1
|
Kong X, Nguyen NV, Li Y, Sakr JS, Williams K, Sharifi S, Chau J, Bayrakci A, Mizuno S, Takahashi S, Kiyono T, Tawil R, Mortazavi A, Yokomori K. Engineered FSHD mutations results in D4Z4 heterochromatin disruption and feedforward DUX4 network activation. iScience 2024; 27:109357. [PMID: 38510139 PMCID: PMC10951985 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) is linked to contraction of D4Z4 repeats on chromosome 4q with SMCHD1 mutations acting as a disease modifier. D4Z4 heterochromatin disruption and abnormal upregulation of the transcription factor DUX4, encoded in the D4Z4 repeat, are the hallmarks of FSHD. However, defining the precise effect of D4Z4 contraction has been difficult because D4Z4 repeats are primate-specific and DUX4 expression is very rare in highly heterogeneous patient myocytes. We generated isogenic mutant cell lines harboring D4Z4 and/or SMCHD1 mutations in a healthy human skeletal myoblast line. We found that the mutations affect D4Z4 heterochromatin differently, and that SMCHD1 mutation or disruption of DNA methylation stabilizes otherwise variegated DUX4 target activation in D4Z4 contraction mutant cells, demonstrating the critical role of modifiers. Our study revealed amplification of the DUX4 signal through downstream targets, H3.X/Y and LEUTX. Our results provide important insights into how rare DUX4 expression leads to FSHD pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangduo Kong
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Nam Viet Nguyen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Yumeng Li
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jasmine Shaaban Sakr
- Department of Development and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Kate Williams
- Department of Development and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Sheila Sharifi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Chau
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Altay Bayrakci
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Seiya Mizuno
- Laboratory Animal Resource Center in Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Satoru Takahashi
- Laboratory Animal Resource Center in Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Tohru Kiyono
- Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Rabi Tawil
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit, Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ali Mortazavi
- Department of Development and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Kyoko Yokomori
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Nguyen TH, Limpens M, Bouhmidi S, Paprzycki L, Legrand A, Declèves AE, Heher P, Belayew A, Banerji CRS, Zammit PS, Tassin A. The DUX4-HIF1α Axis in Murine and Human Muscle Cells: A Link More Complex Than Expected. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3327. [PMID: 38542301 PMCID: PMC10969790 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25063327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
FacioScapuloHumeral muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most prevalent inherited muscle disorders and is linked to the inappropriate expression of the DUX4 transcription factor in skeletal muscles. The deregulated molecular network causing FSHD muscle dysfunction and pathology is not well understood. It has been shown that the hypoxia response factor HIF1α is critically disturbed in FSHD and has a major role in DUX4-induced cell death. In this study, we further explored the relationship between DUX4 and HIF1α. We found that the DUX4 and HIF1α link differed according to the stage of myogenic differentiation and was conserved between human and mouse muscle. Furthermore, we found that HIF1α knockdown in a mouse model of DUX4 local expression exacerbated DUX4-mediated muscle fibrosis. Our data indicate that the suggested role of HIF1α in DUX4 toxicity is complex and that targeting HIF1α might be challenging in the context of FSHD therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thuy-Hang Nguyen
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Maelle Limpens
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Sihame Bouhmidi
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Lise Paprzycki
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Legrand
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Anne-Emilie Declèves
- Department of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Philipp Heher
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Alexandra Belayew
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Christopher R. S. Banerji
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, The British Library, London NW1 2DB, UK
| | - Peter S. Zammit
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Alexandra Tassin
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Engquist EN, Greco A, Joosten LAB, van Engelen BGM, Zammit PS, Banerji CRS. FSHD muscle shows perturbation in fibroadipogenic progenitor cells, mitochondrial function and alternative splicing independently of inflammation. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:182-197. [PMID: 37856562 PMCID: PMC10772042 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad175] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a prevalent, incurable myopathy. FSHD is highly heterogeneous, with patients following a variety of clinical trajectories, complicating clinical trials. Skeletal muscle in FSHD undergoes fibrosis and fatty replacement that can be accelerated by inflammation, adding to heterogeneity. Well controlled molecular studies are thus essential to both categorize FSHD patients into distinct subtypes and understand pathomechanisms. Here, we further analyzed RNA-sequencing data from 24 FSHD patients, each of whom donated a biopsy from both a non-inflamed (TIRM-) and inflamed (TIRM+) muscle, and 15 FSHD patients who donated peripheral blood mononucleated cells (PBMCs), alongside non-affected control individuals. Differential gene expression analysis identified suppression of mitochondrial biogenesis and up-regulation of fibroadipogenic progenitor (FAP) gene expression in FSHD muscle, which was particularly marked on inflamed samples. PBMCs demonstrated suppression of antigen presentation in FSHD. Gene expression deconvolution revealed FAP expansion as a consistent feature of FSHD muscle, via meta-analysis of 7 independent transcriptomic datasets. Clustering of muscle biopsies separated patients in an unbiased manner into clinically mild and severe subtypes, independently of known disease modifiers (age, sex, D4Z4 repeat length). Lastly, the first genome-wide analysis of alternative splicing in FSHD muscle revealed perturbation of autophagy, BMP2 and HMGB1 signalling. Overall, our findings reveal molecular subtypes of FSHD with clinical relevance and identify novel pathomechanisms for this highly heterogeneous condition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elise N Engquist
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Greco
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS) and Radboud Center of Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Leo A B Joosten
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS) and Radboud Center of Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Genetics, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Baziel G M van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Peter S Zammit
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher R S Banerji
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
- The Alan Turing Institute, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nguyen TH, Paprzycki L, Legrand A, Declèves AE, Heher P, Limpens M, Belayew A, Banerji CRS, Zammit PS, Tassin A. Hypoxia enhances human myoblast differentiation: involvement of HIF1α and impact of DUX4, the FSHD causal gene. Skelet Muscle 2023; 13:21. [PMID: 38104132 PMCID: PMC10724930 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-023-00330-2] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypoxia is known to modify skeletal muscle biological functions and muscle regeneration. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of hypoxia on human myoblast differentiation remain unclear. The hypoxic response pathway is of particular interest in patients with hereditary muscular dystrophies since many present respiratory impairment and muscle regeneration defects. For example, an altered hypoxia response characterizes the muscles of patients with facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD). METHODS We examined the impact of hypoxia on the differentiation of human immortalized myoblasts (LHCN-M2) cultured in normoxia (PO2: 21%) or hypoxia (PO2: 1%). Cells were grown in proliferation (myoblasts) or differentiation medium for 2 (myocytes) or 4 days (myotubes). We evaluated proliferation rate by EdU incorporation, used myogenin-positive nuclei as a differentiation marker for myocytes, and determined the fusion index and myosin heavy chain-positive area in myotubes. The contribution of HIF1α was studied by gain (CoCl2) and loss (siRNAs) of function experiments. We further examined hypoxia in LHCN-M2-iDUX4 myoblasts with inducible expression of DUX4, the transcription factor underlying FSHD pathology. RESULTS We found that the hypoxic response did not impact myoblast proliferation but activated precocious myogenic differentiation and that HIF1α was critical for this process. Hypoxia also enhanced the late differentiation of human myocytes, but in an HIF1α-independent manner. Interestingly, the impact of hypoxia on muscle cell proliferation was influenced by dexamethasone. In the FSHD pathological context, DUX4 suppressed HIF1α-mediated precocious muscle differentiation. CONCLUSION Hypoxia stimulates myogenic differentiation in healthy myoblasts, with HIF1α-dependent early steps. In FSHD, DUX4-HIF1α interplay indicates a novel mechanism by which DUX4 could interfere with HIF1α function in the myogenic program and therefore with FSHD muscle performance and regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thuy-Hang Nguyen
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Lise Paprzycki
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Legrand
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Anne-Emilie Declèves
- Department of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Philipp Heher
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Maelle Limpens
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Alexandra Belayew
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Christopher R S Banerji
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 1UL, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London, UK
| | - Peter S Zammit
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Alexandra Tassin
- Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, 7000, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cohen J, Huang S, Koczwara KE, Woods KT, Ho V, Woodman KG, Arbiser JL, Daman K, Lek M, Emerson CP, DeSimone AM. Flavones provide resistance to DUX4-induced toxicity via an mTor-independent mechanism. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:749. [PMID: 37973788 PMCID: PMC10654915 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06257-2] [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: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is among the most common of the muscular dystrophies, affecting nearly 1 in 8000 individuals, and is a cause of profound disability. Genetically, FSHD is linked to the contraction and/or epigenetic de-repression of the D4Z4 repeat array on chromosome 4, thereby allowing expression of the DUX4 gene in skeletal muscle. If the DUX4 transcript incorporates a stabilizing polyadenylation site the myotoxic DUX4 protein will be synthesized, resulting in muscle wasting. The mechanism of toxicity remains unclear, as many DUX4-induced cytopathologies have been described, however cell death does primarily occur through caspase 3/7-dependent apoptosis. To date, most FSHD therapeutic development has focused on molecular methods targeting DUX4 expression or the DUX4 transcript, while therapies targeting processes downstream of DUX4 activity have received less attention. Several studies have demonstrated that inhibition of multiple signal transduction pathways can ameliorate DUX4-induced toxicity, and thus compounds targeting these pathways have the potential to be developed into FSHD therapeutics. To this end, we have screened a group of small molecules curated based on their reported activity in relevant pathways and/or structural relationships with known toxicity-modulating molecules. We have identified a panel of five compounds that function downstream of DUX4 activity to inhibit DUX4-induced toxicity. Unexpectedly, this effect was mediated through an mTor-independent mechanism that preserved expression of ULK1 and correlated with an increase in a marker of active cellular autophagy. This identifies these flavones as compounds of interest for therapeutic development, and potentially identifies the autophagy pathway as a target for therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin Cohen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Shushu Huang
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | | | - Kristen T Woods
- Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Disease Research University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Vincent Ho
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Keryn G Woodman
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | | | - Katelyn Daman
- Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Disease Research University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Monkol Lek
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Charles P Emerson
- Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Disease Research University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Alec M DeSimone
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Modalis Therapeutics, Waltham, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Tan Y, Zhang J, Jin Y. Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay suppresses injury-induced muscle regeneration via inhibiting MyoD transcriptional activity. J Cell Physiol 2023; 238:2638-2650. [PMID: 37683043 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.31118] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle regeneration is a crucial physiological process that occurs in response to injury or disease. As an important transcriptome surveillance system that regulates tissue development, the role of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) in muscle regeneration remains unclear. Here, we found that NMD inhibits myoblast differentiation by targeting the phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 5 gene, which leads to the suppression of the transcriptional activity of myogenic differentiation (MyoD), a key regulator of myoblast differentiation. This disruption of MyoD transcriptional activity subsequently affects the expression levels of myogenin and myosin heavy chain, crucial markers of myoblast differentiation. Additionally, through up-frameshift protein 1 knockdown experiments, we observed that inhibiting NMD can accelerate muscle regeneration in vivo. These findings highlight the potential of NMD as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of muscle-related injuries and diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Tan
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yi Jin
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Golding AE, Li W, Blank PS, Cologna SM, Zimmerberg J. Relative quantification of progressive changes in healthy and dysferlin-deficient mouse skeletal muscle proteomes. Muscle Nerve 2023; 68:805-816. [PMID: 37706611 DOI: 10.1002/mus.27975] [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: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/AIMS Individuals with dysferlinopathies, a group of genetic muscle diseases, experience delay in the onset of muscle weakness. The cause of this delay and subsequent muscle wasting are unknown, and there are currently no clinical interventions to limit or prevent muscle weakness. To better understand molecular drivers of dysferlinopathies, age-dependent changes in the proteomic profile of skeletal muscle (SM) in wild-type (WT) and dysferlin-deficient mice were identified. METHODS Quadriceps were isolated from 6-, 18-, 42-, and 77-wk-old C57BL/6 (WT, Dysf+/+ ) and BLAJ (Dysf-/- ) mice (n = 3, 2 male/1 female or 1 male/2 female, 24 total). Whole-muscle proteomes were characterized using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with relative quantification using TMT10plex isobaric labeling. Principle component analysis was utilized to detect age-dependent proteomic differences over the lifespan of, and between, WT and dysferlin-deficient SM. The biological relevance of proteins with significant variation was established using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. RESULTS Over 3200 proteins were identified between 6-, 18-, 42-, and 77-wk-old mice. In total, 46 proteins varied in aging WT SM (p < .01), while 365 varied in dysferlin-deficient SM. However, 569 proteins varied between aged-matched WT and dysferlin-deficient SM. Proteins with significant variation in expression across all comparisons followed distinct temporal trends. DISCUSSION Proteins involved in sarcolemma repair and regeneration underwent significant changes in SM over the lifespan of WT mice, while those associated with immune infiltration and inflammation were overly represented over the lifespan of dysferlin-deficient mice. The proteins identified herein are likely to contribute to our overall understanding of SM aging and dysferlinopathy disease progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana E Golding
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Section on Intracellular Protein Trafficking, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wenping Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Paul S Blank
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephanie M Cologna
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joshua Zimmerberg
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hamm DC, Paatela EM, Bennett SR, Wong CJ, Campbell AE, Wladyka CL, Smith AA, Jagannathan S, Hsieh AC, Tapscott SJ. The transcription factor DUX4 orchestrates translational reprogramming by broadly suppressing translation efficiency and promoting expression of DUX4-induced mRNAs. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002317. [PMID: 37747887 PMCID: PMC10553841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002317] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Translational control is critical for cell fate transitions during development, lineage specification, and tumorigenesis. Here, we show that the transcription factor double homeobox protein 4 (DUX4), and its previously characterized transcriptional program, broadly regulates translation to change the cellular proteome. DUX4 is a key regulator of zygotic genome activation in human embryos, whereas misexpression of DUX4 causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and is associated with MHC-I suppression and immune evasion in cancer. We report that translation initiation and elongation factors are disrupted downstream of DUX4 expression in human myoblasts. Genome-wide translation profiling identified mRNAs susceptible to DUX4-induced translation inhibition, including those encoding antigen presentation factors and muscle lineage proteins, while DUX4-induced mRNAs were robustly translated. Endogenous expression of DUX4 in human FSHD myotubes and cancer cell lines also correlated with reduced protein synthesis and MHC-I presentation. Our findings reveal that DUX4 orchestrates cell state conversion by suppressing the cellular proteome while maintaining translation of DUX4-induced mRNAs to promote an early developmental program.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle C. Hamm
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Ellen M. Paatela
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Sean R. Bennett
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Chao-Jen Wong
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Amy E. Campbell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Cynthia L. Wladyka
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Andrew A. Smith
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Sujatha Jagannathan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Andrew C. Hsieh
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Departments of Medicine and Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Tapscott
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Nishimura Y, Bittel AJ, Stead CA, Chen YW, Burniston JG. Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy is Associated With Altered Myoblast Proteome Dynamics. Mol Cell Proteomics 2023; 22:100605. [PMID: 37353005 PMCID: PMC10392138 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2023.100605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteomic studies in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) could offer new insight into disease mechanisms underpinned by post-transcriptional processes. We used stable isotope (deuterium oxide; D2O) labeling and peptide mass spectrometry to investigate the abundance and turnover rates of proteins in cultured muscle cells from two individuals affected by FSHD and their unaffected siblings (UASb). We measured the abundance of 4420 proteins and the turnover rate of 2324 proteins in each (n = 4) myoblast sample. FSHD myoblasts exhibited a greater abundance but slower turnover rate of subunits of mitochondrial respiratory complexes and mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, which may indicate an accumulation of "older" less viable mitochondrial proteins in myoblasts from individuals affected by FSHD. Treatment with a 2'-O-methoxyethyl modified antisense oligonucleotide targeting exon 3 of the double homeobox 4 (DUX4) transcript tended to reverse mitochondrial protein dysregulation in FSHD myoblasts, indicating the effect on mitochondrial proteins may be a DUX4-dependent mechanism. Our results highlight the importance of post-transcriptional processes and protein turnover in FSHD pathology and provide a resource for the FSHD research community to explore this burgeoning aspect of FSHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Nishimura
- Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Adam J Bittel
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Connor A Stead
- Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Yi-Wen Chen
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
| | - Jatin G Burniston
- Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Campbell AE, Dyle MC, Albanese R, Matheny T, Sudheendran K, Cortázar MA, Forman T, Fu R, Gillen AE, Caruthers MH, Floor SN, Calviello L, Jagannathan S. Compromised nonsense-mediated RNA decay results in truncated RNA-binding protein production upon DUX4 expression. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112642. [PMID: 37314931 PMCID: PMC10592454 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) degrades transcripts carrying premature termination codons. NMD is thought to prevent the synthesis of toxic truncated proteins. However, whether loss of NMD results in widespread production of truncated proteins is unclear. A human genetic disease, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), features acute inhibition of NMD upon expression of the disease-causing transcription factor, DUX4. Using a cell-based model of FSHD, we show production of truncated proteins from physiological NMD targets and find that RNA-binding proteins are enriched for aberrant truncations. The NMD isoform of one RNA-binding protein, SRSF3, is translated to produce a stable truncated protein, which is detected in FSHD patient-derived myotubes. Ectopic expression of truncated SRSF3 confers toxicity, and its downregulation is cytoprotective. Our results delineate the genome-scale impact of NMD loss. This widespread production of potentially deleterious truncated proteins has implications for FSHD biology as well as other genetic diseases where NMD is therapeutically modulated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Campbell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael C Dyle
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Roberto Albanese
- Functional Genomics Research Centre, Human Technopole, 20157 Milan, Italy; Computational Biology Research Centre, Human Technopole, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Tyler Matheny
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Kavitha Sudheendran
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Michael A Cortázar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Thomas Forman
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Rui Fu
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Austin E Gillen
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Marvin H Caruthers
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Stephen N Floor
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Lorenzo Calviello
- Functional Genomics Research Centre, Human Technopole, 20157 Milan, Italy; Computational Biology Research Centre, Human Technopole, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Sujatha Jagannathan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mocciaro E, Giambruno R, Micheloni S, Cernilogar FM, Andolfo A, Consonni C, Pannese M, Ferri G, Runfola V, Schotta G, Gabellini D. WDR5 is required for DUX4 expression and its pathological effects in FSHD muscular dystrophy. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:5144-5161. [PMID: 37021550 PMCID: PMC10250208 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad230] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most prevalent neuromuscular disorders. The disease is linked to copy number reduction and/or epigenetic alterations of the D4Z4 macrosatellite on chromosome 4q35 and associated with aberrant gain of expression of the transcription factor DUX4, which triggers a pro-apoptotic transcriptional program leading to muscle wasting. As today, no cure or therapeutic option is available to FSHD patients. Given its centrality in FSHD, blocking DUX4 expression with small molecule drugs is an attractive option. We previously showed that the long non protein-coding RNA DBE-T is required for aberrant DUX4 expression in FSHD. Using affinity purification followed by proteomics, here we identified the chromatin remodeling protein WDR5 as a novel DBE-T interactor and a key player required for the biological activity of the lncRNA. We found that WDR5 is required for the expression of DUX4 and its targets in primary FSHD muscle cells. Moreover, targeting WDR5 rescues both cell viability and myogenic differentiation of FSHD patient cells. Notably, comparable results were obtained by pharmacological inhibition of WDR5. Importantly, WDR5 targeting was safe to healthy donor muscle cells. Our results support a pivotal role of WDR5 in the activation of DUX4 expression identifying a druggable target for an innovative therapeutic approach for FSHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Mocciaro
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Giambruno
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Micheloni
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Filippo M Cernilogar
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Annapaola Andolfo
- ProMeFa, Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Cristina Consonni
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Pannese
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Ferri
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Runfola
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Gunnar Schotta
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Davide Gabellini
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Claus C, Slavin M, Ansseau E, Lancelot C, Bah K, Lassche S, Fiévet M, Greco A, Tomaiuolo S, Tassin A, Dudome V, Kusters B, Declèves AE, Laoudj-Chenivesse D, van Engelen BGM, Nonclercq D, Belayew A, Kalisman N, Coppée F. The double homeodomain protein DUX4c is associated with regenerating muscle fibers and RNA-binding proteins. Skelet Muscle 2023; 13:5. [PMID: 36882853 PMCID: PMC9990282 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-022-00310-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have previously demonstrated that double homeobox 4 centromeric (DUX4C) encoded for a functional DUX4c protein upregulated in dystrophic skeletal muscles. Based on gain- and loss-of-function studies we have proposed DUX4c involvement in muscle regeneration. Here, we provide further evidence for such a role in skeletal muscles from patients affected with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). METHODS DUX4c was studied at RNA and protein levels in FSHD muscle cell cultures and biopsies. Its protein partners were co-purified and identified by mass spectrometry. Endogenous DUX4c was detected in FSHD muscle sections with either its partners or regeneration markers using co-immunofluorescence or in situ proximity ligation assay. RESULTS We identified new alternatively spliced DUX4C transcripts and confirmed DUX4c immunodetection in rare FSHD muscle cells in primary culture. DUX4c was detected in nuclei, cytoplasm or at cell-cell contacts between myocytes and interacted sporadically with specific RNA-binding proteins involved, a.o., in muscle differentiation, repair, and mass maintenance. In FSHD muscle sections, DUX4c was found in fibers with unusual shape or central/delocalized nuclei (a regeneration feature) staining for developmental myosin heavy chain, MYOD or presenting intense desmin labeling. Some couples of myocytes/fibers locally exhibited peripheral DUX4c-positive areas that were very close to each other, but in distinct cells. MYOD or intense desmin staining at these locations suggested an imminent muscle cell fusion. We further demonstrated DUX4c interaction with its major protein partner, C1qBP, inside myocytes/myofibers that presented features of regeneration. On adjacent muscle sections, we could unexpectedly detect DUX4 (the FSHD causal protein) and its interaction with C1qBP in fusing myocytes/fibers. CONCLUSIONS DUX4c upregulation in FSHD muscles suggests it contributes not only to the pathology but also, based on its protein partners and specific markers, to attempts at muscle regeneration. The presence of both DUX4 and DUX4c in regenerating FSHD muscle cells suggests DUX4 could compete with normal DUX4c functions, thus explaining why skeletal muscle is particularly sensitive to DUX4 toxicity. Caution should be exerted with therapeutic agents aiming for DUX4 suppression because they might also repress the highly similar DUX4c and interfere with its physiological role.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clothilde Claus
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Moriya Slavin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eugénie Ansseau
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Céline Lancelot
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Karimatou Bah
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Saskia Lassche
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Manon Fiévet
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Anna Greco
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sara Tomaiuolo
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Alexandra Tassin
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium.,Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Virginie Dudome
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Benno Kusters
- Department of Pathology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne-Emilie Declèves
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | | | - Baziel G M van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Denis Nonclercq
- Laboratory of Histology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Alexandra Belayew
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Nir Kalisman
- Department of Biological Chemistry, the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Frédérique Coppée
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cohen J, Huang S, Koczwara K, Ho V, Woodman K, Lek A, Arbiser J, Lek M, DeSimone A. Flavones provide resistance to DUX4-induced toxicity via an mTor-independent mechanism. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2452222. [PMID: 36778471 PMCID: PMC9915774 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2452222/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is among the most common of the muscular dystrophies, affecting nearly 1 in 8000 individuals, and is a cause of profound disability. Genetically, FSHD is linked to the contraction and/or epigenetic de-repression of the D4Z4 repeat array on chromosome 4, thereby allowing expression of the DUX4 gene in skeletal muscle. If the DUX4 transcript incorporates a stabilizing polyadenylation site the myotoxic DUX4 protein will be synthesized, resulting in muscle wasting. The mechanism of toxicity remains unclear, as many DUX4-induced cytopathologies have been described, however cell death does primarily occur through caspase 3/7-dependent apoptosis. To date, most FSHD therapeutic development has focused on molecular methods targeting DUX4 expression or the DUX4 transcript, while therapies targeting processes downstream of DUX4 activity have received less attention. Several studies have demonstrated that inhibition of multiple signal transduction pathways can ameliorate DUX4-induced toxicity, and thus compounds targeting these pathways have the potential to be developed into FSHD therapeutics. To this end, we have screened a group of small molecules curated based on their reported activity in relevant pathways and/or structural relationships with known toxicity-modulating molecules. We have identified a panel of five compounds that function downstream of DUX4 activity to inhibit DUX4-induced toxicity. Unexpectedly, this effect was mediated through an mTor-independent mechanism that preserved expression of ULK1 and correlated with an increase in a marker of active cellular autophagy. This identifies these flavones as compounds of interest for therapeutic development, and potentially identifies the autophagy pathway as a target for therapeutics.
Collapse
|
14
|
Tihaya MS, Mul K, Balog J, de Greef JC, Tapscott SJ, Tawil R, Statland JM, van der Maarel SM. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: the road to targeted therapies. Nat Rev Neurol 2023; 19:91-108. [PMID: 36627512 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-022-00762-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Advances in the molecular understanding of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) have revealed that FSHD results from epigenetic de-repression of the DUX4 gene in skeletal muscle, which encodes a transcription factor that is active in early embryonic development but is normally silenced in almost all somatic tissues. These advances also led to the identification of targets for disease-altering therapies for FSHD, as well as an improved understanding of the molecular mechanism of the disease and factors that influence its progression. Together, these developments led the FSHD research community to shift its focus towards the development of disease-modifying treatments for FSHD. This Review presents advances in the molecular and clinical understanding of FSHD, discusses the potential targeted therapies that are currently being explored, some of which are already in clinical trials, and describes progress in the development of FSHD-specific outcome measures and assessment tools for use in future clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mara S Tihaya
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karlien Mul
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judit Balog
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica C de Greef
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen J Tapscott
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rabi Tawil
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Statland
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Brennan CM, Hill AS, St. Andre M, Li X, Madeti V, Breitkopf S, Garren S, Xue L, Gilbert T, Hadjipanayis A, Monetti M, Emerson CP, Moccia R, Owens J, Christoforou N. DUX4 expression activates JNK and p38 MAP kinases in myoblasts. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:dmm049516. [PMID: 36196640 PMCID: PMC10655719 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by misexpression of the DUX4 transcription factor in skeletal muscle that results in transcriptional alterations, abnormal phenotypes and cell death. To gain insight into the kinetics of DUX4-induced stresses, we activated DUX4 expression in myoblasts and performed longitudinal RNA sequencing paired with proteomics and phosphoproteomics. This analysis revealed changes in cellular physiology upon DUX4 activation, including DNA damage and altered mRNA splicing. Phosphoproteomic analysis uncovered rapid widespread changes in protein phosphorylation following DUX4 induction, indicating that alterations in kinase signaling might play a role in DUX4-mediated stress and cell death. Indeed, we demonstrate that two stress-responsive MAP kinase pathways, JNK and p38, are activated in response to DUX4 expression. Inhibition of each of these pathways ameliorated DUX4-mediated cell death in myoblasts. These findings uncover that the JNK pathway is involved in DUX4-mediated cell death and provide additional insights into the role of the p38 pathway, a clinical target for the treatment of FSHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Brennan
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- WRDM Postdoctoral Program, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Abby S. Hill
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Xianfeng Li
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Vijaya Madeti
- NGS Technology Center, Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Susanne Breitkopf
- Proteomics Technology Center, Internal Medicine Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Seth Garren
- NGS Technology Center, Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Liang Xue
- Machine Learning and Computational Science, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tamara Gilbert
- High Content Imaging Technology Center, Internal Medicine Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Angela Hadjipanayis
- NGS Technology Center, Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mara Monetti
- Proteomics Technology Center, Internal Medicine Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Charles P. Emerson
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Robert Moccia
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jane Owens
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
The evolution of DUX4 gene regulation and its implication for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2022; 1868:166367. [PMID: 35158020 PMCID: PMC9173005 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Double homeobox 4 (DUX4) is an early embryonic transcription factor whose expression in the skeletal muscle causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Despite decades of research, our knowledge of FSHD and DUX4 biology is incomplete, and the disease has currently no cures or targeted therapies. The unusual evolutionary origin of DUX4, its extensive epigenetic and post-transcriptional gene regulation, and various feedback regulatory loops that control its expression and function all contribute to the highly complex nature of FSHD pathogenesis. In this minireview, I synthesize the current state of knowledge in DUX4 and FSHD biology to highlight key areas where further research is needed to better understand DUX4 regulation. I also emphasize post-transcriptional regulation of and by DUX4 via changes in RNA and protein stability that might underlie key features of FSHD pathophysiology. Finally, I discuss the various feedback loops involved in DUX4 regulation and the context-specific consequences of its expression, which could be key to developing novel therapeutic approaches to combat FSHD.
Collapse
|
17
|
Mohassel P, Chang N, Inoue K, Delaney A, Hu Y, Donkervoort S, Saade D, Billioux BJ, Meader B, Volochayev R, Konersman CG, Kaindl AM, Cho CH, Russell B, Rodriguez A, Foster KW, Foley AR, Moore SA, Jones PL, Bonnemann CG, Jones T, Shaw ND. Cross-sectional, Neuromuscular Phenotyping Study of Arhinia Patients With SMCHD1 Variants. Neurology 2022; 98:e1384-e1396. [PMID: 35121673 PMCID: PMC8967428 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000200032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 2 (FSHD2) and arhinia are two distinct disorders caused by pathogenic variants in the same gene, SMCHD1. The mechanism underlying this phenotypic divergence remains unclear. In this study, we characterize the neuromuscular phenotype of individuals with arhinia caused by SMCHD1 variants and analyze their complex genetic and epigenetic criteria to assess their risk for FSHD2. METHODS Eleven individuals with congenital nasal anomalies, including arhinia, nasal hypoplasia, or anosmia, underwent a neuromuscular exam, genetic testing, muscle ultrasound, and muscle MRI. Risk for FSHD2 was determined by combined genetic and epigenetic analysis of 4q35 haplotype, D4Z4 repeat length and methylation profile. We also compared expression levels of pathogenic DUX4 mRNA in primary myoblasts or dermal fibroblasts (upon myogenic differentiation or epigenetic transdifferentiation, respectively) in these individuals to those with confirmed FSHD2. RESULTS Among the eleven individuals with rare, pathogenic, heterozygous missense variants in exons 3-11 of SMCHD1, only a subset (n=3/11; 1 male, 2 females; age 25-51 years) met the strict genetic and epigenetic criteria for FSHD2 (D4Z4 repeat unit length <21 in cis with a 4qA haplotype, and D4Z4 methylation <30%). None of the 3 individuals had typical clinical manifestations or muscle imaging findings consistent with FSHD2. However, the arhinia patients meeting the permissive genetic and epigenetic criteria for FSHD2 displayed some DUX4 expression in dermal fibroblasts under the epigenetic de-repression by drug treatment and in the primary myoblasts undergoing myogenic differentiation. DISCUSSION In this cross-sectional study, we identified arhinia patients who meet the full genetic and epigenetic criteria for FSHD2 and display the molecular hallmark of FSHD, that is DUX4 de-repression and expression in vitro, but who do not manifest with the typical clinicopathologic phenotype of FSHD2. The distinct dichotomy between FSHD2 and arhinia phenotypes despite an otherwise poised DUX4 locus implies the presence of novel disease-modifying factors that seem to operate as a "switch", resulting in one phenotype and not the other. Identification and further understanding of these disease-modifying factors will likely provide valuable insight with therapeutic implications for both diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Payam Mohassel
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Ning Chang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Kaoru Inoue
- Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, RTP, NC
| | - Angela Delaney
- National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Ying Hu
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Sandra Donkervoort
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Dimah Saade
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - B Jeanne Billioux
- International Neuroinfectious Diseases Unit, Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurovirology, National institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Brooke Meader
- National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Rita Volochayev
- Environmental Autoimmunity Group, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Angela M Kaindl
- Charitè-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Pediatric Neurology, Center for Chronically Sick Children and Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Chie-Hee Cho
- Institute for diagnostic and interventional Radiology, University Clinic, Jena, Germany
| | - Bianca Russell
- Division of Pediatric Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | | | - K Wade Foster
- Florida Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centers, Winter Haven, FL
| | - A Reghan Foley
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Steven A Moore
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Peter L Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Carsten G Bonnemann
- Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Takako Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Natalie D Shaw
- Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, RTP, NC
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Heher P, Ganassi M, Weidinger A, Engquist EN, Pruller J, Nguyen TH, Tassin A, Declèves AE, Mamchaoui K, Grillari J, Kozlov AV, Zammit PS. Interplay between mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress and hypoxic adaptation in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: Metabolic stress as potential therapeutic target. Redox Biol 2022; 51:102251. [PMID: 35248827 PMCID: PMC8899416 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is characterised by descending skeletal muscle weakness and wasting. FSHD is caused by mis-expression of the transcription factor DUX4, which is linked to oxidative stress, a condition especially detrimental to skeletal muscle with its high metabolic activity and energy demands. Oxidative damage characterises FSHD and recent work suggests metabolic dysfunction and perturbed hypoxia signalling as novel pathomechanisms. However, redox biology of FSHD remains poorly understood, and integrating the complex dynamics of DUX4-induced metabolic changes is lacking. Here we pinpoint the kinetic involvement of altered mitochondrial ROS metabolism and impaired mitochondrial function in aetiology of oxidative stress in FSHD. Transcriptomic analysis in FSHD muscle biopsies reveals strong enrichment for pathways involved in mitochondrial complex I assembly, nitrogen metabolism, oxidative stress response and hypoxia signalling. We found elevated mitochondrial ROS (mitoROS) levels correlate with increases in steady-state mitochondrial membrane potential in FSHD myogenic cells. DUX4 triggers mitochondrial membrane polarisation prior to oxidative stress generation and apoptosis through mitoROS, and affects mitochondrial health through lipid peroxidation. We identify complex I as the primary target for DUX4-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, with strong correlation between complex I-linked respiration and cellular oxygenation/hypoxia signalling activity in environmental hypoxia. Thus, FSHD myogenesis is uniquely susceptible to hypoxia-induced oxidative stress as a consequence of metabolic mis-adaptation. Importantly, mitochondria-targeted antioxidants rescue FSHD pathology more effectively than conventional antioxidants, highlighting the central involvement of disturbed mitochondrial ROS metabolism. This work provides a pathomechanistic model by which DUX4-induced changes in oxidative metabolism impair muscle function in FSHD, amplified when metabolic adaptation to varying O2 tension is required. Transcriptomics data from FSHD muscle indicates enrichment for disturbed mitochondrial pathways. Disturbed mitochondrial ROS metabolism correlates with mitochondrial membrane polarisation and myotube hypotrophy. DUX4-induced changes in mitochondrial function precede mitoROS generation and affect hypoxia signalling via complex I. FSHD is sensitive to environmental hypoxia, which increases ROS levels in FSHD myotubes. Hypotrophy in hypoxic FSHD myotubes is efficiently rescued with mitochondria-targeted antioxidants.
Collapse
|
19
|
Gill S, Kavanagh M, Poirier C, Xie R, Koerner T. Proteomic Analysis of Subchronic Furan Exposure in the Liver of Male Fischer F344 Rats. Toxicol Pathol 2021; 50:47-59. [PMID: 34911408 DOI: 10.1177/01926233211056859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Furan is a volatile compound formed during the thermal processing of foods. Chronic exposure has been shown to cause cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular tumors in rodent models. We conducted a 90 day subchronic study in Fisher 344 rats exposed to various doses by gavage to determine the NOAEL. Previous reports have outlined changes in the liver using gross necropsy examination, histopathology, clinical biochemistry, hematology, immunohistochemistry, and toxicogenomics. The data revealed that males were more sensitive than females. The focus of this study was to evaluate the toxicoproteomic changes by 2-dimensional differential in gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry analysis. To compliment previous studies, protein expression changes were evaluated of male animals after 90 days of exposure to doses of 0, 0.03, 0.5, and 8.0 mg/kg bw/d. Significant statistical treatment-related changes compared to the controls identified 45 protein spots containing 38 unique proteins. Proteins identified are implicated in metabolism, redox regulation, protein folding/proteolysis as well as structural and transport proteins. At lower doses, multiple cytoprotective pathways are activated to maintain a homeostasis but ultimately the loss of protein function and impairment of several pathways could lead to adverse health effects at higher doses of furan administration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Santokh Gill
- Regulatory Toxicology Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety, 6348Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meghan Kavanagh
- Regulatory Toxicology Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety, 6348Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine Poirier
- Food Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ruixi Xie
- Food Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Terry Koerner
- Food Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Drozd MM, Capovilla M, Previderé C, Grossi M, Askenazy F, Bardoni B, Fernandez A. A Pilot Study on Early-Onset Schizophrenia Reveals the Implication of Wnt, Cadherin and Cholecystokinin Receptor Signaling in Its Pathophysiology. Front Genet 2021; 12:792218. [PMID: 34976023 PMCID: PMC8719199 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.792218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-Onset Schizophrenia (EOS) is a very rare mental disorder that is a form of schizophrenia occurring before the age of 18. EOS is a brain disease marked by an early onset of positive and negative symptoms of psychosis that impact development and cognitive functioning. Clinical manifestations commonly include premorbid features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), attention deficits, Intellectual Disability (ID), neurodevelopmental delay, and behavioral disturbances. After the onset of psychotic symptoms, other neuropsychiatric comorbidities are also common, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder, expressive and receptive language disorders, auditory processing, and executive functioning deficits. With the purpose to better gain insight into the genetic bases of this disorder, we developed a pilot project performing whole exome sequencing of nine trios affected by EOS, ASD, and mild ID. We carried out gene prioritization by combining multiple bioinformatic tools allowing us to identify the main pathways that could underpin the neurodevelopmental phenotypes of these patients. We identified the presence of variants in genes belonging to the Wnt, cadherin and cholecystokinin receptor signaling pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Marta Drozd
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Maria Capovilla
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Carlo Previderé
- Laboratorio di Genetica Forense, Unità di Medicina Legale e Scienze Forensi Antonio Fornari, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Sperimentale e Forense, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Mauro Grossi
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Florence Askenazy
- Département de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Hôpitaux Pédiatriques de Nice, CHU-Lenval, Nice, France
- CoBTek, EA7276, Université Côte d’Azur, Valbonne, France
| | - Barbara Bardoni
- Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm, CNRS UMR7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Arnaud Fernandez
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
- Département de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Hôpitaux Pédiatriques de Nice, CHU-Lenval, Nice, France
- CoBTek, EA7276, Université Côte d’Azur, Valbonne, France
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Mocciaro E, Runfola V, Ghezzi P, Pannese M, Gabellini D. DUX4 Role in Normal Physiology and in FSHD Muscular Dystrophy. Cells 2021; 10:3322. [PMID: 34943834 PMCID: PMC8699294 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, the sequence-specific transcription factor double homeobox 4 (DUX4) has gone from being an obscure entity to being a key factor in important physiological and pathological processes. We now know that expression of DUX4 is highly regulated and restricted to the early steps of embryonic development, where DUX4 is involved in transcriptional activation of the zygotic genome. While DUX4 is epigenetically silenced in most somatic tissues of healthy humans, its aberrant reactivation is associated with several diseases, including cancer, viral infection and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). DUX4 is also translocated, giving rise to chimeric oncogenic proteins at the basis of sarcoma and leukemia forms. Hence, understanding how DUX4 is regulated and performs its activity could provide relevant information, not only to further our knowledge of human embryonic development regulation, but also to develop therapeutic approaches for the diseases associated with DUX4. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the cellular and molecular processes regulated by DUX4 with a special emphasis on FSHD muscular dystrophy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Davide Gabellini
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milano, Italy; (E.M.); (V.R.); (P.G.); (M.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Mohammed Y, Michaud SA, Pětrošová H, Yang J, Ganguly M, Schibli D, Flenniken AM, Nutter LMJ, Adissu HA, Lloyd KCK, McKerlie C, Borchers CH. Proteotyping of knockout mouse strains reveals sex- and strain-specific signatures in blood plasma. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2021; 7:25. [PMID: 34050187 PMCID: PMC8163790 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-021-00184-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We proteotyped blood plasma from 30 mouse knockout strains and corresponding wild-type mice from the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium. We used targeted proteomics with internal standards to quantify 375 proteins in 218 samples. Our results provide insights into the manifested effects of each gene knockout at the plasma proteome level. We first investigated possible contamination by erythrocytes during sample preparation and labeled, in one case, up to 11 differential proteins as erythrocyte originated. Second, we showed that differences in baseline protein abundance between female and male mice were evident in all mice, emphasizing the necessity to include both sexes in basic research, target discovery, and preclinical effect and safety studies. Next, we identified the protein signature of each gene knockout and performed functional analyses for all knockout strains. Further, to demonstrate how proteome analysis identifies the effect of gene deficiency beyond traditional phenotyping tests, we provide in-depth analysis of two strains, C8a-/- and Npc2+/-. The proteins encoded by these genes are well-characterized providing good validation of our method in homozygous and heterozygous knockout mice. Ig alpha chain C region, a poorly characterized protein, was among the differentiating proteins in C8a-/-. In Npc2+/- mice, where histopathology and traditional tests failed to differentiate heterozygous from wild-type mice, our data showed significant difference in various lysosomal storage disease-related proteins. Our results demonstrate how to combine absolute quantitative proteomics with mouse gene knockout strategies to systematically study the effect of protein absence. The approach used here for blood plasma is applicable to all tissue protein extracts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yassene Mohammed
- University of Victoria-Genome BC Proteomics Centre, Victoria, BC, Canada.
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
| | - Sarah A Michaud
- University of Victoria-Genome BC Proteomics Centre, Victoria, BC, Canada.
| | - Helena Pětrošová
- University of Victoria-Genome BC Proteomics Centre, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Juncong Yang
- University of Victoria-Genome BC Proteomics Centre, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Milan Ganguly
- The Center for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David Schibli
- University of Victoria-Genome BC Proteomics Centre, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Ann M Flenniken
- The Center for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Sinai Health Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lauryl M J Nutter
- The Center for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - K C Kent Lloyd
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, and Mouse Biology Program, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Christoph H Borchers
- Proteomics Centre, Segal Cancer Centre, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Data Intensive Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo Innovation Center, Moscow, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Proteomics of Muscle Microdialysates Identifies Potential Circulating Biomarkers in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010290. [PMID: 33396627 PMCID: PMC7795508 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010290] [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: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by a complex epigenetic mechanism finally leading to the misexpression of DUX4 in skeletal muscle. Detecting DUX4 and quantifying disease progression in FSHD is extremely challenging, thus increasing the need for surrogate biomarkers. We applied a shotgun proteomic approach with two different setups to analyze the protein repertoire of interstitial fluids obtained from 20 muscles in different disease stages classified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and serum samples from 10 FSHD patients. A total of 1156 proteins were identified in the microdialysates by data independent acquisition, 130 of which only found in muscles in active disease stage. Proteomic profiles were able to distinguish FSHD patients from controls. Two innate immunity mediators (S100-A8 and A9) and Dermcidin were upregulated in muscles with active disease and selectively present in the sera of FSHD patients. Structural muscle and plasminogen pathway proteins were downregulated. Together with the upstream inhibition of myogenic factors, this suggests defective muscle regeneration and increased fibrosis in early/active FSHD. Our MRI targeted exploratory approach confirmed that inflammatory response has a prominent role, together with impaired muscle regeneration, before clear muscle wasting occurs. We also identified three proteins as tissue and possibly circulating biomarkers in FSHD.
Collapse
|
24
|
Weskamp K, Olwin BB, Parker R. Post-Transcriptional Regulation in Skeletal Muscle Development, Repair, and Disease. Trends Mol Med 2020; 27:469-481. [PMID: 33384234 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle formation is a complex process that requires tight spatiotemporal control of key myogenic factors. Emerging evidence suggests that RNA processing is crucial for the regulation of these factors, and that multiple post-transcriptional regulatory pathways work dependently and independently of one another to enable precise control of transcripts throughout muscle development and repair. Moreover, disruption of these pathways is implicated in neuromuscular disease, and the recent development of RNA-mediated therapies shows enormous promise in the treatment of these disorders. We discuss the overlapping post-transcriptional regulatory pathways that mediate muscle development, how these pathways are disrupted in neuromuscular disorders, and advances in RNA-mediated therapies that present a novel approach to the treatment of these diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin Weskamp
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Bradley B Olwin
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Roy Parker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
DeSimone AM, Cohen J, Lek M, Lek A. Cellular and animal models for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Dis Model Mech 2020; 13:13/10/dmm046904. [PMID: 33174531 PMCID: PMC7648604 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.046904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy and presents with weakness of the facial, scapular and humeral muscles, which frequently progresses to the lower limbs and truncal areas, causing profound disability. Myopathy results from epigenetic de-repression of the D4Z4 microsatellite repeat array on chromosome 4, which allows misexpression of the developmentally regulated DUX4 gene. DUX4 is toxic when misexpressed in skeletal muscle and disrupts several cellular pathways, including myogenic differentiation and fusion, which likely underpins pathology. DUX4 and the D4Z4 array are strongly conserved only in primates, making FSHD modeling in non-primate animals difficult. Additionally, its cytotoxicity and unusual mosaic expression pattern further complicate the generation of in vitro and in vivo models of FSHD. However, the pressing need to develop systems to test therapeutic approaches has led to the creation of multiple engineered FSHD models. Owing to the complex genetic, epigenetic and molecular factors underlying FSHD, it is difficult to engineer a system that accurately recapitulates every aspect of the human disease. Nevertheless, the past several years have seen the development of many new disease models, each with their own associated strengths that emphasize different aspects of the disease. Here, we review the wide range of FSHD models, including several in vitro cellular models, and an array of transgenic and xenograft in vivo models, with particular attention to newly developed systems and how they are being used to deepen our understanding of FSHD pathology and to test the efficacy of drug candidates. Summary: Owing to its complex etiology and the toxicity of DUX4, modeling facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is uniquely challenging. Here, we review the approaches that overcame these difficulties to develop highly relevant FSHD models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alec M DeSimone
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Justin Cohen
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Monkol Lek
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Angela Lek
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Bittel AJ, Sreetama SC, Bittel DC, Horn A, Novak JS, Yokota T, Zhang A, Maruyama R, Rowel Q. Lim K, Jaiswal JK, Chen YW. Membrane Repair Deficit in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155575. [PMID: 32759720 PMCID: PMC7432481 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in plasma membrane repair have been identified in dysferlinopathy and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and contribute to progressive myopathy. Although Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) shares clinicopathological features with these muscular dystrophies, it is unknown if FSHD is characterized by plasma membrane repair deficits. Therefore, we exposed immortalized human FSHD myoblasts, immortalized myoblasts from unaffected siblings, and myofibers from a murine model of FSHD (FLExDUX4) to focal, pulsed laser ablation of the sarcolemma. Repair kinetics and success were determined from the accumulation of intracellular FM1-43 dye post-injury. We subsequently treated FSHD myoblasts with a DUX4-targeting antisense oligonucleotide (AON) to reduce DUX4 expression, and with the antioxidant Trolox to determine the role of DUX4 expression and oxidative stress in membrane repair. Compared to unaffected myoblasts, FSHD myoblasts demonstrate poor repair and a greater percentage of cells that failed to repair, which was mitigated by AON and Trolox treatments. Similar repair deficits were identified in FLExDUX4 myofibers. This is the first study to identify plasma membrane repair deficits in myoblasts from individuals with FSHD, and in myofibers from a murine model of FSHD. Our results suggest that DUX4 expression and oxidative stress may be important targets for future membrane-repair therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Bittel
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA; (A.J.B.); (S.C.S.); (D.C.B.); (A.H.); (J.S.N.); (A.Z.)
| | - Sen Chandra Sreetama
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA; (A.J.B.); (S.C.S.); (D.C.B.); (A.H.); (J.S.N.); (A.Z.)
| | - Daniel C. Bittel
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA; (A.J.B.); (S.C.S.); (D.C.B.); (A.H.); (J.S.N.); (A.Z.)
| | - Adam Horn
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA; (A.J.B.); (S.C.S.); (D.C.B.); (A.H.); (J.S.N.); (A.Z.)
| | - James S. Novak
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA; (A.J.B.); (S.C.S.); (D.C.B.); (A.H.); (J.S.N.); (A.Z.)
- Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Science, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, 116 St. & 85 Ave., Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (T.Y.); (R.M.); (K.R.Q.L.)
| | - Aiping Zhang
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA; (A.J.B.); (S.C.S.); (D.C.B.); (A.H.); (J.S.N.); (A.Z.)
| | - Rika Maruyama
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, 116 St. & 85 Ave., Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (T.Y.); (R.M.); (K.R.Q.L.)
| | - Kenji Rowel Q. Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, 116 St. & 85 Ave., Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (T.Y.); (R.M.); (K.R.Q.L.)
| | - Jyoti K. Jaiswal
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA; (A.J.B.); (S.C.S.); (D.C.B.); (A.H.); (J.S.N.); (A.Z.)
- Department of Integrative Systems Biology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, The George Washington University, 2121 I St. NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Correspondence: (J.K.J.); (Y.-W.C.)
| | - Yi-Wen Chen
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA; (A.J.B.); (S.C.S.); (D.C.B.); (A.H.); (J.S.N.); (A.Z.)
- Department of Integrative Systems Biology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, The George Washington University, 2121 I St. NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Correspondence: (J.K.J.); (Y.-W.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
DUX4 Signalling in the Pathogenesis of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030729. [PMID: 31979100 PMCID: PMC7037115 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a disabling inherited muscular disorder characterized by asymmetric, progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. Patients display widely variable disease onset and severity, and sometimes present with extra-muscular symptoms. There is a consensus that FSHD is caused by the aberrant production of the double homeobox protein 4 (DUX4) transcription factor in skeletal muscle. DUX4 is normally expressed during early embryonic development, and is then effectively silenced in all tissues except the testis and thymus. Its reactivation in skeletal muscle disrupts numerous signalling pathways that mostly converge on cell death. Here, we review studies on DUX4-affected pathways in skeletal muscle and provide insights into how understanding these could help explain the unique pathogenesis of FSHD.
Collapse
|
28
|
Dyle MC, Kolakada D, Cortazar MA, Jagannathan S. How to get away with nonsense: Mechanisms and consequences of escape from nonsense-mediated RNA decay. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2020; 11:e1560. [PMID: 31359616 PMCID: PMC10685860 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) is an evolutionarily conserved RNA quality control process that serves both as a mechanism to eliminate aberrant transcripts carrying premature stop codons, and to regulate expression of some normal transcripts. For a quality control process, NMD exhibits surprising variability in its efficiency across transcripts, cells, tissues, and individuals in both physiological and pathological contexts. Whether an aberrant RNA is spared or degraded, and by what mechanism, could determine the phenotypic outcome of a disease-causing mutation. Hence, understanding the variability in NMD is not only important for clinical interpretation of genetic variants but also may provide clues to identify novel therapeutic approaches to counter genetic disorders caused by nonsense mutations. Here, we discuss the current knowledge of NMD variability and the mechanisms that allow certain transcripts to escape NMD despite the presence of NMD-inducing features. This article is categorized under: RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Turnover/Surveillance Mechanisms RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Dyle
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Divya Kolakada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael A. Cortazar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Sujatha Jagannathan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Jagannathan S, Ogata Y, Gafken PR, Tapscott SJ, Bradley RK. Quantitative proteomics reveals key roles for post-transcriptional gene regulation in the molecular pathology of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. eLife 2019; 8:41740. [PMID: 30644821 PMCID: PMC6349399 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DUX4 is a transcription factor whose misexpression in skeletal muscle causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). DUX4’s transcriptional activity has been extensively characterized, but the DUX4-induced proteome remains undescribed. Here, we report concurrent measurement of RNA and protein levels in DUX4-expressing cells via RNA-seq and quantitative mass spectrometry. DUX4 transcriptional targets were robustly translated, confirming the likely clinical relevance of proposed FSHD biomarkers. However, a multitude of mRNAs and proteins exhibited discordant expression changes upon DUX4 expression. Our dataset revealed unexpected proteomic, but not transcriptomic, dysregulation of diverse molecular pathways, including Golgi apparatus fragmentation, as well as extensive post-transcriptional buffering of stress-response genes. Key components of RNA degradation machineries, including UPF1, UPF3B, and XRN1, exhibited suppressed protein, but not mRNA, levels, explaining the build-up of aberrant RNAs that characterizes DUX4-expressing cells. Our results provide a resource for the FSHD community and illustrate the importance of post-transcriptional processes in DUX4-induced pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sujatha Jagannathan
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Yuko Ogata
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Philip R Gafken
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Stephen J Tapscott
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Robert K Bradley
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| |
Collapse
|