1
|
Katsube M, Ishimoto T, Fukushima Y, Kagami A, Shuto T, Kato Y. Ergothioneine promotes longevity and healthy aging in male mice. GeroScience 2024:10.1007/s11357-024-01111-5. [PMID: 38446314 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01111-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Healthy aging has emerged as a crucial issue with the increase in the geriatric population worldwide. Food-derived sulfur-containing amino acid ergothioneine (ERGO) is a potential dietary supplement, which exhibits various beneficial effects in experimental animals although the preventive effects of ERGO on aging and/or age-related impairments such as frailty and cognitive impairment are unclear. We investigated the effects of daily oral supplementation of ERGO dissolved in drinking water on lifespan, frailty, and cognitive impairment in male mice from 7 weeks of age to the end of their lives. Ingestion of 4 ~ 5 mg/kg/day of ERGO remarkably extended the lifespan of male mice. The longevity effect of ERGO was further supported by increase in life and non-frailty spans of Caenorhabditis elegans in the presence of ERGO. Compared with the control group, the ERGO group showed significantly lower age-related declines in weight, fat mass, and average and maximum movement velocities at 88 weeks of age. This was compatible with dramatical suppression by ERGO of the age-related increments in plasma biomarkers (BMs) such as the chemokine ligand 9, creatinine, symmetric dimethylarginine, urea, asymmetric dimethylarginine, quinolinic acid, and kynurenine. The oral intake of ERGO also rescued age-related impairments in learning and memory ability, which might be associated with suppression of the age-related decline in hippocampal neurogenesis and TDP43 protein aggregation and promotion of microglial shift to the M2 phenotype by ERGO ingestion. Ingestion of ERGO may promote longevity and healthy aging in male mice, possibly through multiple biological mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Katsube
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | | | - Yutaro Fukushima
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Asuka Kagami
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Shuto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Yukio Kato
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rayner SL, Hogan A, Davidson JM, Chapman T, Cheng F, Luu L, Wu S, Zhang S, Yang S, Blair I, Morsch M, Chung R, Lee A. Cyclin F can alter the turnover of TDP-43. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 192:106421. [PMID: 38286389 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Previously, we demonstrated that the SCFcyclin F complex directly mediates the poly-ubiquitylation of TDP-43, raising the question of whether cyclin F can be used to enhance the turnover of TDP-43. A hurdle to the use of cyclin F, however, is that the overexpression of cyclin F can lead to the initiation of cell death pathways. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to identify and evaluate a less toxic variant of cyclin F. To do so, we first confirmed and validated our previous findings that cyclin F binds to TDP-43 in an atypical manner. Additionally, we demonstrated that mutating the canonical substrate region in cyclin F (to generate cyclin FMRL/AAA) led to reduced binding affinity to known canonical substrates without impacting the interaction between cyclin F and TDP-43. Notably, both wild-type and cyclin FMRL/AAA effectively reduced the abundance of TDP-43 in cultured cells whilst cyclin FMRL/AAA also demonstrated reduced cell death compared to the wild-type control. The decrease in toxicity also led to a reduction in morphological defects in zebrafish embryos. These results suggest that cyclin F can be modified to enhance its targeting of TDP-43, which in turn reduces the toxicity associated with the overexpression of cyclin F. This study provides greater insights into the interaction that occurs between cyclin F and TDP-43 in cells and in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Rayner
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
| | - Alison Hogan
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Jennilee M Davidson
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Tyler Chapman
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Flora Cheng
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Luan Luu
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Sharlynn Wu
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Selina Zhang
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Shu Yang
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian Blair
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Roger Chung
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Scherer NM, Maurel C, Graus MS, McAlary L, Richter G, Radford RAW, Hogan A, Don EK, Lee A, Yerbury J, Francois M, Chung RS, Morsch M. RNA-binding properties orchestrate TDP-43 homeostasis through condensate formation in vivo. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae112. [PMID: 38381071 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Insoluble cytoplasmic aggregate formation of the RNA-binding protein TDP-43 is a major hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. TDP-43 localizes predominantly in the nucleus, arranging itself into dynamic condensates through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Mutations and post-translational modifications can alter the condensation properties of TDP-43, contributing to the transition of liquid-like biomolecular condensates into solid-like aggregates. However, to date it has been a challenge to study the dynamics of this process in vivo. We demonstrate through live imaging that human TDP-43 undergoes nuclear condensation in spinal motor neurons in a living animal. RNA-binding deficiencies as well as post-translational modifications can lead to aberrant condensation and altered TDP-43 compartmentalization. Single-molecule tracking revealed an altered mobility profile for RNA-binding deficient TDP-43. Overall, these results provide a critically needed in vivo characterization of TDP-43 condensation, demonstrate phase separation as an important regulatory mechanism of TDP-43 accessibility, and identify a molecular mechanism of how functional TDP-43 can be regulated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie M Scherer
- Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Cindy Maurel
- Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Matthew S Graus
- The David Richmond Laboratory for Cardio-Vascular Development: gene regulation and editing, Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Genome Imaging Centre, Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Luke McAlary
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Grant Richter
- Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Rowan A W Radford
- Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Alison Hogan
- Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Emily K Don
- Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Justin Yerbury
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Mathias Francois
- The David Richmond Laboratory for Cardio-Vascular Development: gene regulation and editing, Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Genome Imaging Centre, Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Faculty of Medicine, Health & Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rim C, You MJ, Nahm M, Kwon MS. Emerging role of senescent microglia in brain aging-related neurodegenerative diseases. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:10. [PMID: 38378788 PMCID: PMC10877780 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-024-00402-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain aging is a recognized risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease), but the intricate interplay between brain aging and the pathogenesis of these conditions remains inadequately understood. Cellular senescence is considered to contribute to cellular dysfunction and inflammaging. According to the threshold theory of senescent cell accumulation, the vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases is associated with the rates of senescent cell generation and clearance within the brain. Given the role of microglia in eliminating senescent cells, the accumulation of senescent microglia may lead to the acceleration of brain aging, contributing to inflammaging and increased vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we propose the idea that the senescence of microglia, which is notably vulnerable to aging, could potentially serve as a central catalyst in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The senescent microglia are emerging as a promising target for mitigating neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chan Rim
- Department of Pharmacology, Research Institute for Basic Medical Science, School of Medicine, CHA University, CHA Bio Complex, 335 Pangyo, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Jung You
- Department of Pharmacology, Research Institute for Basic Medical Science, School of Medicine, CHA University, CHA Bio Complex, 335 Pangyo, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Minyeop Nahm
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Soo Kwon
- Department of Pharmacology, Research Institute for Basic Medical Science, School of Medicine, CHA University, CHA Bio Complex, 335 Pangyo, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13488, Republic of Korea.
- Brainimmunex Inc., 26 Yatap-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13522, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Loh JS, Mak WQ, Tan LKS, Ng CX, Chan HH, Yeow SH, Foo JB, Ong YS, How CW, Khaw KY. Microbiota-gut-brain axis and its therapeutic applications in neurodegenerative diseases. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:37. [PMID: 38360862 PMCID: PMC10869798 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01743-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The human gastrointestinal tract is populated with a diverse microbial community. The vast genetic and metabolic potential of the gut microbiome underpins its ubiquity in nearly every aspect of human biology, including health maintenance, development, aging, and disease. The advent of new sequencing technologies and culture-independent methods has allowed researchers to move beyond correlative studies toward mechanistic explorations to shed light on microbiome-host interactions. Evidence has unveiled the bidirectional communication between the gut microbiome and the central nervous system, referred to as the "microbiota-gut-brain axis". The microbiota-gut-brain axis represents an important regulator of glial functions, making it an actionable target to ameliorate the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in neurodegenerative diseases. As the gut microbiome provides essential cues to microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, we examine the communications between gut microbiota and these glial cells during healthy states and neurodegenerative diseases. Subsequently, we discuss the mechanisms of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in neurodegenerative diseases using a metabolite-centric approach, while also examining the role of gut microbiota-related neurotransmitters and gut hormones. Next, we examine the potential of targeting the intestinal barrier, blood-brain barrier, meninges, and peripheral immune system to counteract glial dysfunction in neurodegeneration. Finally, we conclude by assessing the pre-clinical and clinical evidence of probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation in neurodegenerative diseases. A thorough comprehension of the microbiota-gut-brain axis will foster the development of effective therapeutic interventions for the management of neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sheng Loh
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wen Qi Mak
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Li Kar Stella Tan
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1, Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
- Digital Health & Medical Advancements, Taylor's University, 1, Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chu Xin Ng
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1, Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hong Hao Chan
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Shiau Hueh Yeow
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Jhi Biau Foo
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1, Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
- Digital Health & Medical Advancements, Taylor's University, 1, Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yong Sze Ong
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chee Wun How
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Kooi Yeong Khaw
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
He D, Xu Y, Liu M, Cui L. The Inflammatory Puzzle: Piecing together the Links between Neuroinflammation and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Aging Dis 2024; 15:96-114. [PMID: 37307819 PMCID: PMC10796096 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that has a complex genetic basis. Through advancements in genetic screening, researchers have identified more than 40 mutant genes associated with ALS, some of which impact immune function. Neuroinflammation, with abnormal activation of immune cells and excessive production of inflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system, significantly contributes to the pathophysiology of ALS. In this review, we examine recent evidence on the involvement of ALS-associated mutant genes in immune dysregulation, with a specific focus on the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway and N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-mediated immune regulation in the context of neurodegeneration. We also discuss the perturbation of immune cell homeostasis in both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues in ALS. Furthermore, we explore the advancements made in the emerging genetic and cell-based therapies for ALS. This review underscores the complex relationship between ALS and neuroinflammation, highlighting the potential to identify modifiable factors for therapeutic intervention. A deeper understanding of the connection between neuroinflammation and the risk of ALS is crucial for advancing effective treatments for this debilitating disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Di He
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing, China
| | - Mingsheng Liu
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing, China
| | - Liying Cui
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Marino R, Buccarello L, Hassanzadeh K, Akhtari K, Palaniappan S, Corbo M, Feligioni M. A novel cell-permeable peptide prevents protein SUMOylation and supports the mislocalization and aggregation of TDP-43. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 188:106342. [PMID: 37918759 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMOylation is a post-translational modification (PTM) that exerts a regulatory role in different cellular processes, including protein localization, aggregation, and biological activities. It consists of the dynamic formation of covalent isopeptide bonds between a family member of the Small Ubiquitin Like Modifiers (SUMOs) and the target proteins. Interestingly, it is a cellular mechanism implicated in several neurodegenerative pathologies and potentially it could become a new therapeutic target; however, there are very few pharmacological tools to modulate the SUMOylation process. In this study, we have designed and tested the activity of a novel small cell-permeable peptide, COV-1, in a neuroblastoma cell line that specifically prevents protein SUMOylation. COV-1 inhibits UBC9-protein target interaction and efficiently decreases global SUMO-1ylation. Moreover, it can perturb RanGAP-1 perinuclear localization by inducing the downregulation of UBC9. In parallel, we found that COV-1 causes an increase in the ubiquitin degradation system up to its engulfment while enhancing the autophagic flux. Surprisingly, COV-1 modifies protein aggregation, and specifically it mislocalizes TDP-43 within cells, inducing its aggregation and co-localization with SUMO-1. These data suggest that COV-1 could be taken into future consideration as an interesting pharmacological tool to study the cellular cascade effects of SUMOylation prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Marino
- EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome 00161, Italy
| | | | - K Hassanzadeh
- EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - K Akhtari
- Department of Physics, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj 871, Iran
| | - S Palaniappan
- EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - M Corbo
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura Igea, Milan 20144, Italy
| | - M Feligioni
- EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome 00161, Italy; Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura Igea, Milan 20144, Italy..
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Tsuboguchi S, Nakamura Y, Ishihara T, Kato T, Sato T, Koyama A, Mori H, Koike Y, Onodera O, Ueno M. TDP-43 differentially propagates to induce antero- and retrograde degeneration in the corticospinal circuits in mouse focal ALS models. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:611-629. [PMID: 37555859 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02615-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by TDP-43 inclusions in the cortical and spinal motor neurons. It remains unknown whether and how pathogenic TDP-43 spreads across neural connections to progress degenerative processes in the cortico-spinal motor circuitry. Here we established novel mouse ALS models that initially induced mutant TDP-43 inclusions in specific neuronal or cell types in the motor circuits, and investigated whether TDP-43 and relevant pathological processes spread across neuronal or cellular connections. We first developed ALS models that primarily induced TDP-43 inclusions in the corticospinal neurons, spinal motor neurons, or forelimb skeletal muscle, by using adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing mutant TDP-43. We found that TDP-43 induced in the corticospinal neurons was transported along the axons anterogradely and transferred to the oligodendrocytes along the corticospinal tract (CST), coinciding with mild axon degeneration. In contrast, TDP-43 introduced in the spinal motor neurons did not spread retrogradely to the cortical or spinal neurons; however, it induced an extreme loss of spinal motor neurons and subsequent degeneration of neighboring spinal neurons, suggesting a degenerative propagation in a retrograde manner in the spinal cord. The intraspinal degeneration further led to severe muscle atrophy. Finally, TDP-43 induced in the skeletal muscle did not propagate pathological events to spinal neurons retrogradely. Our data revealed that mutant TDP-43 spread across neuro-glial connections anterogradely in the corticospinal pathway, whereas it exhibited different retrograde degenerative properties in the spinal circuits. This suggests that pathogenic TDP-43 may induce distinct antero- and retrograde mechanisms of degeneration in the motor system in ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Tsuboguchi
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Yuka Nakamura
- Department of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Ishihara
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Taisuke Kato
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tokiharu Sato
- Department of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akihide Koyama
- Division of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hideki Mori
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Yuka Koike
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Osamu Onodera
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan.
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
| | - Masaki Ueno
- Department of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Gao C, Jiang J, Tan Y, Chen S. Microglia in neurodegenerative diseases: mechanism and potential therapeutic targets. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:359. [PMID: 37735487 PMCID: PMC10514343 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01588-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia activation is observed in various neurodegenerative diseases. Recent advances in single-cell technologies have revealed that these reactive microglia were with high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Some identified microglia in specific states correlate with pathological hallmarks and are associated with specific functions. Microglia both exert protective function by phagocytosing and clearing pathological protein aggregates and play detrimental roles due to excessive uptake of protein aggregates, which would lead to microglial phagocytic ability impairment, neuroinflammation, and eventually neurodegeneration. In addition, peripheral immune cells infiltration shapes microglia into a pro-inflammatory phenotype and accelerates disease progression. Microglia also act as a mobile vehicle to propagate protein aggregates. Extracellular vesicles released from microglia and autophagy impairment in microglia all contribute to pathological progression and neurodegeneration. Thus, enhancing microglial phagocytosis, reducing microglial-mediated neuroinflammation, inhibiting microglial exosome synthesis and secretion, and promoting microglial conversion into a protective phenotype are considered to be promising strategies for the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases. Here we comprehensively review the biology of microglia and the roles of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies and Huntington's disease. We also summarize the possible microglia-targeted interventions and treatments against neurodegenerative diseases with preclinical and clinical evidence in cell experiments, animal studies, and clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Gao
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingwen Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuyan Tan
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shengdi Chen
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025, Shanghai, China.
- Lab for Translational Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), Shanghai Tech University, 201210, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Desai-Chowdhry P, Brummer AB, Mallavarapu S, Savage VM. Neuronal branching is increasingly asymmetric near synapses, potentially enabling plasticity while minimizing energy dissipation and conduction time. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230265. [PMID: 37669695 PMCID: PMC10480011 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons' primary function is to encode and transmit information in the brain and body. The branching architecture of axons and dendrites must compute, respond and make decisions while obeying the rules of the substrate in which they are enmeshed. Thus, it is important to delineate and understand the principles that govern these branching patterns. Here, we present evidence that asymmetric branching is a key factor in understanding the functional properties of neurons. First, we derive novel predictions for asymmetric scaling exponents that encapsulate branching architecture associated with crucial principles such as conduction time, power minimization and material costs. We compare our predictions with extensive data extracted from images to associate specific principles with specific biophysical functions and cell types. Notably, we find that asymmetric branching models lead to predictions and empirical findings that correspond to different weightings of the importance of maximum, minimum or total path lengths from the soma to the synapses. These different path lengths quantitatively and qualitatively affect energy, time and materials. Moreover, we generally observe that higher degrees of asymmetric branching-potentially arising from extrinsic environmental cues and synaptic plasticity in response to activity-occur closer to the tips than the soma (cell body).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paheli Desai-Chowdhry
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Samhita Mallavarapu
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Van M. Savage
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Noh MY, Kwon MS, Oh KW, Nahm M, Park J, Kim YE, Ki CS, Jin HK, Bae JS, Kim SH. Role of NCKAP1 in the Defective Phagocytic Function of Microglia-Like Cells Derived from Rapidly Progressing Sporadic ALS. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:4761-4777. [PMID: 37154887 PMCID: PMC10293423 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03339-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Microglia plays a key role in determining the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), yet their precise role in ALS has not been identified in humans. This study aimed to identify a key factor related to the functional characteristics of microglia in rapidly progressing sporadic ALS patients using the induced microglia model, although it is not identical to brain resident microglia. After confirming that microglia-like cells (iMGs) induced by human monocytes could recapitulate the main signatures of brain microglia, step-by-step comparative studies were conducted to delineate functional differences using iMGs from patients with slowly progressive ALS [ALS(S), n = 14] versus rapidly progressive ALS [ALS(R), n = 15]. Despite an absence of significant differences in the expression of microglial homeostatic genes, ALS(R)-iMGs preferentially showed defective phagocytosis and an exaggerated pro-inflammatory response to LPS stimuli compared to ALS(S)-iMGs. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the perturbed phagocytosis seen in ALS(R)-iMGs was closely associated with decreased NCKAP1 (NCK-associated protein 1)-mediated abnormal actin polymerization. NCKAP1 overexpression was sufficient to rescue impaired phagocytosis in ALS(R)-iMGs. Post-hoc analysis indicated that decreased NCKAP1 expression in iMGs was correlated with the progression of ALS. Our data suggest that microglial NCKAP1 may be an alternative therapeutic target in rapidly progressive sporadic ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min-Young Noh
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimniro 222-1, Seoul, 04763 Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Soo Kwon
- Department of Pharmacology, Research Institute of Basic Medical Science, School of Medicine, CHA University, CHA Bio Complex, 335 Pangyo, Gyeonggi-Do 13488 Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Wook Oh
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimniro 222-1, Seoul, 04763 Republic of Korea
| | - Minyeop Nahm
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinseok Park
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimniro 222-1, Seoul, 04763 Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Eun Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimniro 222-1, Seoul, 04763 Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Seok Ki
- GC Genome Corporation, Yongin, 16924 Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Kyung Jin
- KNU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566 Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566 Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-sung Bae
- KNU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566 Republic of Korea
- Department of Physiology, Cell and Matrix Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41944 Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, BK21 Plus KNU Biomedical Convergence Program, Kyungpook National University, Wangsimniro 222-1, Daegu, 41944 Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimniro 222-1, Seoul, 04763 Republic of Korea
- Cell Therapy Center, Hanyang University Hospital, Wangsimniro 222-1, Seoul, 04763 Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Arnold FJ, Nguyen AD, Bedlack RS, Bennett CL, La Spada AR. Intercellular transmission of pathogenic proteins in ALS: Exploring the pathogenic wave. Neurobiol Dis 2023:106218. [PMID: 37394036 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), disease symptoms and pathology typically spread in a predictable spatiotemporal pattern beginning at a focal site of onset and progressing along defined neuroanatomical tracts. Like other neurodegenerative diseases, ALS is characterized by the presence of protein aggregates in postmortem patient tissue. Cytoplasmic, ubiquitin-positive aggregates of TDP-43 are observed in approximately 97% of sporadic and familial ALS patients, while SOD1 inclusions are likely specific to cases of SOD1-ALS. Additionally, the most common subtype of familial ALS, caused by a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of the C9orf72 gene (C9-ALS), is further characterized by the presence of aggregated dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs). As we will describe, cell-to-cell propagation of these pathological proteins tightly correlates with the contiguous spread of disease. While TDP-43 and SOD1 are capable of seeding protein misfolding and aggregation in a prion-like manner, C9orf72 DPRs appear to induce (and transmit) a 'disease state' more generally. Multiple mechanisms of intercellular transport have been described for all of these proteins, including anterograde and retrograde axonal transport, extracellular vesicle secretion, and macropinocytosis. In addition to neuron-to-neuron transmission, transmission of pathological proteins occurs between neurons and glia. Given that the spread of ALS disease pathology corresponds with the spread of symptoms in patients, the various mechanisms by which ALS-associated protein aggregates propagate through the central nervous system should be closely examined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F J Arnold
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - A D Nguyen
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - R S Bedlack
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - C L Bennett
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - A R La Spada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Departments of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; UCI Center for Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Desai-Chowdhry P, Brummer AB, Mallavarapu S, Savage VM. Neuronal Branching is Increasingly Asymmetric Near Synapses, Potentially Enabling Plasticity While Minimizing Energy Dissipation and Conduction Time. bioRxiv 2023:2023.05.20.541591. [PMID: 37292687 PMCID: PMC10245708 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.20.541591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Neurons' primary function is to encode and transmit information in the brain and body. The branching architecture of axons and dendrites must compute, respond, and make decisions while obeying the rules of the substrate in which they are enmeshed. Thus, it is important to delineate and understand the principles that govern these branching patterns. Here, we present evidence that asymmetric branching is a key factor in understanding the functional properties of neurons. First, we derive novel predictions for asymmetric scaling exponents that encapsulate branching architecture associated with crucial principles such as conduction time, power minimization, and material costs. We compare our predictions with extensive data extracted from images to associate specific principles with specific biophysical functions and cell types. Notably, we find that asymmetric branching models lead to predictions and empirical findings that correspond to different weightings of the importance of maximum, minimum, or total path lengths from the soma to the synapses. These different path lengths quantitatively and qualitatively affect energy, time, and materials. Moreover, we generally observe that higher degrees of asymmetric branching- potentially arising from extrinsic environmental cues and synaptic plasticity in response to activity- occur closer to the tips than the soma (cell body).
Collapse
|
14
|
Swanson MEV, Mrkela M, Murray HC, Cao MC, Turner C, Curtis MA, Faull RLM, Walker AK, Scotter EL. Microglial CD68 and L-ferritin upregulation in response to phosphorylated-TDP-43 pathology in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis brain. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:69. [PMID: 37118836 PMCID: PMC10142752 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01561-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, are activated by damage or disease. In mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), microglia shift from neurotrophic to neurotoxic states with disease progression. It remains unclear how human microglia change relative to the TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) aggregation that occurs in 97% of ALS cases. Here we examine spatial relationships between microglial activation and TDP-43 pathology in brain tissue from people with ALS and from a TDP-43-driven ALS mouse model. Post-mortem human brain tissue from the Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank was obtained from 10 control and 10 ALS cases in parallel with brain tissue from a bigenic NEFH-tTA/tetO-hTDP-43∆NLS (rNLS) mouse model of ALS at disease onset, early disease, and late disease stages. The spatiotemporal relationship between microglial activation and ALS pathology was determined by investigating microglial functional marker expression in brain regions with low and high TDP-43 burden at end-stage human disease: hippocampus and motor cortex, respectively. Sections were immunohistochemically labelled with a two-round multiplexed antibody panel against; microglial functional markers (L-ferritin, HLA-DR, CD74, CD68, and Iba1), a neuronal marker, an astrocyte marker, and pathological phosphorylated TDP-43 (pTDP-43). Single-cell levels of microglial functional markers were quantified using custom analysis pipelines and mapped to anatomical regions and ALS pathology. We identified a significant increase in microglial Iba1 and CD68 expression in the human ALS motor cortex, with microglial CD68 being significantly correlated with pTDP-43 pathology load. We also identified two subpopulations of microglia enriched in the ALS motor cortex that were defined by high L-ferritin expression. A similar pattern of microglial changes was observed in the rNLS mouse, with an increase first in CD68 and then in L-ferritin expression, with both occurring only after pTDP-43 inclusions were detectable. Our data strongly suggest that microglia are phagocytic at early-stage ALS but transition to a dysfunctional state at end-stage disease, and that these functional states are driven by pTDP-43 aggregation. Overall, these findings enhance our understanding of microglial phenotypes and function in ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly E V Swanson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Miran Mrkela
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Helen C Murray
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Maize C Cao
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Clinton Turner
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A Curtis
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard L M Faull
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Adam K Walker
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Emma L Scotter
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Banerjee P, Mehta AR, Nirujogi RS, Cooper J, James OG, Nanda J, Longden J, Burr K, McDade K, Salzinger A, Paza E, Newton J, Story D, Pal S, Smith C, Alessi DR, Selvaraj BT, Priller J, Chandran S. Cell-autonomous immune dysfunction driven by disrupted autophagy in C9orf72-ALS iPSC-derived microglia contributes to neurodegeneration. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eabq0651. [PMID: 37083530 PMCID: PMC10121169 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq0651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Although microglial activation is widely found in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the underlying mechanism(s) are poorly understood. Here, using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia-like cells (hiPSC-MG) harboring the most common ALS/FTD mutation (C9orf72, mC9-MG), gene-corrected isogenic controls (isoC9-MG), and C9orf72 knockout hiPSC-MG (C9KO-MG), we show that reduced C9ORF72 protein is associated with impaired phagocytosis and an exaggerated immune response upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide. Analysis of the C9ORF72 interactome revealed that C9ORF72 interacts with regulators of autophagy and functional studies showed impaired initiation of autophagy in mC9-MG and C9KO-MG. Coculture studies with motor neurons (MNs) demonstrated that the autophagy deficit in mC9-MG drives increased vulnerability of mC9-MNs to excitotoxic stimulus. Pharmacological activation of autophagy ameliorated both cell-autonomous functional deficits in hiPSC-MG and MN death in MG-MN coculture. Together, these findings reveal an important role for C9ORF72 in regulating immune homeostasis and identify dysregulation in myeloid cells as a contributor to neurodegeneration in ALS/FTD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Poulomi Banerjee
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Arpan R. Mehta
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Raja S. Nirujogi
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - James Cooper
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Owen G. James
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Jyoti Nanda
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - James Longden
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Karen Burr
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Karina McDade
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Edinburgh Brain Bank, Academic Department of Neuropathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Pathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrea Salzinger
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Evdokia Paza
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Judith Newton
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - David Story
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Suvankar Pal
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Edinburgh Brain Bank, Academic Department of Neuropathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Pathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Dario R. Alessi
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Bhuvaneish T. Selvaraj
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Josef Priller
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Neuropsychiatry, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin and DZNE, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh bioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Mead RJ, Shan N, Reiser HJ, Marshall F, Shaw PJ. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a neurodegenerative disorder poised for successful therapeutic translation. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:185-212. [PMID: 36543887 PMCID: PMC9768794 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00612-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease caused by degeneration of motor neurons. As with all major neurodegenerative disorders, development of disease-modifying therapies has proven challenging for multiple reasons. Nevertheless, ALS is one of the few neurodegenerative diseases for which disease-modifying therapies are approved. Significant discoveries and advances have been made in ALS preclinical models, genetics, pathology, biomarkers, imaging and clinical readouts over the last 10-15 years. At the same time, novel therapeutic paradigms are being applied in areas of high unmet medical need, including neurodegenerative disorders. These developments have evolved our knowledge base, allowing identification of targeted candidate therapies for ALS with diverse mechanisms of action. In this Review, we discuss how this advanced knowledge, aligned with new approaches, can enable effective translation of therapeutic agents from preclinical studies through to clinical benefit for patients with ALS. We anticipate that this approach in ALS will also positively impact the field of drug discovery for neurodegenerative disorders more broadly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Mead
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Keapstone Therapeutics, The Innovation Centre, Broomhall, Sheffield, UK
| | - Ning Shan
- Aclipse Therapeutics, Radnor, PA, US
| | | | - Fiona Marshall
- MSD UK Discovery Centre, Merck, Sharp and Dohme (UK) Limited, London, UK
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Keapstone Therapeutics, The Innovation Centre, Broomhall, Sheffield, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Desai-Chowdhry P, Brummer AB, Savage VM. How axon and dendrite branching are guided by time, energy, and spatial constraints. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20810. [PMID: 36460669 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24813-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons are connected by complex branching processes-axons and dendrites-that process information for organisms to respond to their environment. Classifying neurons according to differences in structure or function is a fundamental part of neuroscience. Here, by constructing biophysical theory and testing against empirical measures of branching structure, we develop a general model that establishes a correspondence between neuron structure and function as mediated by principles such as time or power minimization for information processing as well as spatial constraints for forming connections. We test our predictions for radius scale factors against those extracted from neuronal images, measured for species that range from insects to whales, including data from light and electron microscopy studies. Notably, our findings reveal that the branching of axons and peripheral nervous system neurons is mainly determined by time minimization, while dendritic branching is determined by power minimization. Our model also predicts a quarter-power scaling relationship between conduction time delay and body size.
Collapse
|
18
|
Vidal-Itriago A, Radford RAW, Aramideh JA, Maurel C, Scherer NM, Don EK, Lee A, Chung RS, Graeber MB, Morsch M. Microglia morphophysiological diversity and its implications for the CNS. Front Immunol 2022; 13:997786. [PMID: 36341385 PMCID: PMC9627549 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.997786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia are mononuclear phagocytes of mesodermal origin that migrate to the central nervous system (CNS) during the early stages of embryonic development. After colonizing the CNS, they proliferate and remain able to self-renew throughout life, maintaining the number of microglia around 5-12% of the cells in the CNS parenchyma. They are considered to play key roles in development, homeostasis and innate immunity of the CNS. Microglia are exceptionally diverse in their morphological characteristics, actively modifying the shape of their processes and soma in response to different stimuli. This broad morphological spectrum of microglia responses is considered to be closely correlated to their diverse range of functions in health and disease. However, the morphophysiological attributes of microglia, and the structural and functional features of microglia-neuron interactions, remain largely unknown. Here, we assess the current knowledge of the diverse microglial morphologies, with a focus on the correlation between microglial shape and function. We also outline some of the current challenges, opportunities, and future directions that will help us to tackle unanswered questions about microglia, and to continue unravelling the mysteries of microglia, in all its shapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Vidal-Itriago
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rowan A. W. Radford
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason A. Aramideh
- Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Cindy Maurel
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Natalie M. Scherer
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Emily K. Don
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Roger S. Chung
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Manuel B. Graeber
- Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Liu Q, Wang Z, Cao J, Dong Y, Chen Y. Dim Blue Light at Night Induces Spatial Memory Impairment in Mice by Hippocampal Neuroinflammation and Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:1218. [PMID: 35883709 PMCID: PMC9311634 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11071218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Light pollution is one of the most serious public problems, especially the night light. However, the effect of dim blue light at night (dLAN-BL) on cognitive function is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effects of exposure to dLAN-BL in C57BL/6J mice for 4 consecutive weeks. Our results showed dLAN-BL significantly impaired spatial learning and memory and increased plasma corticosterone level in mice. Consistent with these changes, we observed dLAN-BL significantly increased the numbers and activation of microglia and the levels of oxidative stress product MDA in the hippocampus, decreased the levels of antioxidant enzymes Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Gluathione reductase (Gsr), total antioxidants (T-AOC) and the number of neurons in the hippocampus, up-regulated the mRNA expression levels of IL6, TNF-α and the protein expression levels of iNOS, COX2, TLR4, p-p65, Cleaved-Caspase3 and BAX, and down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of IL4, IL10, Psd95, Snap25, Sirt1, Dcx and the protein expression level of BCL2. In vitro results further showed corticosterone (10uM)-induced BV2 cell activation and up-regulated content of IL6, TNF-α in the cell supernatant and the protein expression levels of iNOS, COX2, p-p65 in BV2 cells. Our findings suggested dLAN-BL up-regulated plasma corticosterone level and hippocampal microglia activation, which in turn caused oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, leading to neuronal loss and synaptic dysfunction, ultimately leading to spatial learning and memory dysfunction in mice.
Collapse
|
20
|
Quek H, Cuní-López C, Stewart R, Colletti T, Notaro A, Nguyen TH, Sun Y, Guo CC, Lupton MK, Roberts TL, Lim YC, Oikari LE, La Bella V, White AR. ALS monocyte-derived microglia-like cells reveal cytoplasmic TDP-43 accumulation, DNA damage, and cell-specific impairment of phagocytosis associated with disease progression. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:58. [PMID: 35227277 PMCID: PMC8887023 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02421-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease characterised by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Increasing evidence indicates that neuroinflammation mediated by microglia contributes to ALS pathogenesis. This microglial activation is evident in post-mortem brain tissues and neuroimaging data from patients with ALS. However, the role of microglia in the pathogenesis and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis remains unclear, partly due to the lack of a model system that is able to faithfully recapitulate the clinical pathology of ALS. To address this shortcoming, we describe an approach that generates monocyte-derived microglia-like cells that are capable of expressing molecular markers, and functional characteristics similar to in vivo human brain microglia.
Methods
In this study, we have established monocyte-derived microglia-like cells from 30 sporadic patients with ALS, including 15 patients with slow disease progression, 6 with intermediate progression, and 9 with rapid progression, together with 20 non-affected healthy controls.
Results
We demonstrate that patient monocyte-derived microglia-like cells recapitulate canonical pathological features of ALS including non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated-TDP-43-positive inclusions. Moreover, ALS microglia-like cells showed significantly impaired phagocytosis, altered cytokine profiles, and abnormal morphologies consistent with a neuroinflammatory phenotype. Interestingly, all ALS microglia-like cells showed abnormal phagocytosis consistent with the progression of the disease. In-depth analysis of ALS microglia-like cells from the rapid disease progression cohort revealed significantly altered cell-specific variation in phagocytic function. In addition, DNA damage and NOD-leucine rich repeat and pyrin containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activity were also elevated in ALS patient monocyte-derived microglia-like cells, indicating a potential new pathway involved in driving disease progression.
Conclusions
Taken together, our work demonstrates that the monocyte-derived microglia-like cell model recapitulates disease-specific hallmarks and characteristics that substantiate patient heterogeneity associated with disease subgroups. Thus, monocyte-derived microglia-like cells are highly applicable to monitor disease progression and can be applied as a functional readout in clinical trials for anti-neuroinflammatory agents, providing a basis for personalised treatment for patients with ALS.
Collapse
|
21
|
Lau M, Sealy B, Combes V, Morsch M, Garcia-Bennett AE. Enhanced Antioxidant Effects of the Anti-Inflammatory Compound Probucol when Released from Mesoporous Silica Particles. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14030502. [PMID: 35335878 PMCID: PMC8953917 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain endothelial cells mediate the function and integrity of the blood brain barrier (BBB) by restricting its permeability and exposure to potential toxins. However, these cells are highly susceptible to cellular damage caused by oxidative stress and inflammation. Consequent disruption to the integrity of the BBB can lead to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Drug compounds with antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory properties therefore have the potential to preserve the structure and function of the BBB. In this work, we demonstrate the enhanced antioxidative effects of the compound probucol when loaded within mesoporous silica particles (MSP) in vitro and in vivo zebrafish models. The dissolution kinetics were significantly enhanced when released from MSPs. An increased reduction in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme activity and prostaglandin E2 production was measured in human brain endothelial cells treated with probucol-loaded MSPs. Furthermore, the LPS-induced permeability across an endothelial cell monolayer by paracellular and transcytotic mechanisms was also reduced at lower concentrations compared to the antioxidant ascorbic acid. Zebrafish pre-treated with probucol-loaded MSPs reduced hydrogen peroxide-induced ROS to control levels after 24-h incubation, at significantly lower concentrations than ascorbic acid. We provide compelling evidence that the encapsulation of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds within MSPs can enhance their release, enhance their antioxidant effects properties, and open new avenues for the accelerated suppression of neuroinflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lau
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
| | - Benjamin Sealy
- Malaria and Microvesicles Research Group, School of Life Science, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (B.S.); (V.C.)
| | - Valery Combes
- Malaria and Microvesicles Research Group, School of Life Science, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (B.S.); (V.C.)
| | - Marco Morsch
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
| | - Alfonso E. Garcia-Bennett
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
- Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s Bioactives (FAAB), Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Prater KE, Latimer CS, Jayadev S. Glial TDP-43 and TDP-43 induced glial pathology, focus on neurodegenerative proteinopathy syndromes. Glia 2022; 70:239-255. [PMID: 34558120 PMCID: PMC8722378 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Since its discovery in 2006, TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) has driven rapidly evolving research in neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). TDP-43 mislocalization or aggregation is the hallmark of TDP-43 proteinopathy and is associated with cognitive impairment that can be mapped to its regional deposition. Studies in human tissue and model systems demonstrate that TDP-43 may potentiate other proteinopathies such as the amyloid or tau pathology seen in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in the combination of AD+LATE. Despite this growing body of literature, there remain gaps in our understanding of whether there is heterogeneity in TDP-43 driven mechanisms across cell types. The growing observations of correlation between TDP-43 proteinopathy and glial pathology suggest a relationship between the two, including pathogenic glial cell-autonomous dysfunction and dysregulated glial immune responses to neuronal TDP-43. In this review, we discuss the available data on TDP-43 in glia within the context of the neurodegenerative diseases ALS and FTLD and highlight the current lack of information about glial TDP-43 interaction in AD+LATE. TDP-43 has proven to be a significant modulator of cognitive and neuropathological outcomes. A deeper understanding of its role in diverse cell types may provide relevant insights into neurodegenerative syndromes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Caitlin S. Latimer
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195,Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Jeon Y, Kwon Y, Lee S, Kim S, Jo M, Lee S, Kim SR, Kim K, Kim H. Vitamin B12 Reduces TDP-43 Toxicity by Alleviating Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:82. [PMID: 35052586 PMCID: PMC8773243 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11010082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a member of an evolutionarily conserved family of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins that modulate multiple steps in RNA metabolic processes. Cytoplasmic aggregation of TDP-43 in affected neurons is a pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). Mislocalized and accumulated TDP-43 in the cytoplasm induces mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxidative species (ROS) production. Here, we show that TDP-43- and rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in the human neuronal cell line SH-SY5Y were attenuated by hydroxocobalamin (Hb, vitamin B12 analog) treatment. Although Hb did not affect the cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, Hb attenuated TDP-43-induced toxicity by reducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, a shortened lifespan and motility defects in TDP-43-expressing Drosophila were significantly mitigated by dietary treatment with hydroxocobalamin. Taken together, these findings suggest that oral intake of hydroxocobalamin may be a potential therapeutic intervention for TDP-43-associated proteinopathies.
Collapse
|
24
|
Wright AL, Della Gatta PA, Le S, Berning BA, Mehta P, Jacobs KR, Gul H, San Gil R, Hedl TJ, Riddell WR, Watson O, Keating SS, Venturato J, Chung RS, Atkin JD, Lee A, Shi B, Blizzard CA, Morsch M, Walker AK. Riluzole does not ameliorate disease caused by cytoplasmic TDP-43 in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:6237-6255. [PMID: 34390052 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease commonly treated with riluzole, a small molecule that may act via modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission. However, riluzole only modestly extends lifespan for people living with ALS, and its precise mechanisms of action remain unclear. Most ALS cases are characterised by accumulation of cytoplasmic TAR DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43), and understanding the effects of riluzole in models that closely recapitulate TDP-43 pathology may provide insights for development of improved therapeutics. We therefore investigated the effects of riluzole in female transgenic mice that inducibly express nuclear localisation sequence (NLS)-deficient human TDP-43 in neurons (NEFH-tTA/tetO-hTDP-43ΔNLS, 'rNLS8', mice). Riluzole treatment from the first day of hTDP-43ΔNLS expression did not alter disease onset, weight loss or performance on multiple motor behavioural tasks. Riluzole treatment also did not alter TDP-43 protein levels, solubility or phosphorylation. Although we identified a significant decrease in GluA2 and GluA3 proteins in the cortex of rNLS8 mice, riluzole did not ameliorate this disease-associated molecular phenotype. Likewise, riluzole did not alter the disease-associated atrophy of hindlimb muscle in rNLS8 mice. Finally, riluzole treatment beginning after disease onset in rNLS8 mice similarly had no effect on progression of late-stage disease or animal survival. Together, we demonstrate specific glutamatergic receptor alterations and muscle fibre-type changes reminiscent of ALS in female rNLS8 mice, but riluzole had no effect on these or any other disease phenotypes. Future targeting of pathways related to accumulation of TDP-43 pathology may be needed to develop better treatments for ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Wright
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul A Della Gatta
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sheng Le
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Britt A Berning
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Prachi Mehta
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kelly R Jacobs
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hossai Gul
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rebecca San Gil
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas J Hedl
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Winonah R Riddell
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Owen Watson
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sean S Keating
- Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Juliana Venturato
- Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Julie D Atkin
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bingyang Shi
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Catherine A Blizzard
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Adam K Walker
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Salam S, Tacconelli S, Smith BN, Mitchell JC, Glennon E, Nikolaou N, Houart C, Vance C. Identification of a novel interaction of FUS and syntaphilin may explain synaptic and mitochondrial abnormalities caused by ALS mutations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13613. [PMID: 34193962 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93189-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrantly expressed fused in sarcoma (FUS) is a hallmark of FUS-related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Wildtype FUS localises to synapses and interacts with mitochondrial proteins while mutations have been shown to cause to pathological changes affecting mitochondria, synapses and the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). This indicates a crucial physiological role for FUS in regulating synaptic and mitochondrial function that is currently poorly understood. In this paper we provide evidence that mislocalised cytoplasmic FUS causes mitochondrial and synaptic changes and that FUS plays a vital role in maintaining neuronal health in vitro and in vivo. Overexpressing mutant FUS altered synaptic numbers and neuronal complexity in both primary neurons and zebrafish models. The degree to which FUS was mislocalised led to differences in the synaptic changes which was mirrored by changes in mitochondrial numbers and transport. Furthermore, we showed that FUS co-localises with the mitochondrial tethering protein Syntaphilin (SNPH), and that mutations in FUS affect this relationship. Finally, we demonstrated mutant FUS led to changes in global protein translation. This localisation between FUS and SNPH could explain the synaptic and mitochondrial defects observed leading to global protein translation defects. Importantly, our results support the ‘gain-of-function’ hypothesis for disease pathogenesis in FUS-related ALS.
Collapse
|
26
|
Braems E, Tziortzouda P, Van Den Bosch L. Exploring the alternative: Fish, flies and worms as preclinical models for ALS. Neurosci Lett 2021; 759:136041. [PMID: 34118308 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons. In general, patients succumb to respiratory insufficiency due to respiratory muscle weakness. Despite many promising therapeutic strategies primarily identified in rodent models, patient trials remain rather unsuccessful. There is a clear need for alternative approaches, which could provide directions towards the justified use of rodents and which increase the likelihood to identify new promising clinical candidates. In the last decades, the use of fast genetic approaches and the development of high-throughput screening platforms in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and in zebrafish (Danio rerio) have contributed to new insights into ALS pathomechanisms, disease modifiers and therapeutic targets. In this mini-review, we provide an overview of these alternative small animal studies, modeling the most common ALS genes and discuss the most recent preclinical discoveries. We conclude that small animal models will not replace rodent models, yet they clearly represent an important asset for preclinical studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elke Braems
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paraskevi Tziortzouda
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Chen HJ, Mitchell JC. Mechanisms of TDP-43 Proteinopathy Onset and Propagation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6004. [PMID: 34199367 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
TDP-43 is an RNA-binding protein that has been robustly linked to the pathogenesis of a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. While mutations in the TARDBP gene that codes for the protein have been identified as causing disease in a small subset of patients, TDP-43 proteinopathy is present in the majority of cases regardless of mutation status. This raises key questions regarding the mechanisms by which TDP-43 proteinopathy arises and spreads throughout the central nervous system. Numerous studies have explored the role of a variety of cellular functions on the disease process, and nucleocytoplasmic transport, protein homeostasis, RNA interactions and cellular stress have all risen to the forefront as possible contributors to the initiation of TDP-43 pathogenesis. There is also a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that aggregation-prone TDP-43 can recruit physiological TDP-43, and be transmitted intercellularly, providing a mechanism whereby small-scale proteinopathy spreads from cell to cell, reflecting the spread of clinical symptoms observed in patients. This review will discuss the potential role of the aforementioned cellular functions in TDP-43 pathogenesis, and explore how aberrant pathology may spread, and result in a feed-forward cascade effect, leading to robust TDP-43 proteinopathy and disease.
Collapse
|
28
|
Vahsen BF, Gray E, Thompson AG, Ansorge O, Anthony DC, Cowley SA, Talbot K, Turner MR. Non-neuronal cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - from pathogenesis to biomarkers. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:333-48. [PMID: 33927394 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The prevailing motor neuron-centric view of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathogenesis could be an important factor in the failure to identify disease-modifying therapy for this neurodegenerative disorder. Non-neuronal cells have crucial homeostatic functions within the CNS and evidence of involvement of these cells in the pathophysiology of several neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS, is accumulating. Microglia and astrocytes, in crosstalk with peripheral immune cells, can exert both neuroprotective and adverse effects, resulting in a highly nuanced range of neuronal and non-neuronal cell interactions. This Review provides an overview of the diverse roles of non-neuronal cells in relation to the pathogenesis of ALS and the emerging potential of non-neuronal cell biomarkers to advance therapeutic development.
Collapse
|
29
|
Cicardi ME, Marrone L, Azzouz M, Trotti D. Proteostatic imbalance and protein spreading in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. EMBO J 2021; 40:e106389. [PMID: 33792056 PMCID: PMC8126909 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder whose exact causative mechanisms are still under intense investigation. Several lines of evidence suggest that the anatomical and temporal propagation of pathological protein species along the neural axis could be among the main driving mechanisms for the fast and irreversible progression of ALS pathology. Many ALS-associated proteins form intracellular aggregates as a result of their intrinsic prion-like properties and/or following impairment of the protein quality control systems. During the disease course, these mutated proteins and aberrant peptides are released in the extracellular milieu as soluble or aggregated forms through a variety of mechanisms. Internalization by recipient cells may seed further aggregation and amplify existing proteostatic imbalances, thus triggering a vicious cycle that propagates pathology in vulnerable cells, such as motor neurons and other susceptible neuronal subtypes. Here, we provide an in-depth review of ALS pathology with a particular focus on the disease mechanisms of seeding and transmission of the most common ALS-associated proteins, including SOD1, FUS, TDP-43, and C9orf72-linked dipeptide repeats. For each of these proteins, we report historical, biochemical, and pathological evidence of their behaviors in ALS. We further discuss the possibility to harness pathological proteins as biomarkers and reflect on the implications of these findings for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elena Cicardi
- Department of NeuroscienceWeinberg ALS CenterVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Lara Marrone
- Department of NeuroscienceSheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)University of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Mimoun Azzouz
- Department of NeuroscienceSheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)University of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Davide Trotti
- Department of NeuroscienceWeinberg ALS CenterVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Asakawa K, Handa H, Kawakami K. Multi-phaseted problems of TDP-43 in selective neuronal vulnerability in ALS. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4453-4465. [PMID: 33709256 PMCID: PMC8195926 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03792-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43) encoded by the TARDBP gene is an evolutionarily conserved heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) that regulates multiple steps of RNA metabolism, and its cytoplasmic aggregation characterizes degenerating motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In most ALS cases, cytoplasmic TDP-43 aggregation occurs in the absence of mutations in the coding sequence of TARDBP. Thus, a major challenge in ALS research is to understand the nature of pathological changes occurring in wild-type TDP-43 and to explore upstream events in intracellular and extracellular milieu that promote the pathological transition of TDP-43. Despite the inherent obstacles to analyzing TDP-43 dynamics in in vivo motor neurons due to their anatomical complexity and inaccessibility, recent studies using cellular and animal models have provided important mechanistic insights into potential links between TDP-43 and motor neuron vulnerability in ALS. This review is intended to provide an overview of the current literature on the function and regulation of TDP-43-containing RNP granules or membraneless organelles, as revealed by various models, and to discuss the potential mechanisms by which TDP-43 can cause selective vulnerability of motor neurons in ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhide Asakawa
- Department of Chemical Biology, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan.
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan.
- Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan.
| | - Hiroshi Handa
- Department of Chemical Biology, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan
| | - Koichi Kawakami
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
- Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Don EK, Maschirow A, Radford RAW, Scherer NM, Vidal-Itriago A, Hogan A, Maurel C, Formella I, Stoddart JJ, Hall TE, Lee A, Shi B, Cole NJ, Laird AS, Badrock AP, Chung RS, Morsch M. In vivo Validation of Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC) to Investigate Aggregate Formation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:2061-2074. [PMID: 33415684 PMCID: PMC8018926 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02238-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a form of motor neuron disease (MND) that is characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons within the spinal cord, brainstem, and motor cortex. Although ALS clinically manifests as a heterogeneous disease, with varying disease onset and survival, a unifying feature is the presence of ubiquitinated cytoplasmic protein inclusion aggregates containing TDP-43. However, the precise mechanisms linking protein inclusions and aggregation to neuronal loss are currently poorly understood. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) takes advantage of the association of fluorophore fragments (non-fluorescent on their own) that are attached to an aggregation-prone protein of interest. Interaction of the proteins of interest allows for the fluorescent reporter protein to fold into its native state and emit a fluorescent signal. Here, we combined the power of BiFC with the advantages of the zebrafish system to validate, optimize, and visualize the formation of ALS-linked aggregates in real time in a vertebrate model. We further provide in vivo validation of the selectivity of this technique and demonstrate reduced spontaneous self-assembly of the non-fluorescent fragments in vivo by introducing a fluorophore mutation. Additionally, we report preliminary findings on the dynamic aggregation of the ALS-linked hallmark proteins Fus and TDP-43 in their corresponding nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments using BiFC. Overall, our data demonstrates the suitability of this BiFC approach to study and characterize ALS-linked aggregate formation in vivo. Importantly, the same principle can be applied in the context of other neurodegenerative diseases and has therefore critical implications to advance our understanding of pathologies that underlie aberrant protein aggregation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Don
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Alina Maschirow
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Rowan A W Radford
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Natalie M Scherer
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Andrés Vidal-Itriago
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Alison Hogan
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Cindy Maurel
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Isabel Formella
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Jack J Stoddart
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Thomas E Hall
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, QLD, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Bingyang Shi
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Nicholas J Cole
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Angela S Laird
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Andrew P Badrock
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Roger S Chung
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Cheng F, De Luca A, Hogan AL, Rayner SL, Davidson JM, Watchon M, Stevens CH, Muñoz SS, Ooi L, Yerbury JJ, Don EK, Fifita JA, Villalva MD, Suddull H, Chapman TR, Hedl TJ, Walker AK, Yang S, Morsch M, Shi B, Blair IP, Laird AS, Chung RS, Lee A. Unbiased Label-Free Quantitative Proteomics of Cells Expressing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Mutations in CCNF Reveals Activation of the Apoptosis Pathway: A Workflow to Screen Pathogenic Gene Mutations. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:627740. [PMID: 33986643 PMCID: PMC8111008 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.627740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decade has seen a rapid acceleration in the discovery of new genetic causes of ALS, with more than 20 putative ALS-causing genes now cited. These genes encode proteins that cover a diverse range of molecular functions, including free radical scavenging (e.g., SOD1), regulation of RNA homeostasis (e.g., TDP-43 and FUS), and protein degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome system (e.g., ubiquilin-2 and cyclin F) and autophagy (TBK1 and sequestosome-1/p62). It is likely that the various initial triggers of disease (either genetic, environmental and/or gene-environment interaction) must converge upon a common set of molecular pathways that underlie ALS pathogenesis. Given the complexity, it is not surprising that a catalog of molecular pathways and proteostasis dysfunctions have been linked to ALS. One of the challenges in ALS research is determining, at the early stage of discovery, whether a new gene mutation is indeed disease-specific, and if it is linked to signaling pathways that trigger neuronal cell death. We have established a proof-of-concept proteogenomic workflow to assess new gene mutations, using CCNF (cyclin F) as an example, in cell culture models to screen whether potential gene candidates fit the criteria of activating apoptosis. This can provide an informative and time-efficient output that can be extended further for validation in a variety of in vitro and in vivo models and/or for mechanistic studies. As a proof-of-concept, we expressed cyclin F mutations (K97R, S195R, S509P, R574Q, S621G) in HEK293 cells for label-free quantitative proteomics that bioinformatically predicted activation of the neuronal cell death pathways, which was validated by immunoblot analysis. Proteomic analysis of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patient fibroblasts bearing the S621G mutation showed the same activation of these pathways providing compelling evidence for these candidate gene mutations to be strong candidates for further validation and mechanistic studies (such as E3 enzymatic activity assays, protein-protein and protein-substrate studies, and neuronal apoptosis and aberrant branching measurements in zebrafish). Our proteogenomics approach has great utility and provides a relatively high-throughput screening platform to explore candidate gene mutations for their propensity to cause neuronal cell death, which will guide a researcher for further experimental studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flora Cheng
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Alana De Luca
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Alison L Hogan
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Stephanie L Rayner
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Jennilee M Davidson
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Maxinne Watchon
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Claire H Stevens
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience and Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Sonia Sanz Muñoz
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience and Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience and Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin J Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience and Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Emily K Don
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Jennifer A Fifita
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Maria D Villalva
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Hannah Suddull
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Tyler R Chapman
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas J Hedl
- Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Adam K Walker
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.,Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Shu Yang
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Bingyang Shi
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian P Blair
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Angela S Laird
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurological disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Spinal motor neurons align along the spinal cord length within the vertebral column, and extend long axons to connect with skeletal muscles covering the body surface. Due to this anatomy, spinal motor neurons are among the most difficult cells to observe in vivo. Larval zebrafish have transparent bodies that allow non-invasive visualization of whole cells of single spinal motor neurons, from somas to the neuromuscular synapses. This unique feature, combined with its amenability to genome editing, pharmacology, and optogenetics, enables functional analyses of ALS-associated proteins in the spinal motor neurons in vivo with subcellular resolution. Here, we review the zebrafish skeletal neuromuscular system and the optical methods used to study it. We then introduce a recently developed optogenetic zebrafish ALS model that uses light illumination to control oligomerization, phase transition and aggregation of the ALS-associated DNA/RNA-binding protein called TDP-43. Finally, we will discuss how this disease-in-a-fish ALS model can help solve key questions about ALS pathogenesis and lead to new ALS therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhide Asakawa
- Department of Chemical Biology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Handa
- Department of Chemical Biology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Kawakami
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan.,Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Gonzalez D, Allende ML. Current Advances in Comprehending Dynamics of Regenerating Axons and Axon-Glia Interactions after Peripheral Nerve Injury in Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2484. [PMID: 33801205 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Following an injury, axons of both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) degenerate through a coordinated and genetically conserved mechanism known as Wallerian degeneration (WD). Unlike central axons, severed peripheral axons have a higher capacity to regenerate and reinnervate their original targets, mainly because of the favorable environment that they inhabit and the presence of different cell types. Even though many aspects of regeneration in peripheral nerves have been studied, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the dynamics of axonal degeneration and regeneration, mostly due to the inherent limitations of most animal models. In this scenario, the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae combined with time-lapse microscopy currently offers a unique experimental opportunity to monitor the dynamics of the regenerative process in the PNS in vivo. This review summarizes the current knowledge and advances made in understanding the dynamics of the regenerative process of PNS axons. By using different tools available in zebrafish such as electroablation of the posterior lateral line nerve (pLLn), and laser-mediated transection of motor and sensory axons followed by time-lapse microscopy, researchers are beginning to unravel the complexity of the spatiotemporal interactions among different cell types during the regenerative process. Thus, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the degeneration and regeneration of peripheral nerves will open new avenues in the treatment of acute nerve trauma or chronic conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
|
35
|
Ding X, Xiang Z, Qin C, Chen Y, Tian H, Meng L, Xia D, Liu H, Song J, Fu J, Ma M, Wang X. Spreading of TDP-43 pathology via pyramidal tract induces ALS-like phenotypes in TDP-43 transgenic mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:15. [PMID: 33461623 PMCID: PMC7814549 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01112-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43) has been identified as the major component of ubiquitinated inclusions found in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Increasing evidence suggests prion-like transmission of TDP-43 aggregates via neuroanatomic connection in vitro and pyramidal tract in vivo. However, it is still unknown whether the spreading of pathological TDP-43 sequentially via pyramidal tract can initiate ALS-like pathology and phenotypes. In this study, we reported that injection of TDP-43 preformed fibrils (PFFs) into the primary motor cortex (M1) of Thy1-e (IRES-TARDBP) 1 mice induced the spreading of pathological TDP-43 along pyramidal tract axons anterogradely. Moreover, TDP-43 PFFs-injected Thy1-e (IRES-TARDBP) 1 mice displayed ALS-like neuropathological features and symptoms, including motor dysfunctions and electrophysiological abnormalities. These findings provide direct evidence that transmission of pathological TDP-43 along pyramidal tract induces ALS-like phenotypes, which further suggest the potential mechanism for TDP-43 proteinopathy.
Collapse
|
36
|
Zhang R, Chen Y, Wang X, Tian H, Liu H, Xiang Z, Qi D, Huang JH, Wu E, Ding X, Wang X. Spreading of pathological TDP-43 along corticospinal tract axons induces ALS-like phenotypes in Atg5 +/- mice. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:390-401. [PMID: 33613100 PMCID: PMC7893595 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.53872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by phosphorylated TDP-43 (pTDP-43)-positive inclusions in neurons and glial cells. However, the pathogenic mechanism that underlies ALS remains largely unknown. To investigate the effects of autophagy deficiency in the formation and spreading of pathological TDP-43 along corticospinal tract axons, TDP-43 preformed fibrils (PFFs) were prepared and unilaterally injected into the fifth layer of the left primary motor cortex (M1) or the left anterior horn of the seventh cervical spinal cord segment (C7) of Atg5+/- mice. After the injection of TDP-43 PFFs, the elevated levels of pTDP-43 were present in several pyramidal tract-associated regions of Atg5+/- mice. Additionally, the occurrence of spontaneous potentials detected by electromyography demonstrates evidence of lower motor neuron dysfunction in M1-TDP-43 PFFs-injected Atg5+/- mice, and prolonged central motor conduction time detected by motor evoked potentials provides evidence of upper motor neuron dysfunction in C7-TDP-43 PFFs-injected Atg5+/- mice. These results show that injection of TDP-43 PFFs into the M1 or C7 of Atg5+/- mice induces the spreading of pathological TDP-43 along corticospinal tract axons in both an anterograde and retrograde manner. Importantly, TDP-43 PFFs-injected Atg5+/- mice also display ALS-like motor dysfunction. Taken together, our findings provide direct evidence that TDP-43 PFFs-injected Atg5+/- mice exhibited ALS-like neuropathology and motor phenotypes, suggesting that autophagy deficiency promotes the formation and spreading of pathological TDP-43 in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Yongkang Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
- Institute of Parkinson and Movement Disorder, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
- Institute of Parkinson and Movement Disorder, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Haiyan Tian
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
- Institute of Parkinson and Movement Disorder, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Han Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
- Institute of Parkinson and Movement Disorder, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Zhi Xiang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
- Institute of Parkinson and Movement Disorder, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Dan Qi
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas, 76508, USA
| | - Jason H. Huang
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas, 76508, USA
- College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Erxi Wu
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas, 76508, USA
- College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes and Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Xuebing Ding
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
- Institute of Parkinson and Movement Disorder, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Xuejing Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
- Institute of Parkinson and Movement Disorder, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Gagliardi D, Costamagna G, Taiana M, Andreoli L, Biella F, Bersani M, Bresolin N, Comi GP, Corti S. Insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutics for C9orf72-related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 64:101172. [PMID: 32971256 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In 2011, a hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in the noncoding region of C9orf72 was associated with the most frequent genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The main pathogenic mechanisms in C9-ALS/FTD are haploinsufficiency of the C9orf72 protein and gain of function toxicity from bidirectionally-transcribed repeat-containing RNAs and dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) resulting from non-canonical RNA translation. Additionally, abnormalities in different downstream cellular mechanisms, such as nucleocytoplasmic transport and autophagy, play a role in pathogenesis. Substantial research efforts using in vitro and in vivo models have provided valuable insights into the contribution of each mechanism in disease pathogenesis. However, conflicting evidence exists, and a unifying theory still lacks. Here, we provide an overview of the recently published literature on clinical, neuropathological and molecular features of C9-ALS/FTD. We highlight the supposed neuronal role of C9orf72 and the HRE pathogenic cascade, mainly focusing on the contribution of RNA foci and DPRs to neurodegeneration and discussing the several downstream mechanisms. We summarize the emerging biochemical and neuroimaging biomarkers, as well as the potential therapeutic approaches. Despite promising results, a specific disease-modifying treatment is still not available to date and greater insights into disease mechanisms may help in this direction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Delia Gagliardi
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Costamagna
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Taiana
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Andreoli
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Biella
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Margherita Bersani
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Nereo Bresolin
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; Neurology Unit, IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pietro Comi
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; Neurology Unit, IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Corti
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; Neurology Unit, IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Cipollina G, Davari Serej A, Di Nolfi G, Gazzano A, Marsala A, Spatafora MG, Peviani M. Heterogeneity of Neuroinflammatory Responses in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Challenge or an Opportunity? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21217923. [PMID: 33113845 PMCID: PMC7662281 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21217923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a complex pathology: (i) the neurodegeneration is chronic and progressive; it starts focally in specific central nervous system (CNS) areas and spreads to different districts; (ii) multiple cell types further than motor neurons (i.e., glial/immune system cells) are actively involved in the disease; (iii) both neurosupportive and neurotoxic neuroinflammatory responses were identified. Microglia cells (a key player of neuroinflammation in the CNS) attracted great interest as potential target cell population that could be modulated to counteract disease progression, at least in preclinical ALS models. However, the heterogeneous/multifaceted microglia cell responses occurring in different CNS districts during the disease represent a hurdle for clinical translation of single-drug therapies. To address this issue, over the past ten years, several studies attempted to dissect the complexity of microglia responses in ALS. In this review, we shall summarize these results highlighting how the heterogeneous signature displayed by ALS microglia reflects not only the extent of neuronal demise in different regions of the CNS, but also variable engagement in the attempts to cope with the neuronal damage. We shall discuss novel avenues opened by the advent of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics technologies, underlining the potential for discovery of novel therapeutic targets, as well as more specific diagnostic/prognostic not-invasive markers of neuroinflammation.
Collapse
|
39
|
Ashford BA, Boche D, Cooper-Knock J, Heath PR, Simpson JE, Highley JR. Review: Microglia in motor neuron disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2020; 47:179-197. [PMID: 32594542 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a fatal neurodegenerative condition, which is characterized by the selective loss of the upper and lower motor neurons. At the sites of motor neuron injury, accumulation of activated microglia, the primary immune cells of the central nervous system, is commonly observed in both human post mortem studies and animal models of MND. Microglial activation has been found to correlate with many clinical features and importantly, the speed of disease progression in humans. Both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory microglial responses have been shown to influence disease progression in humans and models of MND. As such, microglia could both contribute to and protect against inflammatory mechanisms of pathogenesis in MND. While murine models have characterized the microglial response to MND, these studies have painted a complex and often contradictory picture, indicating a need for further characterization in humans. This review examines the potential role microglia play in MND in human and animal studies. Both the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses will be addressed, throughout the course of disease, followed by the potential of microglia as a target in the development of disease-modifying treatments for MND.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - D Boche
- University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | - P R Heath
- University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Dols-Icardo O, Montal V, Sirisi S, López-Pernas G, Cervera-Carles L, Querol-Vilaseca M, Muñoz L, Belbin O, Alcolea D, Molina-Porcel L, Pegueroles J, Turón-Sans J, Blesa R, Lleó A, Fortea J, Rojas-García R, Clarimón J. Motor cortex transcriptome reveals microglial key events in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm 2020; 7:7/5/e829. [PMID: 32669313 PMCID: PMC7371375 DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000000829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Objective To identify transcriptomic changes, neuropathologic correlates, and cellular subpopulations in the motor cortex of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods We performed massive RNA sequencing of the motor cortex of patients with ALS (n = 11) and healthy controls (HCs; n = 8) and analyzed gene expression alterations, differential isoform usage, and gene coexpression networks. Furthermore, we used cell type deconvolution algorithms with human single-nucleus RNA sequencing data as reference to identify perturbations in cell type composition associated with ALS. We performed immunohistochemical techniques to evaluate neuropathologic changes in this brain region. Results We report extensive RNA expression alterations at gene and isoform levels, characterized by the enrichment of neuroinflammatory and synaptic-related pathways. The assembly of gene coexpression modules confirmed the involvement of these 2 major transcriptomic changes, which also showed opposite directions related to the disease. Cell type deconvolution revealed an overrepresentation of microglial cells in ALS compared with HC. Notably, microgliosis was driven by a subcellular population presenting a gene expression signature overlapping with the recently described disease-associated microglia (DAM). Using immunohistochemistry, we further evidenced that this microglial subpopulation is overrepresented in ALS and that the density of pTDP43 aggregates negatively correlates with the proportion of microglial cells. Conclusions DAM has a central role in microglia-related neuroinflammatory changes in the motor cortex of patients with ALS, and these alterations are coupled with a reduced expression of postsynaptic transcripts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Dols-Icardo
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Víctor Montal
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sònia Sirisi
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gema López-Pernas
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Cervera-Carles
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Querol-Vilaseca
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laia Muñoz
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olivia Belbin
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Alcolea
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Molina-Porcel
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Pegueroles
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Janina Turón-Sans
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Blesa
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alberto Lleó
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Fortea
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ricard Rojas-García
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Clarimón
- From the Memory Unit (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Neurology Department and Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) (O.D.-I., V.M., S.S., G.L.-P., L.C.-C., M.Q.-V., L.M., O.B., D.A., J.P., R.B., A.L., J.F., J.C.), Madrid; Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS (L.M.-P.), Barcelona; Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department (L.M.-P.), Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona; Network Center for Biomedical Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Madrid; and Neuromuscular Disorders Unit (J.T.-S., R.R.-G.), Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
In the ongoing process of uncovering molecular abnormalities in neurodegenerative diseases characterized by toxic protein aggregates, nucleo-cytoplasmic transport defects have an emerging role. Several pieces of evidence suggest a link between neuronal protein inclusions and nuclear pore complex (NPC) damage. These processes lead to oxidative stress, inefficient transcription, and aberrant DNA/RNA maintenance. The clinical and neuropathological spectrum of NPC defects is broad, ranging from physiological aging to a suite of neurodegenerative diseases. A better understanding of the shared pathways among these conditions may represent a significant step toward dissecting their underlying molecular mechanisms, opening the way to a real possibility of identifying common therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Bitetto
- IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Dino Ferrari Center, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessio Di Fonzo
- IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Dino Ferrari Center, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Hergesheimer RC, Chami AA, de Assis DR, Vourc'h P, Andres CR, Corcia P, Lanznaster D, Blasco H. The debated toxic role of aggregated TDP-43 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a resolution in sight? Brain 2020; 142:1176-1194. [PMID: 30938443 PMCID: PMC6487324 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transactive response DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is an RNA/DNA binding protein that forms phosphorylated and ubiquitinated aggregates in the cytoplasm of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is a hallmark of this disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative condition affecting the upper and lower motor neurons. Even though the aggregative property of TDP-43 is considered a cornerstone of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, there has been major controversy regarding the functional link between TDP-43 aggregates and cell death. In this review, we attempt to reconcile the current literature surrounding this debate by discussing the results and limitations of the published data relating TDP-43 aggregates to cytotoxicity, as well as therapeutic perspectives of TDP-43 aggregate clearance. We point out key data suggesting that the formation of TDP-43 aggregates and the capacity to self-template and propagate among cells as a 'prion-like' protein, another pathological property of TDP-43 aggregates, are a significant cause of motor neuronal death. We discuss the disparities among the various studies, particularly with respect to the type of models and the different forms of TDP-43 used to evaluate cellular toxicity. We also examine how these disparities can interfere with the interpretation of the results pertaining to a direct toxic effect of TDP-43 aggregates. Furthermore, we present perspectives for improving models in order to better uncover the toxic role of aggregated TDP-43. Finally, we review the recent studies on the enhancement of the cellular clearance mechanisms of autophagy, the ubiquitin proteasome system, and endocytosis in an attempt to counteract TDP-43 aggregation-induced toxicity. Altogether, the data available so far encourage us to suggest that the cytoplasmic aggregation of TDP-43 is key for the neurodegeneration observed in motor neurons in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The corresponding findings provide novel avenues toward early therapeutic interventions and clinical outcomes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna A Chami
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France
| | | | - Patrick Vourc'h
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France.,CHU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Tours, France
| | - Christian R Andres
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France.,CHU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Tours, France
| | - Philippe Corcia
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France.,CHU de Tours, Service de Neurologie, Tours, France
| | | | - Hélène Blasco
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France.,CHU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Tours, France
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Cheng D, Morsch M, Shami GJ, Chung RS, Braet F. Observation and characterisation of macrophages in zebrafish liver. Micron 2020; 132:102851. [PMID: 32092694 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2020.102851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Kupffer cells are liver-resident macrophages that play an important role in mediating immune-related functions in mammals and humans. They are well-known for their capacity to phagocytose large amounts of waste complexes, cell debris, microbial particles and even malignant cells. Location, appearance and functional aspects are important features used to identify these characteristic cells of the liver sinusoid. To-date, there is limited information on the occurrence of macrophages in zebrafish liver. Therefore, we aimed to characterise the ultrastructural and functional aspects of liver-associated macrophages in the zebrafish model by taking advantage of the latest advances in zebrafish genetics and multimodal correlative imaging. Herein, we report on the occurrence of macrophages within the zebrafish liver exhibiting conventional ultrastructural features (e.g. presence of pseudopodia, extensive lysosomal apparatus, a phagolysosome and making up ∼3% of the liver volume). Intriguingly, these cells were not located within the sinusoidal vascular bed of hepatic tissue but instead resided between hepatocytes and lacked phagocytic function. While our results demonstrated the presence and structural similarities with liver macrophages from other experimental models, their functional characteristics were distinctly different from Kupffer cells that have been described in rodents and humans. These findings illustrate that the innate immune system of the zebrafish liver has some distinctly different characteristics compared to other animal experimental models. This conclusion underpins our call for future studies in order to have a better understanding of the physiological role of macrophages residing between the parenchymal cells of the zebrafish liver.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Delfine Cheng
- School of Medical Sciences (Discipline of Anatomy and Histology) - The Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Marco Morsch
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Gerald J Shami
- School of Medical Sciences (Discipline of Anatomy and Histology) - The Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Roger S Chung
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Filip Braet
- School of Medical Sciences (Discipline of Anatomy and Histology) - The Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre (Cellular Imaging Facility), The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Morrice JR, Gregory-Evans CY, Shaw CA. Investigating microglia during motor neuron degeneration using a zebrafish model. Micron 2020; 133:102852. [PMID: 32203887 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2020.102852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Many different types of pathologies can arise in the central nervous system (CNS), such as neurodegeneration. The incidence of neurodegenerative diseases continues to increase, yet the pathogenesis underlying most neurodegenerative diseases, notably in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), remains elusive. Neuronal support cells, or glia, are known to play a crucial role in ALS. Microglia are the resident immune cells of the CNS and also have neurotrophic support functions. These cells have a disease-modifying function in ALS, yet this role is not well understood. A likely reason for this is that the intact CNS is particularly challenging to access for investigation in patients and in most animal models, which has impeded research in this field. The zebrafish is emerging as a robust model system to investigate cells in vivo, and offer distinct advantages over other vertebrate models for investigating neurodegenerative diseases. Live imaging in vivo is a powerful technique to characterize the role of dynamic cells such as microglia during neurodegeneration, and zebrafish provide a convenient means for live imaging. Here, we discuss the zebrafish as a model for live imaging, provide a brief overview of available high resolution imaging platforms that accommodate zebrafish, and describe our own in vivo studies on the role of microglia during motor neuron degeneration. Live in vivo imaging is anticipated to provide invaluable advancements to defining the pathogenesis underlying neurodegenerative diseases, which may in turn allow for more specifically targeted therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Morrice
- Experimental Medicine Program, University of British Columbia, 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Cheryl Y Gregory-Evans
- Experimental Medicine Program, University of British Columbia, 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Christopher A Shaw
- Experimental Medicine Program, University of British Columbia, 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Maurel C, Chami AA, Thépault RA, Marouillat S, Blasco H, Corcia P, Andres CR, Vourc'h P. A role for SUMOylation in the Formation and Cellular Localization of TDP-43 Aggregates in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 57:1361-1373. [PMID: 31728929 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01810-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, motor neurons undergoing degeneration are characterized by the presence of cytoplasmic aggregates containing TDP-43 protein. SUMOylation, a posttranslational modification of proteins, has been previously implicated in the formation of aggregates positives for SOD1, another protein enriched in a subset of ALS patients. We show in this study that TDP-43 is also a target of SUMOylation. The inhibition of the first step of the SUMOylation process by anacardic acid significantly reduces the presence of TDP-43 aggregates and improves neuritogenesis and cell viability in vitro. Interestingly, the mutation of the unique SUMOylation site on TDP-43, using site-directed mutagenesis, modifies the intracellular localization of TDP-43 aggregates. Instead of being cytoplasmic where they are associated with toxic effects, they are located inside the nucleus. This change of localization results in improvement in cell viability and in global cellular functions. Our results implicate the SUMOylation site of TDP-43 in the formation of cytoplasmic TDP-43 aggregates, a hallmark of ALS, and thus identifies this region as a new target for novel therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Maurel
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France.
| | - Anna A Chami
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France
| | | | | | - Hélène Blasco
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France.,Service de Biochimie et de Biologie Moléculaire, CHRU de Tours, 37044, Tours, France
| | - Philippe Corcia
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France.,Service de Neurologie, CHRU de Tours, 37044, Tours, France
| | - Christian R Andres
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France.,Service de Biochimie et de Biologie Moléculaire, CHRU de Tours, 37044, Tours, France
| | - Patrick Vourc'h
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France.,Service de Biochimie et de Biologie Moléculaire, CHRU de Tours, 37044, Tours, France
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Chudinova AV, Rossel M, Vergunst A, Le-Masson G, Camu W, Raoul C, Lumbroso S, Mouzat K. Theme 4 In vivo experimental models. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2019; 20:160-187. [PMID: 31702459 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2019.1646992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Background: In 90% of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) cases, the disease is sporadic, the remaining 10% being familial. Many genes have been associated with the disease. The use of next generation sequencing has allowed increasing the number of genes analysed in routine diagnostics. However, this increase raises the issue of genetic variants interpretation within a growing number of ALS-associated-genes. Variant classification is based on a combinatory analysis of multiple factors. Among them, functional analyses provide strong arguments on pathogenicity interpretation.Objectives: We developed a simple animal model, the Zebrafish, for the functional analysis of candidate variants pathogenicity identified by routine genetic testing.Methods: Transient overexpression of different ALS associated genetic variants has been performed by mRNA injection in 1-cell stage zebrafish eggs. Validation of protein overexpression has been done by western blot. Embryos mortality, developmental delay and morphological abnormalities have been assessed within the first two days of development. Cellular phenotype has been investigated by the analysis of axonal length of 2-days old larvae with confocal microscopy. Motor phenotype of 5-days old larvae has been explored by touched-evoked response assay.Results: The model has been validated by the analysis of well-described ALS mutations, SOD1-Gly93Ala and OPTN Glu478Gly. Overexpression of this mutated protein was shown to provoke a shortening of axons and a premature axonal branching, as well as an impairment of motor performances as expected. We did not observe these aberrations in SOD1-WT injected fishes. Two candidate variants observed in ALS-patients have been explored with our model: SOD1 NM_000454.4:c.400_402del, p.Glu134del and OPTN NM_021980.4:c.1475T > G, p. Leu492Arg. Overexpression of both variants induced morphological abnormalities and motor impairment, suggesting a pathogenic involvement of these variants in ALS-patients.Discussion and conclusions: We developed for the first time a simple animal model, the Zebrafish, useful for the functional analysis of variant pathogenicity in order to assist ALS molecular diagnosis. Our model has been used to assess the pathogenicity of SOD1 and OPTN candidate variants, allowing to improve genetic testing interpretation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra V Chudinova
- Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, CHU Nîmes et Université de Montpellier, Nimes, France.,INSERM UMR1051, Institut des Neurosciences de Montpellier, Hôpital Saint Eloi, Montpellier, France
| | - Mireille Rossel
- 3MMDN, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, U1198, PSL Research University, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Gwendal Le-Masson
- Department of Neurology, Nerve-Muscle Unit and Centre de Référence Des Pathologies Neuromusculaires CHU Bordeaux (Groupe Hospitalier Pellegrin), University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - William Camu
- INSERM UMR1051, Institut des Neurosciences de Montpellier, Hôpital Saint Eloi, Montpellier, France.,ALS Center, Département de Neurologie, CHU Gui de Chauliac, Montpellier, France
| | - Cédric Raoul
- INSERM UMR1051, Institut des Neurosciences de Montpellier, Hôpital Saint Eloi, Montpellier, France
| | - Serge Lumbroso
- Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, CHU Nîmes et Université de Montpellier, Nimes, France.,INSERM UMR1051, Institut des Neurosciences de Montpellier, Hôpital Saint Eloi, Montpellier, France
| | - Kevin Mouzat
- Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, CHU Nîmes et Université de Montpellier, Nimes, France.,INSERM UMR1051, Institut des Neurosciences de Montpellier, Hôpital Saint Eloi, Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abugable AA, Morris JLM, Palminha NM, Zaksauskaite R, Ray S, El-Khamisy SF. DNA repair and neurological disease: From molecular understanding to the development of diagnostics and model organisms. DNA Repair (Amst) 2019; 81:102669. [PMID: 31331820 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2019.102669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In both replicating and non-replicating cells, the maintenance of genomic stability is of utmost importance. Dividing cells can repair DNA damage during cell division, tolerate the damage by employing potentially mutagenic DNA polymerases or die via apoptosis. However, the options for accurate DNA repair are more limited in non-replicating neuronal cells. If DNA damage is left unresolved, neuronal cells die causing neurodegenerative disorders. A number of pathogenic variants of DNA repair proteins have been linked to multiple neurological diseases. The current challenge is to harness our knowledge of fundamental properties of DNA repair to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of such debilitating disorders. In this perspective, we will focus on recent efforts in identifying novel DNA repair biomarkers for the diagnosis of neurological disorders and their use in monitoring the patient response to therapy. These efforts are greatly facilitated by the development of model organisms such as zebrafish, which will also be summarised.
Collapse
|
48
|
Vogels T, Murgoci AN, Hromádka T. Intersection of pathological tau and microglia at the synapse. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:109. [PMID: 31277708 PMCID: PMC6612163 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0754-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a heterogenous class of diseases characterized by cellular accumulation of aggregated tau and include diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Tau pathology is strongly linked to neurodegeneration and clinical symptoms in tauopathy patients. Furthermore, synapse loss is an early pathological event in tauopathies and is the strongest correlate of cognitive decline. Tau pathology is additionally associated with chronic neuroinflammatory processes, such as reactive microglia, astrocytes, and increased levels of pro-inflammatory molecules (e.g. complement proteins, cytokines). Recent studies show that as the principal immune cells of the brain, microglia play a particularly important role in the initiation and progression of tau pathology and associated neurodegeneration. Furthermore, AD risk genes such as Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) and Apolipoprotein E (APOE) are enriched in the innate immune system and modulate the neuroinflammatory response of microglia to tau pathology. Microglia can play an active role in synaptic dysfunction by abnormally phagocytosing synaptic compartments of neurons with tau pathology. Furthermore, microglia are involved in synaptic spreading of tau – a process which is thought to underlie the progressive nature of tau pathology propagation through the brain. Spreading of pathological tau is also the predominant target for tau-based immunotherapy. Active tau vaccines, therapeutic tau antibodies and other approaches targeting the immune system are actively explored as treatment options for AD and other tauopathies. This review describes the role of microglia in the pathobiology of tauopathies and the mechanism of action of potential therapeutics targeting the immune system in tauopathies.
Collapse
|
49
|
Henstridge CM, Tzioras M, Paolicelli RC. Glial Contribution to Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapse Loss in Neurodegeneration. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:63. [PMID: 30863284 PMCID: PMC6399113 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapse loss is an early feature shared by many neurodegenerative diseases, and it represents the major correlate of cognitive impairment. Recent studies reveal that microglia and astrocytes play a major role in synapse elimination, contributing to network dysfunction associated with neurodegeneration. Excitatory and inhibitory activity can be affected by glia-mediated synapse loss, resulting in imbalanced synaptic transmission and subsequent synaptic dysfunction. Here, we review the recent literature on the contribution of glia to excitatory/inhibitory imbalance, in the context of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying pathological synapse loss will be instrumental to design targeted therapeutic interventions, taking in account the emerging roles of microglia and astrocytes in synapse remodeling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Henstridge
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Dementia Research Institute UK, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Makis Tzioras
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Dementia Research Institute UK, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rosa C Paolicelli
- Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Fahrenkrog B, Harel A. Perturbations in Traffic: Aberrant Nucleocytoplasmic Transport at the Heart of Neurodegeneration. Cells 2018; 7:cells7120232. [PMID: 30486313 PMCID: PMC6316434 DOI: 10.3390/cells7120232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Huntington’s disease (HD), are characterized by intracellular aggregation of proteins. In the case of ALS and FTD, these protein aggregates are found in the cytoplasm of affected neurons and contain certain RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), namely the TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) and the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene product. TDP-43 and FUS are nuclear proteins and their displacement to the cytoplasm is thought to be adverse in at least two ways: loss-of-function in the nucleus and gain-of-toxicity in the cytoplasm. In the case of HD, expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch within the N-terminal domain of the Huntingtin (HTT) protein leads to nuclear accumulation of polyQ HTT (or mHTT) and a toxic gain-of-function phenotype resulting in neurodegeneration. Numerous studies in recent years have provided evidence that defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport critically contribute to the pathology of these neurodegenerative diseases. A new mechanistic view is emerging, implicating three types of perturbations in normal cellular pathways that rely on nucleocytoplasmic transport: displacement of nuclear transport receptors and nucleoporins from nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), mislocalization and aggregation of RNA-binding proteins, and weakening of the chaperone activity of nuclear import receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Birthe Fahrenkrog
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041 Charleroi, Belgium.
| | - Amnon Harel
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|