death of this neural cell [1], suggesting that TMEV infection mislocalization of TDP-43 and other RNA-binding proteins is predicted to disrupt key cellular processes and contribute to the pathogenesis of TMEV-induced diseases. Drugs that inhibit nuclear export may have a role in antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuhisa Masaki
- Departments of Neurology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago,
IL, United States of America
| | - Yoshifumi Sonobe
- Departments of Neurology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago,
IL, United States of America
| | - Ghanashyam Ghadge
- Departments of Neurology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago,
IL, United States of America
| | - Peter Pytel
- Departments of Pathology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago,
IL, United States of America
| | - Raymond P. Roos
- Departments of Neurology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago,
IL, United States of America
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40
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Borroni B, Alberici A, Buratti E. Review: Molecular pathology of frontotemporal lobar degenerations. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2019; 45:41-57. [DOI: 10.1111/nan.12534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- B. Borroni
- Neurology Clinic; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences; University of Brescia; Brescia Italy
| | - A. Alberici
- Neurology Clinic; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences; University of Brescia; Brescia Italy
| | - E. Buratti
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB); Trieste Italy
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41
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Neuroanatomical Quantitative Proteomics Reveals Common Pathogenic Biological Routes between Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:ijms20010004. [PMID: 30577465 PMCID: PMC6337647 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are neurodegenerative disorders with an overlap in clinical presentation and neuropathology. Common and differential mechanisms leading to protein expression changes and neurodegeneration in ALS and FTD were studied trough a deep neuroproteome mapping of the spinal cord. (2) Methods: A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of the spinal cord from ALS-TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) subjects, ubiquitin-positive frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-U) subjects and controls without neurodegenerative disease was performed. (3) Results: 281 differentially expressed proteins were detected among ALS versus controls, while 52 proteins were dysregulated among FTLD-U versus controls. Thirty-three differential proteins were shared between both syndromes. The resulting data was subjected to network-driven proteomics analysis, revealing mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic impairment, both for ALS and FTLD-U that could be validated through the confirmation of expression levels changes of the Prohibitin (PHB) complex. (4) Conclusions: ALS-TDP-43 and FTLD-U share molecular and functional alterations, although part of the proteostatic impairment is region- and disease-specific. We have confirmed the involvement of specific proteins previously associated with ALS (Galectin 2 (LGALS3), Transthyretin (TTR), Protein S100-A6 (S100A6), and Protein S100-A11 (S100A11)) and have shown the involvement of proteins not previously described in the ALS context (Methanethiol oxidase (SELENBP1), Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (PIN-1), Calcyclin-binding protein (CACYBP) and Rho-associated protein kinase 2 (ROCK2)).
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42
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Morgan S, Duguez S, Duddy W. Personalized Medicine and Molecular Interaction Networks in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Current Knowledge. J Pers Med 2018; 8:E44. [PMID: 30551677 PMCID: PMC6313785 DOI: 10.3390/jpm8040044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple genes and mechanisms of pathophysiology have been implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting it is a complex systemic disease. With this in mind, applying personalized medicine (PM) approaches to tailor treatment pipelines for ALS patients may be necessary. The modelling and analysis of molecular interaction networks could represent valuable resources in defining ALS-associated pathways and discovering novel therapeutic targets. Here we review existing omics datasets and analytical approaches, in order to consider how molecular interaction networks could improve our understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of this fatal neuromuscular disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Morgan
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, BT47 6SB, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Stephanie Duguez
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, BT47 6SB, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - William Duddy
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, BT47 6SB, Northern Ireland, UK.
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43
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Tétreault M, Deshaies JE, Semmler S, Sidibé H, Shkreta L, Volkening K, Soreq H, Strong MJ, Chabot B, Vande Velde C. Reply: TDP-43 mutations increase HNRNP A1-7B through gain of splicing function. Brain 2018; 141:e84. [PMID: 30364932 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martine Tétreault
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,CHUM Research Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jade-Emmanuelle Deshaies
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,CHUM Research Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sabrina Semmler
- CHUM Research Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Hadjara Sidibé
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,CHUM Research Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Lulzim Shkreta
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Kathryn Volkening
- Molecular Medicine Research Group, Robarts Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Hermona Soreq
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Biological Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michael J Strong
- Molecular Medicine Research Group, Robarts Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Benoit Chabot
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Christine Vande Velde
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,CHUM Research Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
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44
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Douglas AGL. Non-coding RNA in C9orf72-related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia: A perfect storm of dysfunction. Noncoding RNA Res 2018; 3:178-187. [PMID: 30533567 PMCID: PMC6260478 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron/promoter region of C9orf72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Both sense and antisense transcripts exist at the C9orf72 locus but the function of the antisense lncRNA is unknown. RNA toxicity of the transcribed repeat expansion has been implicated in the pathogenesis of C9orf72-related ALS/FTD, not only through direct sequestration of important RNA binding proteins but also indirectly through non-ATG dependent translation into dipeptide repeats. Formation of RNA/DNA hybrid R-loops may also play a key role in the pathogenesis of this condition and this mechanism could provide a link between the repeat expansion, DNA damage, repeat instability and deficiency of RNA binding proteins. Non-coding C9orf72 antisense transcripts could also act to epigenetically regulate gene expression at the locus. The potential effects of such non-coding RNAs should be considered in the design of antisense oligonucleotide therapeutics for C9orf72-related ALS/FTD. Furthermore, the mechanisms of RNA dysregulation exemplified by C9orf72-related disease may help illustrate more broadly how a “perfect storm” of dysfunction occurs in ALS/FTD and how targeting these factors could lead to corrective or preventative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G L Douglas
- Wessex Clinical Genetics Service, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.,Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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45
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Abstract
New analyses shift the view that some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia are due to defects in a single RNA-binding protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron D Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - John D Fryer
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, United States
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