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Qin Y, Chen L, Zhu W, Song J, Lin J, Li Y, Zhang J, Song X, Xing T, Guo T, Duan X, Zhang Y, Ruan E, Wang Q, Li B, Yang W, Yin P, Yan XX, Li S, Li XJ, Yang S. TRIM37 is a primate-specific E3 ligase for Huntingtin and accounts for the striatal degeneration in Huntington's disease. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadl2036. [PMID: 38758800 PMCID: PMC11100560 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl2036] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by preferential neuronal loss in the striatum. The mechanism underlying striatal selective neurodegeneration remains unclear, making it difficult to develop effective treatments for HD. In the brains of nonhuman primates, we examined the expression of Huntingtin (HTT), the gene responsible for HD. We found that HTT protein is highly expressed in striatal neurons due to its slow degradation in the striatum. We also identified tripartite motif-containing 37 (TRIM37) as a primate-specific protein that interacts with HTT and is selectively reduced in the primate striatum. TRIM37 promotes the ubiquitination and degradation of mutant HTT (mHTT) in vitro and modulates mHTT aggregation in mouse and monkey brains. Our findings suggest that nonhuman primates are crucial for understanding the mechanisms of human diseases such as HD and support TRIM37 as a potential therapeutic target for treating HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyang Qin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Laiqiang Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenzhen Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiahong Song
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingpan Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuwei Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiawei Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xichen Song
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Xing
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Guo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuezhi Duan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Eshu Ruan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weili Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Xin Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Su Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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2
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Iizuka Y, Katano-Toki A, Hayashi F, Fujioka J, Takahashi H, Nakamura K. Exogenous polyserine fibrils change membrane properties of phosphatidylcholine-liposome and red blood cells. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr 2024; 1866:184331. [PMID: 38718958 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2024.184331] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The causative genes for neurodegenerative polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases produce homopolymeric polyglutamine (polyQ), polyserine (polyS), polyalanine (polyA), polycysteine (polyC), and polyleucine (polyL) sequences by repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. The cytotoxicity of the intracellular polyQ and RAN products has been extensively investigated. However, little is known about the toxicity of the extracellular polyQ and RAN products on the membranes of viable cells. Because polyQ aggregates induce a deflated morphology of a model membrane, we hypothesized that extracellular polyQ and RAN products might affect the membrane properties of viable cells. In this study, we demonstrated that exogenous polyS fibrils but not polyS or polyQ non-fibril aggregates altered the thermal phase transition behavior of a model membrane composed of a phosphatidylcholine bilayer using differential scanning calorimetry. PolyS fibrils induced morphological changes in viable red blood cells (RBCs). However, both polyS and polyQ non-fibril aggregates had no effects on RBCs. These results highlight the possibility that extracellular fibrils generated from RAN products may alter the properties of neuronal cell membranes, which may contribute to changes in the brain pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaro Iizuka
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Akiko Katano-Toki
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Fumio Hayashi
- Center for Instrumental Analysis, Organization for Promotion of Research and University Industry Collaboration, Gunma University, 1-5-1, Tenjin-cho, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
| | - Jun Fujioka
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science Division I, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Takahashi
- Biophysics Laboratory, Division of Pure and Applied Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, 4-2, Aramaki, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8510, Japan.
| | - Kazuhiro Nakamura
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
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Bahat A, Itzhaki E, Weiss B, Tolmasov M, Tsoory M, Kuperman Y, Brandis A, Shurrush KA, Dikstein R. Lowering mutant huntingtin by small molecules relieves Huntington's disease symptoms and progression. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:523-546. [PMID: 38374466 PMCID: PMC10940305 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-023-00020-y] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable inherited disorder caused by a repeated expansion of glutamines in the huntingtin gene (Htt). The mutant protein causes neuronal degeneration leading to severe motor and psychological symptoms. Selective downregulation of the mutant Htt gene expression is considered the most promising therapeutic approach for HD. We report the identification of small molecule inhibitors of Spt5-Pol II, SPI-24 and SPI-77, which selectively lower mutant Htt mRNA and protein levels in HD cells. In the BACHD mouse model, their direct delivery to the striatum diminished mutant Htt levels, ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction, restored BDNF expression, and improved motor and anxiety-like phenotypes. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that these SPIs pass the blood-brain-barrier. Prolonged subcutaneous injection or oral administration to early-stage mice significantly delayed disease deterioration. SPI-24 long-term treatment had no side effects or global changes in gene expression. Thus, lowering mutant Htt levels by small molecules can be an effective therapeutic strategy for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anat Bahat
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
| | - Elad Itzhaki
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Michael Tolmasov
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life-Sciences and The Leslie & Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Michael Tsoory
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yael Kuperman
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Alexander Brandis
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Khriesto A Shurrush
- The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Rivka Dikstein
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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4
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Dubey SK, Lloyd TE, Tapadia MG. Disrupted nuclear import of cell cycle proteins in Huntington's/PolyQ disease causes neurodevelopment defects in cellular and Drosophila model. Heliyon 2024; 10:e26393. [PMID: 38434042 PMCID: PMC10906312 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26393] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene encoding an extended PolyQ tract within the Huntingtin protein (mHtt). This expansion results in selective degeneration of striatal medium spiny projection neurons in the basal ganglia. The mutation causes abnormalities during neurodevelopment in human and mouse models. Here, we report that mHtt/PolyQ aggregates inhibit the cell cycle in the Drosophila brain during development. PolyQ aggregates disrupt the nuclear pore complexes of the cells preventing the translocation of cell cycle proteins such as Cyclin E, E2F and PCNA from cytoplasm to the nucleus, thus affecting cell cycle progression. PolyQ aggregates also disrupt the nuclear pore complex and nuclear import in mHtt expressing mammalian CAD neurons. PolyQ toxicity and cell cycle defects can be restored by enhancing RanGAP-mediated nuclear import, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar Dubey
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Thomas E. Lloyd
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Madhu G. Tapadia
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
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5
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Barwell T, Seroude L. Polyglutamine disease in peripheral tissues. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:3303-3311. [PMID: 37642359 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad138] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This year is a milestone anniversary of the discovery that Huntington's disease is caused by the presence of expanded polyglutamine repeats in the huntingtin gene leading to the formation of huntingtin aggregates. 30 years have elapsed and there is still no cure and the only FDA-approved treatment to alleviate the debilitating locomotor impairments presents several adverse effects. It has long been neglected that the huntingtin gene is almost ubiquitously expressed in many tissues outside of the nervous system. Growing evidence indicates that these peripheral tissues can contribute to the symptoms of the disease. New findings in Drosophila have shown that the selective expression of mutant huntingtin in muscle or fat is sufficient to cause detrimental effects in the absence of any neurodegeneration. In addition, it was discovered that a completely different tissue distribution of Htt aggregates in Drosophila muscles is responsible for a drastic aggravation of the detrimental effects. This review examines the peripheral tissues that express huntingtin with an added focus on the nature and distribution of the aggregates, if any.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Barwell
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Laurent Seroude
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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Barwell T, Raina S, Page A, MacCharles H, Seroude L. Juvenile and adult expression of polyglutamine expanded huntingtin produce distinct aggregate distributions in Drosophila muscle. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:2656-2668. [PMID: 37369041 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
While Huntington's disease (HD) is widely recognized as a disease affecting the nervous system, much evidence has accumulated to suggest peripheral or non-neuronal tissues are affected as well. Here, we utilize the UAS/GAL4 system to express a pathogenic HD construct in the muscle of the fly and characterize the effects. We observe detrimental phenotypes such as a reduced lifespan, decreased locomotion and accumulation of protein aggregates. Strikingly, depending on the GAL4 driver used to express the construct, we saw different aggregate distributions and severity of phenotypes. These different aggregate distributions were found to be dependent on the expression level and the timing of expression. Hsp70, a well-documented suppressor of polyglutamine aggregates, was found to strongly reduce the accumulation of aggregates in the eye, but in the muscle, it did not prevent the reduction of the lifespan. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects of aggregates in the muscle are distinct from the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Barwell
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Sehaj Raina
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Austin Page
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Hayley MacCharles
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Laurent Seroude
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
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Okumura H, Kawasaki T, Nakamura K. Probing protein misfolding and dissociation with an infrared free-electron laser. Methods Enzymol 2022; 679:65-96. [PMID: 36682873 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.08.047] [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] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Misfolding is observed in the mutant proteins that are causative for neurodegenerative disorders such as polyglutamine diseases. These proteins are prone to aggregate in the cytoplasm and nucleus of cells. To reproduce cells with the aggregated proteins, gene expression system is usually applied, in which the expression construct having the mutated DNA sequence of the interest is transfected into cells. The transfected DNA is finally converted into the mutant protein, which is gradually aggregated in the cells. In addition, a simple method to prepare the cells having aggregates inside has been recently applied. Peptides were first aggregated by incubating them in water. The aggregates are spontaneously taken up by cells because aggregated proteins generally transfer between cells. Peptides with different degrees of aggregation can be made by changing the incubation times and temperatures, which enables to examine contribution of aggregation to the toxicity to the recipient cells. Moreover, such cells can be used for therapeutic researches of diseases in which aggregates are involved. In this chapter, we show methods to induce aggregation of peptides. The functional analyses of the cells with aggregates are also described. Then, experimental dissociation of the aggregates produced using this method by mid infrared free electron laser irradiation and its theoretical support by molecular dynamics simulation are introduced as the therapeutic research for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisashi Okumura
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan; Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan; Department of Structural Molecular Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Takayasu Kawasaki
- Accelerator Laboratory, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Nakamura
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
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Owada R, Kakuta Y, Yoshida K, Mitsui S, Nakamura K. Conditioned medium from BV2 microglial cells having polyleucine specifically alters startle response in mice. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18718. [PMID: 36333586 PMCID: PMC9636192 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23571-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeat-associated non-AUG translation (RAN translation) is observed in transcripts that are causative for polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases and generates proteins with mono amino acid tracts such as polyalanine (polyA), polyleucine (polyL) and polyserine (polyS) in neurons, astrocytes and microglia. We have previously shown that microglia with aggregated polyQ led to defective differentiation and degeneration of neuron-like cells. However, it has not been determined whether only microglia containing a specific RAN product, but not other RAN products, is harmful in vitro and in vivo. Here we show that polyL-incorporating microglia specifically led to altered startle response in mice. Aggregated polyA, polyS and polyL induced aberrant differentiation of microglia-like BV2 cells. Differentiated PC12 cells treated with conditioned medium (CM) of polyS- and polyL- but not polyA-incorporating microglia-like BV2 cells showed retraction of neurites and loss of branch of neurites. Injection of the polyL-CM, but not polyA-CM and polyS-CM, into the lateral ventricle lowered startle response in mice. Consistently, polyL induced the highest expression of CD68 in BV2 cells. The lowered startle response was replicated in mice given the polyL-CM in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC), the key region of startle response. Thus, endogenous RAN proteins having polyL derived from polyQ diseases-causative genes in microglia might specifically impair startle response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuji Owada
- grid.256642.10000 0000 9269 4097Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-Machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511 Japan
| | - Yohei Kakuta
- grid.256642.10000 0000 9269 4097Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa-Machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511 Japan
| | - Kosuke Yoshida
- grid.256642.10000 0000 9269 4097Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-Machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511 Japan
| | - Shinichi Mitsui
- grid.256642.10000 0000 9269 4097Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-Machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511 Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Nakamura
- grid.256642.10000 0000 9269 4097Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-Machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511 Japan
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Xu S, Li G, Ye X, Chen D, Chen Z, Xu Z, Daniele M, Tambone S, Ceccacci A, Tomei L, Ye L, Yu Y, Solbach A, Farmer SM, Stimming EF, McAllister G, Marchionini DM, Zhang S. HAP40 is a conserved central regulator of Huntingtin and a potential modulator of Huntington's disease pathogenesis. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010302. [PMID: 35853002 PMCID: PMC9295956 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Perturbation of huntingtin (HTT)'s physiological function is one postulated pathogenic factor in Huntington's disease (HD). However, little is known how HTT is regulated in vivo. In a proteomic study, we isolated a novel ~40kDa protein as a strong binding partner of Drosophila HTT and demonstrated it was the functional ortholog of HAP40, an HTT associated protein shown recently to modulate HTT's conformation but with unclear physiological and pathologic roles. We showed that in both flies and human cells, HAP40 maintained conserved physical and functional interactions with HTT. Additionally, loss of HAP40 resulted in similar phenotypes as HTT knockout. More strikingly, HAP40 strongly affected HTT's stability, as depletion of HAP40 significantly reduced the levels of endogenous HTT protein while HAP40 overexpression markedly extended its half-life. Conversely, in the absence of HTT, the majority of HAP40 protein were degraded, likely through the proteasome. Further, the affinity between HTT and HAP40 was not significantly affected by polyglutamine expansion in HTT, and contrary to an early report, there were no abnormal accumulations of endogenous HAP40 protein in HD cells from mouse HD models or human patients. Lastly, when tested in Drosophila models of HD, HAP40 partially modulated the neurodegeneration induced by full-length mutant HTT while showed no apparent effect on the toxicity of mutant HTT exon 1 fragment. Together, our study uncovers a conserved mechanism governing the stability and in vivo functions of HTT and demonstrates that HAP40 is a central and positive regulator of endogenous HTT. Further, our results support that mutant HTT is toxic regardless of the presence of its partner HAP40, and implicate HAP40 as a potential modulator of HD pathogenesis through its multiplex effect on HTT's function, stability and the potency of mutant HTT's toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Xu
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gang Li
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xin Ye
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dongsheng Chen
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Zhihua Chen
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Zhen Xu
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Moretti Daniele
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM SpA, Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Sara Tambone
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM SpA, Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Alessandra Ceccacci
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM SpA, Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Licia Tomei
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM SpA, Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Lili Ye
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yue Yu
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Programs in Genetics and Epigenetics and Neuroscience, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Amanda Solbach
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Programs in Genetics and Epigenetics and Neuroscience, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Stephen M. Farmer
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Program in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Erin Furr Stimming
- Department of Neurology, HDSA Center of Excellence, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - George McAllister
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 350 Seventh Ave, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Deanna M. Marchionini
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 350 Seventh Ave, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sheng Zhang
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Programs in Genetics and Epigenetics and Neuroscience, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
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10
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Fischer DF, Dijkstra S, Lo K, Suijker J, Correia ACP, Naud P, Poirier M, Tessari MA, Boogaard I, Flynn G, Visser M, Lamers MBAC, McAllister G, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Macdonald D. Development of mAb-based polyglutamine-dependent and polyglutamine length-independent huntingtin quantification assays with cross-site validation. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266812. [PMID: 35395060 PMCID: PMC8992994 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266812] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expansion of the CAG trinucleotide repeat domain in the huntingtin gene that results in expression of a mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) containing an expanded polyglutamine tract in the amino terminus. A number of therapeutic approaches that aim to reduce mHTT expression either locally in the CNS or systemically are in clinical development. We have previously described sensitive and selective assays that measure human HTT proteins either in a polyglutamine-independent (detecting both mutant expanded and non-expanded proteins) or in a polyglutamine length-dependent manner (detecting the disease-causing polyglutamine repeats) on the electrochemiluminescence Meso Scale Discovery detection platform. These original assays relied upon polyclonal antibodies. To ensure an accessible and sustainable resource for the HD field, we developed similar assays employing monoclonal antibodies. We demonstrate that these assays have equivalent sensitivity compared to our previous assays through the evaluation of cellular and animal model systems, as well as HD patient biosamples. We also demonstrate cross-site validation of these assays, allowing direct comparison of studies performed in geographically distinct laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F. Fischer
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Patricia Naud
- Charles River, Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - George McAllister
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden, United Kingdom
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Douglas Macdonald
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
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11
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Abstract
Repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of mRNAs/transcripts responsible for polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases may generate peptides containing different mono amino acid tracts such as polyserine (polyS) and polyleucine (polyL). The propagation of aggregated polyQ from one cell to another is also an intriguing feature of polyQ proteins. However, whether the RAN translation-related polyS and polyL have the ability to propagate remains unclear, and if they do, whether the exogenous polyS and polyL exert toxicity on the recipient cells is also not known yet. In the present study, we found that aggregated polyS and polyL peptides spontaneously enter neuron-like cells and astrocytes in vitro. Aggregated polyS led to the degeneration of the differentiated neuron-like cultured cells. Likewise, the two types of aggregates taken up by astrocytes induced aberrant differentiation and cell death in vitro. Furthermore, injection of each of the two types of aggregates into the ventricles of adult mice resulted in their behavioral changes. The polyS-injected mice showed extensive vacuolar degeneration in the brain. Thus, the RAN translation-related proteins containing polyS and polyL have the potential to propagate and the proteins generated by all polyQ diseases might exert universal toxicity in the recipient cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuji Owada
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Shinichi Mitsui
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Nakamura
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan.
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12
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Shah S, Dooms MM, Amaral-Garcia S, Igoillo-Esteve M. Current Drug Repurposing Strategies for Rare Neurodegenerative Disorders. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:768023. [PMID: 34992533 PMCID: PMC8724568 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.768023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rare diseases are life-threatening or chronically debilitating low-prevalent disorders caused by pathogenic mutations or particular environmental insults. Due to their high complexity and low frequency, important gaps still exist in their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Since new drug discovery is a very costly and time-consuming process, leading pharmaceutical companies show relatively low interest in orphan drug research and development due to the high cost of investments compared to the low market return of the product. Drug repurposing–based approaches appear then as cost- and time-saving strategies for the development of therapeutic opportunities for rare diseases. In this article, we discuss the scientific, regulatory, and economic aspects of the development of repurposed drugs for the treatment of rare neurodegenerative disorders with a particular focus on Huntington’s disease, Friedreich’s ataxia, Wolfram syndrome, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The role of academia, pharmaceutical companies, patient associations, and foundations in the identification of candidate compounds and their preclinical and clinical evaluation will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sweta Shah
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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13
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Vega OM, Cepeda C. Converging evidence in support of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as a potential therapy for Huntington's disease symptoms. Rev Neurosci 2021; 32:871-886. [PMID: 33818039 PMCID: PMC10017201 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2021-0013] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic, inexorably fatal neurodegenerative disease. Patient average survivability is up to 20 years after the onset of symptoms. Those who suffer from the disease manifest motor, cognitive, and psychiatric impairments. There is indirect evidence suggesting that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) could have alleviating effects on most of HD symptoms. These include beneficial effects against cachexia and weight loss, decrease of cognitive impairment over time, and improvement of psychiatric symptoms such as depression and irritability. Furthermore, there is a positive correlation between consumption of ω-3 PUFAs in diets and prevalence of HD, as well as direct effects on the disease via release of serotonin. Unfortunately, to date, very few studies have examined the effects of ω-3 PUFAs in HD, both on the symptoms and on disease progression. This paper reviews evidence in the literature suggesting that ω-3 PUFAs can be used in neurodegenerative disorders. This information can be extrapolated to support further research of ω-3 PUFAs and their potential use for HD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen M Vega
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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14
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Li PP, Moulick R, Feng H, Sun X, Arbez N, Jin J, Marque LO, Hedglen E, Chan HE, Ross CA, Pulst SM, Margolis RL, Woodson S, Rudnicki DD. RNA Toxicity and Perturbation of rRNA Processing in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. Mov Disord 2021; 36:2519-2529. [PMID: 34390268 PMCID: PMC8884117 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28729] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a CAG repeat in Ataxin-2 (ATXN2) gene. The mutant ATXN2 protein with a polyglutamine tract is known to be toxic and contributes to the SCA2 pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE Here, we tested the hypothesis that the mutant ATXN2 transcript with an expanded CAG repeat (expATXN2) is also toxic and contributes to SCA2 pathogenesis. METHODS The toxic effect of expATXN2 transcripts on SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cells and primary mouse cortical neurons was evaluated by caspase 3/7 activity and nuclear condensation assay, respectively. RNA immunoprecipitation assay was performed to identify RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that bind to expATXN2 RNA. Quantitative PCR was used to examine if ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing is disrupted in SCA2 and Huntington's disease (HD) human brain tissue. RESULTS expATXN2 RNA induces neuronal cell death, and aberrantly interacts with RBPs involved in RNA metabolism. One of the RBPs, transducin β-like protein 3 (TBL3), involved in rRNA processing, binds to both expATXN2 and expanded huntingtin (expHTT) RNA in vitro. rRNA processing is disrupted in both SCA2 and HD human brain tissue. CONCLUSION These findings provide the first evidence of a contributory role of expATXN2 transcripts in SCA2 pathogenesis, and further support the role of expHTT transcripts in HD pathogenesis. The disruption of rRNA processing, mediated by aberrant interaction of RBPs with expATXN2 and expHTT transcripts, suggest a point of convergence in the pathogeneses of repeat expansion diseases with potential therapeutic implications. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan P. Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Roumita Moulick
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Hongxuan Feng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Xin Sun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Jing Jin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Leonard O. Marque
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Erin Hedglen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - H.Y. Edwin Chan
- Biochemistry Program, School of Life SciencesThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Christopher A. Ross
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of NeurologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Stefan M. Pulst
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | - Russell L. Margolis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of NeurologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Sarah Woodson
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Dobrila D. Rudnicki
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
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15
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Bečanović K, Asghar M, Gadawska I, Sachdeva S, Walker D, Lazarowski ER, Franciosi S, Park KHJ, Côté HCF, Leavitt BR. Age-related mitochondrial alterations in brain and skeletal muscle of the YAC128 model of Huntington disease. NPJ Aging Mech Dis 2021; 7:26. [PMID: 34650085 PMCID: PMC8516942 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-021-00079-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction and bioenergetics failure are common pathological hallmarks in Huntington's disease (HD) and aging. In the present study, we used the YAC128 murine model of HD to examine the effects of mutant huntingtin on mitochondrial parameters related to aging in brain and skeletal muscle. We have conducted a cross-sectional natural history study of mitochondrial DNA changes in the YAC128 mouse. Here, we first show that the mitochondrial volume fraction appears to increase in the axons and dendrite regions adjacent to the striatal neuron cell bodies in old mice. Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) was used as a proxy measure for mitochondrial biogenesis and function. We observed that the mtDNAcn changes significantly with age and genotype in a tissue-specific manner. We found a positive correlation between aging and the mtDNAcn in striatum and skeletal muscle but not in cortex. Notably, the YAC128 mice had lower mtDNAcn in cortex and skeletal muscle. We further show that mtDNA deletions are present in striatal and skeletal muscle tissue in both young and aged YAC128 and WT mice. Tracking gene expression levels cross-sectionally in mice allowed us to identify contributions of age and genotype to transcriptional variance in mitochondria-related genes. These findings provide insights into the role of mitochondrial dynamics in HD pathogenesis in both brain and skeletal muscle, and suggest that mtDNAcn in skeletal muscle tissue may be a potential biomarker that should be investigated further in human HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Bečanović
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Muhammad Asghar
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.24381.3c0000 0000 9241 5705Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Izabella Gadawska
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Shiny Sachdeva
- grid.416553.00000 0000 8589 2327The James Hogg iCAPTURE Centre for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease, St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - David Walker
- grid.416553.00000 0000 8589 2327The James Hogg iCAPTURE Centre for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease, St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Eduardo. R. Lazarowski
- grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Sonia Franciosi
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Kevin H. J. Park
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada ,grid.253856.f0000 0001 2113 4110Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI USA
| | - Hélène C. F. Côté
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Blair R. Leavitt
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
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16
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Paß T, Wiesner RJ, Pla-Martín D. Selective Neuron Vulnerability in Common and Rare Diseases-Mitochondria in the Focus. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:676187. [PMID: 34295920 PMCID: PMC8290884 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.676187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is a central feature of neurodegeneration within the central and peripheral nervous system, highlighting a strong dependence on proper mitochondrial function of neurons with especially high energy consumptions. The fitness of mitochondria critically depends on preservation of distinct processes, including the maintenance of their own genome, mitochondrial dynamics, quality control, and Ca2+ handling. These processes appear to be differently affected in common neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, as well as in rare neurological disorders, including Huntington’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and peripheral neuropathies. Strikingly, particular neuron populations of different morphology and function perish in these diseases, suggesting that cell-type specific factors contribute to the vulnerability to distinct mitochondrial defects. Here we review the disruption of mitochondrial processes in common as well as in rare neurological disorders and its impact on selective neurodegeneration. Understanding discrepancies and commonalities regarding mitochondrial dysfunction as well as individual neuronal demands will help to design new targets and to make use of already established treatments in order to improve treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Paß
- Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Vegetative Physiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Rudolf J Wiesner
- Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Vegetative Physiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - David Pla-Martín
- Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Vegetative Physiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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17
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Sanchez II, Nguyen TB, England WE, Lim RG, Vu AQ, Miramontes R, Byrne LM, Markmiller S, Lau AL, Orellana I, Curtis MA, Faull RLM, Yeo GW, Fowler CD, Reidling JC, Wild EJ, Spitale RC, Thompson LM. Huntington's disease mice and human brain tissue exhibit increased G3BP1 granules and TDP43 mislocalization. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:140723. [PMID: 33945510 DOI: 10.1172/jci140723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [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: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic cellular stress associated with neurodegenerative disease can result in the persistence of stress granule (SG) structures, membraneless organelles that form in response to cellular stress. In Huntington's disease (HD), chronic expression of mutant huntingtin generates various forms of cellular stress, including activation of the unfolded protein response and oxidative stress. However, it has yet to be determined whether SGs are a feature of HD neuropathology. We examined the miRNA composition of extracellular vesicles (EVs) present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with HD and show that a subset of their target mRNAs were differentially expressed in the prefrontal cortex. Of these targets, SG components were enriched, including the SG-nucleating Ras GTPase-activating protein-binding protein 1 (G3BP1). We investigated localization and levels of G3BP1 and found a significant increase in the density of G3BP1-positive granules in the cortex and hippocampus of R6/2 transgenic mice and in the superior frontal cortex of the brains of patients with HD. Intriguingly, we also observed that the SG-associated TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP43), a nuclear RNA/DNA binding protein, was mislocalized to the cytoplasm of G3BP1 granule-positive HD cortical neurons. These findings suggest that G3BP1 SG dynamics may play a role in the pathophysiology of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ryan G Lim
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Anthony Q Vu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and.,Institute for Genomic Medicine and UCSD Stem Cell Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ricardo Miramontes
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Lauren M Byrne
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Markmiller
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and.,Institute for Genomic Medicine and UCSD Stem Cell Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Alice L Lau
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, and
| | - Iliana Orellana
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Maurice A Curtis
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, and.,Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard Lewis Maxwell Faull
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, and.,Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and.,Institute for Genomic Medicine and UCSD Stem Cell Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | | | - Jack C Reidling
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Edward J Wild
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert C Spitale
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and.,Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior.,Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, California, USA.,Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, and.,Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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18
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Abstract
Mass spectrometry (MS) is a physical technique used to identify specific chemicals and molecules by precise analysis of their mass and charge; this technology has been adapted for biological sciences applications. Investigators have used MS to identify differential expressions of proteins in Huntington’s disease (HD), to discover Huntingtin (HTT) interacting proteins and to analyze HTT proteoforms. Using systems biology and computational approaches, data from MS screens have been leveraged to find differentially expressed pathways. This review summarizes the data from most of the MS studies done in the HD field in the last 20 years and compares it to the protein data reported before the use of MS technology. The MS results validate early findings in the field such as differential expression of PDE10a and DARPP-32 and identify new changes. We offer a perspective on the MS approach in HD, particularly for identification of disease pathways, the challenges in interpreting data across different studies, and its application to protein studies moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Seeley
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Kimberly B Kegel-Gleason
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
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19
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Wells C, Brennan S, Keon M, Ooi L. The role of amyloid oligomers in neurodegenerative pathologies. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 181:582-604. [PMID: 33766600 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.03.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases are rooted in the activities of amyloid-like proteins which possess conformations that spread to healthy proteins. These include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While their clinical manifestations vary, their protein-level mechanisms are remarkably similar. Aberrant monomeric proteins undergo conformational shifts, facilitating aggregation and formation of solid fibrils. However, there is growing evidence that intermediate oligomeric stages are key drivers of neuronal toxicity. Analysis of protein dynamics is complicated by the fact that nucleation and growth of amyloid-like proteins is not a linear pathway. Feedback within this pathway results in exponential acceleration of aggregation, but activities exerted by oligomers and fibrils can alter cellular interactions and the cellular environment as a whole. The resulting cascade of effects likely contributes to the late onset and accelerating progression of amyloid-like protein disorders and the widespread effects they have on the body. In this review we explore the amyloid-like proteins associated with AD, PD, HD and ALS, as well as the common mechanisms of amyloid-like protein nucleation and aggregation. From this, we identify core elements of pathological progression which have been targeted for therapies, and which may become future therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron Wells
- GenieUs Genomics, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | | | - Matt Keon
- GenieUs Genomics, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, and Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; GenieUs Genomics, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
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20
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Abstract
The discovery in the early 1990s of the expansion of unstable simple sequence repeats as the causative mutation for a number of inherited human disorders, including Huntington’s disease (HD), opened up a new era of human genetics and provided explanations for some old problems. In particular, an inverse association between the number of repeats inherited and age at onset, and unprecedented levels of germline instability, biased toward further expansion, provided an explanation for the wide symptomatic variability and anticipation observed in HD and many of these disorders. The repeats were also revealed to be somatically unstable in a process that is expansion-biased, age-dependent and tissue-specific, features that are now increasingly recognised as contributory to the age-dependence, progressive nature and tissue specificity of the symptoms of HD, and at least some related disorders. With much of the data deriving from affected individuals, and model systems, somatic expansions have been revealed to arise in a cell division-independent manner in critical target tissues via a mechanism involving key components of the DNA mismatch repair pathway. These insights have opened new approaches to thinking about how the disease could be treated by suppressing somatic expansion and revealed novel protein targets for intervention. Exciting times lie ahead in turning these insights into novel therapies for HD and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren G Monckton
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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21
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Bozzi M, Sciandra F. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Muscle Wasting in Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218314. [PMID: 33167595 PMCID: PMC7664236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by pathogenic expansions of the triplet cytosine-adenosine-guanosine (CAG) within the Huntingtin gene. These expansions lead to a prolongation of the poly-glutamine stretch at the N-terminus of Huntingtin causing protein misfolding and aggregation. Huntingtin and its pathological variants are widely expressed, but the central nervous system is mainly affected, as proved by the wide spectrum of neurological symptoms, including behavioral anomalies, cognitive decline and motor disorders. Other hallmarks of HD are loss of body weight and muscle atrophy. This review highlights some key elements that likely provide a major contribution to muscle atrophy, namely, alteration of the transcriptional processes, mitochondrial dysfunction, which is strictly correlated to loss of energy homeostasis, inflammation, apoptosis and defects in the processes responsible for the protein quality control. The improvement of muscular symptoms has proven to slow the disease progression and extend the life span of animal models of HD, underlining the importance of a deep comprehension of the molecular mechanisms driving deterioration of muscular tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Bozzi
- Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Sezione di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”– SCITEC Sede di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesca Sciandra
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”– SCITEC Sede di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy;
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22
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Owada R, Awata S, Suzue K, Kanetaka H, Kakuta Y, Nakamura K. Polyglutamine-containing microglia leads to disturbed differentiation and neurite retraction of neuron-like cells. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04851. [PMID: 32954034 PMCID: PMC7486442 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Expanded polyglutamine-containing proteins in neurons intrinsically contributes to neuronal dysfunctions and neuronal cell death in polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. In addition, an expanded polyQ-containing protein in microglia also leads to apoptosis of neurons. However, detailed morphological analysis of neurons exposed to conditioned medium (CM) derived from polyQ-containing microglia has not been essentially carried out. Here, we introduced aggregated peptide with 69 glutamine repeat (69Q) into BV2 microglial cells. The 69Q-containing BV2 cells showed shorter branches. The CM from 69Q-containing microglia (69Q-CM) induced neurite retraction and fewer number of branch point of neurites of differentiated PC12 cells. Likewise, the 69Q-CM induces disturbed differentiation of PC12 cells with shorter total length of neurites and fewer number of branch point of neurites. Thus, the factor(s) released from polyQ-containing microglia affect both differentiation and degeneration of neuron-like cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuji Owada
- Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Saaya Awata
- Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Kazutomo Suzue
- Department of Parasitology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Kanetaka
- Laison Center for Innovative Dentistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yohei Kakuta
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Corresponding author.
| | - Kazuhiro Nakamura
- Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Corresponding author.
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23
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Petkau TL, Hill A, Connolly C, Lu G, Wagner P, Kosior N, Blanco J, Leavitt BR. Mutant huntingtin expression in microglia is neither required nor sufficient to cause the Huntington's disease-like phenotype in BACHD mice. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:1661-1670. [PMID: 30624705 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene and is characterized by early and selective striatal neurodegeneration. The huntingtin (HTT) protein is ubiquitously expressed in many tissues and the cellular pathogenesis of the disease is not fully understood. Immune cell dysfunction due to mutant HTT (mHTT) expression and aberrant immune system activation in HD patients suggests that inflammatory processes may contribute to HD pathogenesis. Here we used the BACHD mouse model of HD, which carries a conditional transgene expressing full-length human mHTT, to selectively deplete mHTT expression in myeloid lineage cells, including microglia, and evaluated the effects on HD-related behavior and neuropathology. In the converse experiment, we depleted mHTT expression in the majority of cells in the brain but specifically excluding microglia and again evaluated behavior and neuropathology. In mice with myeloid-specific mHTT-depletion, we observed no significant rescue of any behavioral or neuropathological outcome measures, while neural-specific knockout mice showed significant rescue of body weight, rotarod performance and striatal volume. We conclude that mHTT expression in microglia, though clearly affecting specific aspects of microglia function, does not alter disease pathogenesis in the BACHD mouse model. This may have implications for current or future therapeutic trials testing immune-modulating drugs in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terri L Petkau
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Austin Hill
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Colúm Connolly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ge Lu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Pam Wagner
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Natalia Kosior
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jake Blanco
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, and Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia Hospital, Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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24
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Fox LM, Kim K, Johnson CW, Chen S, Croce KR, Victor MB, Eenjes E, Bosco JR, Randolph LK, Dragatsis I, Dragich JM, Yoo AS, Yamamoto A. Huntington's Disease Pathogenesis Is Modified In Vivo by Alfy/Wdfy3 and Selective Macroautophagy. Neuron 2019; 105:813-821.e6. [PMID: 31899071 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [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: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite being an autosomal dominant disorder caused by a known coding mutation in the gene HTT, Huntington's disease (HD) patients with similar trinucleotide repeat mutations can have an age of onset that varies by decades. One likely contributing factor is the genetic heterogeneity of patients that might modify their vulnerability to disease. We report that although the heterozygous depletion of the autophagy adaptor protein Alfy/Wdfy3 has no consequence in control mice, it significantly accelerates age of onset and progression of HD pathogenesis. Alfy is required in the adult brain for the autophagy-dependent clearance of proteinaceous deposits, and its depletion in mice and neurons derived from patient fibroblasts accelerates the aberrant accumulation of this pathological hallmark shared across adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases. These findings indicate that selectively compromising the ability to eliminate aggregated proteins is a pathogenic driver, and the selective elimination of aggregates may confer disease resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leora M Fox
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kiryung Kim
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Shawei Chen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Katherine R Croce
- Graduate Program in Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matheus B Victor
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Evelien Eenjes
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joan R Bosco
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lisa K Randolph
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Andrew S Yoo
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ai Yamamoto
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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25
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Morozko EL, Ochaba J, Hernandez SJ, Lau A, Sanchez I, Orellana I, Kopan L, Crapser J, Duong JH, Overman J, Yeung S, Steffan JS, Reidling J, Thompson LM. Longitudinal Biochemical Assay Analysis of Mutant Huntingtin Exon 1 Protein in R6/2 Mice. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:321-335. [PMID: 30452420 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-180329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biochemical analysis of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) aggregation species in HD mice is a common measure to track disease. A longitudinal and systematic study of how tissue processing affects detection of conformers has not yet been reported. Understanding the homeostatic flux of mHTT over time and under different processing conditions would aid in interpretation of pre-clinical assessments of disease interventions. OBJECTIVE Provide a systematic evaluation of tissue lysis methods and molecular and biochemical assays in parallel with behavioral readouts in R6/2 mice to establish a baseline for HTT exon1 protein accumulation. METHODS Established biochemical methods were used to process tissue from R6/2 mice of specific ages following behavior tasks. Aggregation states and accumulation of mHTT exon 1 protein were evaluated using multiple break and assay methods to determine potential conformational flux assay specificity in detection of mHTT species, and tissue specificity of conformers. RESULTS Detection of mHTT exon 1 protein species varied based on biochemical processing and analysis providing a baseline for subsequent studies in R6/2 mice. Insoluble, high molecular weight species of mHTT exon 1 protein increased and tracked with onset of behavioral impairments in R6/2 mice using multiple assay methods. CONCLUSIONS Conformational flux from soluble monomer to high molecular weight, insoluble species of mHTT exon 1 protein was generally consistent for multiple assay methods throughout R6/2 disease progression; however, the results support the use of multiple biochemical techniques to detect mHTT exon 1 protein species for preclinical assessments in HD mouse models expressing mHTT exon 1 protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva L Morozko
- University of California, Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Ochaba
- University of California, Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA.,University of California, Irvine, Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Sarah J Hernandez
- University of California, Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alice Lau
- University of California, Irvine, Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Isabella Sanchez
- University of California, Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Iliana Orellana
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lexi Kopan
- University of California, Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Crapser
- University of California, Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Janet H Duong
- University of California, Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Julia Overman
- University of California, Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Silvia Yeung
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Joan S Steffan
- University of California, Irvine, Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jack Reidling
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- University of California, Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA.,University of California, Irvine, Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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26
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Child DD, Lee JH, Pascua CJ, Chen YH, Mas Monteys A, Davidson BL. Cardiac mTORC1 Dysregulation Impacts Stress Adaptation and Survival in Huntington's Disease. Cell Rep 2019; 23:1020-1033. [PMID: 29694882 PMCID: PMC5967646 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurological disorder caused by CAG-repeat expansion in exon 1 of Huntingtin (HTT). But in addition to the neurological disease, mutant HTT (mHTT), which is ubiquitously expressed, impairs other organ systems. Indeed, epidemiological and animal model studies suggest higher incidence of and mortality from heart disease in HD. Here, we show that the protein complex mTORC1 is dysregulated in two HD mouse models through a mechanism that requires intrinsic mHTT expression. Moreover, restoring cardiac mTORC1 activity with constitutively active Rheb prevents mortality and relieves the mHTT-induced block to hypertrophic adaptation to cardiac stress. Finally, we show that chronic mTORC1 dysregulation is due in part to mislocalization of endogenous Rheb. These data provide insight into the increased cardiac-related mortality of HD patients, with cardiac mHTT expression inhibiting mTORC1 activity, limiting heart growth, and decreasing the heart’s ability to compensate to chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Child
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Perelman School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John H Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christine J Pascua
- Division of Cardiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yong Hong Chen
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alejandro Mas Monteys
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Beverly L Davidson
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Perelman School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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27
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Rodinova M, Krizova J, Stufkova H, Bohuslavova B, Askeland G, Dosoudilova Z, Juhas S, Juhasova J, Ellederova Z, Zeman J, Eide L, Motlik J, Hansikova H. Deterioration of mitochondrial bioenergetics and ultrastructure impairment in skeletal muscle of a transgenic minipig model in the early stages of Huntington's disease. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm.038737. [PMID: 31278192 PMCID: PMC6679385 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.038737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle wasting and atrophy is one of the more severe clinical impairments resulting from the progression of Huntington's disease (HD). Mitochondrial dysfunction may play a significant role in the etiology of HD, but the specific condition of mitochondria in muscle has not been widely studied during the development of HD. To determine the role of mitochondria in skeletal muscle during the early stages of HD, we analyzed quadriceps femoris muscle from 24-, 36-, 48- and 66-month-old transgenic minipigs that expressed the N-terminal portion of mutated human huntingtin protein (TgHD) and age-matched wild-type (WT) siblings. We found altered ultrastructure of TgHD muscle tissue and mitochondria. There was also significant reduction of activity of citrate synthase and respiratory chain complexes (RCCs) I, II and IV, decreased quantity of oligomycin-sensitivity conferring protein (OSCP) and the E2 subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDHE2), and differential expression of optic atrophy 1 protein (OPA1) and dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) in the skeletal muscle of TgHD minipigs. Statistical analysis identified several parameters that were dependent only on HD status and could therefore be used as potential biomarkers of disease progression. In particular, the reduction of biomarker RCCII subunit SDH30 quantity suggests that similar pathogenic mechanisms underlie disease progression in TgHD minipigs and HD patients. The perturbed biochemical phenotype was detectable in TgHD minipigs prior to the development of ultrastructural changes and locomotor impairment, which become evident at the age of 48 months. Mitochondrial disturbances may contribute to energetic depression in skeletal muscle in HD, which is in concordance with the mobility problems observed in this model.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Rodinova
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 12108 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Krizova
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 12108 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Stufkova
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 12108 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Bozena Bohuslavova
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Cell Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics AS CR, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Georgina Askeland
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Zaneta Dosoudilova
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 12108 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Stefan Juhas
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Cell Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics AS CR, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Juhasova
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Cell Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics AS CR, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenka Ellederova
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Cell Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics AS CR, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Zeman
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 12108 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Lars Eide
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan Motlik
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Cell Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics AS CR, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Hansikova
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 12108 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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28
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Rodriguez CM, Todd PK. New pathologic mechanisms in nucleotide repeat expansion disorders. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 130:104515. [PMID: 31229686 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Tandem microsatellite repeats are common throughout the human genome and intrinsically unstable, exhibiting expansions and contractions both somatically and across generations. Instability in a small subset of these repeats are currently linked to human disease, although recent findings suggest more disease-causing repeats await discovery. These nucleotide repeat expansion disorders (NREDs) primarily affect the nervous system and commonly lead to neurodegeneration through toxic protein gain-of-function, protein loss-of-function, and toxic RNA gain-of-function mechanisms. However, the lines between these categories have blurred with recent findings of unconventional Repeat Associated Non-AUG (RAN) translation from putatively non-coding regions of the genome. Here we review two emerging topics in NREDs: 1) The mechanisms by which RAN translation occurs and its role in disease pathogenesis and 2) How nucleotide repeats as RNA and translated proteins influence liquid-liquid phase separation, membraneless organelle dynamics, and nucleocytoplasmic transport. We examine these topics with a particular eye on two repeats: the CGG repeat expansion responsible for Fragile X syndrome and Fragile X-associated Tremor Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS) and the intronic GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9orf72, the most common inherited cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Our thesis is that these emerging disease mechanisms can inform a broader understanding of the native roles of microsatellites in cellular function and that aberrations in these native processes provide clues to novel therapeutic strategies for these currently untreatable disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Rodriguez
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - P K Todd
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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29
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Soragni E, Petrosyan L, Rinkoski TA, Wieben ED, Baratz KH, Fautsch MP, Gottesfeld JM. Repeat-Associated Non-ATG (RAN) Translation in Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 59:1888-1896. [PMID: 29677349 PMCID: PMC5886103 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-23265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [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] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The strongest genetic association with Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is the presence of an intronic (CTG·CAG)n trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansion in the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene. Repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation, an unconventional protein translation mechanism that does not require an initiating ATG, has been described in many TNR expansion diseases, including myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Given the similarities between DM1 and FECD, we wished to determine whether RAN translation occurs in FECD. Methods Antibodies against peptides in the C-terminus of putative RAN translation products from TCF4 were raised and validated by Western blotting and immunofluorescence (IF). CTG·CAG repeats of various lengths in the context of the TCF4 gene were cloned in frame with a 3× FLAG tag and transfected in human cells. IF with antipeptide and anti-FLAG antibodies, as well as cytotoxicity and cell proliferation assays, were performed in these transfected cells. Corneal endothelium derived from patients with FECD was probed with validated antibodies by IF. Results CTG·CAG repeats in the context of the TCF4 gene are transcribed and translated via non-ATG initiation in transfected cells and confer toxicity to an immortalized corneal endothelial cell line. An antipeptide antibody raised against the C-terminus of the TCF4 poly-cysteine frame recognized RAN translation products by IF in cells transfected with CTG·CAG repeats and in FECD corneal endothelium. Conclusions Expanded CTG·CAG repeats in the context of the third intron of TCF4 are transcribed and translated via non-ATG initiation, providing evidence for RAN translation in corneal endothelium of patients with FECD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Soragni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Lina Petrosyan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Tommy A Rinkoski
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
| | - Eric D Wieben
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
| | - Keith H Baratz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
| | - Michael P Fautsch
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
| | - Joel M Gottesfeld
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States
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30
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Wells C, Brennan SE, Keon M, Saksena NK. Prionoid Proteins in the Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:271. [PMID: 31780895 PMCID: PMC6861308 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [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: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of evidence that prionoid protein behaviors are a core element of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) that afflict humans. Common elements in pathogenesis, pathological effects and protein-level behaviors exist between Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Huntington's Disease (HD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These extend beyond the affected neurons to glial cells and processes. This results in a complicated system of disease progression, which often takes advantage of protective processes to promote the propagation of pathological protein aggregates. This review article provides a current snapshot of knowledge on these proteins and their intrinsic role in the pathogenesis and disease progression seen across NDs.
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31
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Morozova KN, Suldina LA, Malankhanova TB, Grigor’eva EV, Zakian SM, Kiseleva E, Malakhova AA. Introducing an expanded CAG tract into the huntingtin gene causes a wide spectrum of ultrastructural defects in cultured human cells. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204735. [PMID: 30332437 PMCID: PMC6192588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Modeling of neurodegenerative diseases in vitro holds great promise for biomedical research. Human cell lines harboring a mutations in disease-causing genes are thought to recapitulate early stages of the development an inherited disease. Modern genome-editing tools allow researchers to create isogenic cell clones with an identical genetic background providing an adequate "healthy" control for biomedical and pharmacological experiments. Here, we generated isogenic mutant cell clones with 150 CAG repeats in the first exon of the huntingtin (HTT) gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and performed ultrastructural and morphometric analyses of the internal organization of the mutant cells. Electron microscopy showed that deletion of three CAG triplets or an HTT gene knockout had no significant influence on the cell structure. The insertion of 150 CAG repeats led to substantial changes in quantitative and morphological parameters of mitochondria and increased the association of mitochondria with the smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum while causing accumulation of small autolysosomes in the cytoplasm. Our data indicate for the first time that expansion of the CAG repeat tract in HTT introduced via the CRISPR/Cas9 technology into a human cell line initiates numerous ultrastructural defects that are typical for Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenia N. Morozova
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Lyubov A. Suldina
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Tuyana B. Malankhanova
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
- E.Meshalkin National Medical Research Center of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena V. Grigor’eva
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
- E.Meshalkin National Medical Research Center of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Suren M. Zakian
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
- E.Meshalkin National Medical Research Center of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena Kiseleva
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anastasia A. Malakhova
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
- E.Meshalkin National Medical Research Center of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Costa de Miranda R, Di Lorenzo N, Andreoli A, Romano L, De Santis GL, Gualtieri P, De Lorenzo A. Body composition and bone mineral density in Huntington's disease. Nutrition 2018; 59:145-149. [PMID: 30468934 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Understanding the body composition (BC) of patients with Huntington's disease (HD) could help to delay disease progression and improve treatment efficacy. The aim of this study was to assess BC parameters, including bone mineral density (BMD), and to find new biomarkers that can be early indicators for weight loss in patients with HD. METHODS Twenty-one age- and sex-matched patients with HD and 29 healthy controls (CT) were enrolled. For each patient, body weight (BW), height, and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated. BC and BMD were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Subsamples were created according to sex and percent fat mass (FM) (obese and nonobese). All analyses were carried out using SPSS version 23. RESULTS In all comparisons, BMD and T-score were lower in the HD group, but were not correlated with lean body mass (LBM) or FM. In the HD group, LBM and truncal fat were mostly reduced, except in women with HD whose BC appeared to be less affected by the disease than men. Furthermore, LBM (r = 0.80) and truncal fat (r = 0.68) were better correlated with BW than BMI (r = 0.56). CONCLUSION Complete BC assessment can be crucial for preventive interventions and prognosis definition in patients with HD. New biomarkers such as BMD, LBM, and truncal fat can be early indicators of weight loss in patients with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Costa de Miranda
- PhD School of Applied Medical-Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Nicola Di Lorenzo
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Tor Vergata, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Andreoli
- Department of System Medicine, Human Physiology and Nutrition Unit, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Romano
- Specialisation School of Food Science, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Gemma Lou De Santis
- Specialisation School of Food Science, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Gualtieri
- PhD School of Applied Medical-Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino De Lorenzo
- Section of Clinical Nutrition and Nutrigenomic, Department of Biomedicine and prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Casa di Cura Madonna dello Scoglio, Cotronei, Italy.
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Blum D, Chern Y, Domenici MR, Buée L, Lin CY, Rea W, Ferré S, Popoli P. The Role of Adenosine Tone and Adenosine Receptors in Huntington's Disease. J Caffeine Adenosine Res 2018; 8:43-58. [PMID: 30023989 PMCID: PMC6049521 DOI: 10.1089/caff.2018.0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the IT15 gene that encodes for the huntingtin protein. Mutated hungtingtin, although widely expressed in the brain, predominantly affects striato-pallidal neurons, particularly enriched with adenosine A2A receptors (A2AR), suggesting a possible involvement of adenosine and A2AR is the pathogenesis of HD. In fact, polymorphic variation in the ADORA2A gene influences the age at onset in HD, and A2AR dynamics is altered by mutated huntingtin. Basal levels of adenosine and adenosine receptors are involved in many processes critical for neuronal function and homeostasis, including modulation of synaptic activity and excitotoxicity, the control of neurotrophin levels and functions, and the regulation of protein degradation mechanisms. In the present review, we critically analyze the current literature involving the effect of altered adenosine tone and adenosine receptors in HD and discuss why therapeutics that modulate the adenosine system may represent a novel approach for the treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Blum
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc, LabEx DISTALZ, Lille, France
| | - Yijuang Chern
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Maria Rosaria Domenici
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Luc Buée
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc, LabEx DISTALZ, Lille, France
| | - Chien-Yu Lin
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - William Rea
- Integrative Neurobiology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sergi Ferré
- Integrative Neurobiology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Patrizia Popoli
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Park M, Min B, Jeon K, Cho S, Park JS, Kim J, Jeon J, Song J, Kim S, Jeong S, Seo H, Kang YK. Age-associated chromatin relaxation is enhanced in Huntington's disease mice. Aging (Albany NY) 2017; 9:803-822. [PMID: 28288000 PMCID: PMC5391233 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Expansion of polyglutamine stretch in the huntingtin (HTT) protein is a major cause of Huntington's disease (HD). The polyglutamine part in HTT interacts with various proteins implicated in epigenetic regulation of genes, suggesting that mutant HTT may disturb the integrity of the epigenetic system. Here, we used a PCRseq-based method to examine expression profile of 395 exonic segments from 260 “epi-driver” genes in splenic T lymphocytes from aged HD mice. We identified 67 exonic segments differentially expressed between young and aged HD mice, most of them upregulated in the aged. Polycomb-repressive complex (PRC)-regulated genes (PRGs) were markedly upregulated in aged HD mice, consistent with downregulation of PRC genes. Epi-driver gene categories of lysine-methylation, lysine-demethylation, arginine-methylation, and PRG showed differential age-associated changes between HD and control. Analyzing the pattern of change in epi-driver gene expressions hinted at an enhanced shift in HD chromatin to a more accessible state with age, which was experimentally demonstrated by DNase-I-hypersensitivity sequencing showing increased chromatin accessibility in HD cells compared to control. We suggest the global change can potentially relieve chromatin-induced repression of many genes, and the unintended expressions of some detrimental proteins could alter T cell function to a greater degree in aged HD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myungsun Park
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, KRIBB, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea
| | - Byungkuk Min
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, KRIBB, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea
| | - Kyuheum Jeon
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, KRIBB, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, University of Science and Technology (UST), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea
| | - Sunwha Cho
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, KRIBB, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea
| | - Jung Sun Park
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, KRIBB, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.,Aging Research Institute, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea
| | - Jisun Kim
- Department of Molecular and Life Sciences, Hanyang University, Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, 15588, South Korea
| | - Jeha Jeon
- Department of Molecular and Life Sciences, Hanyang University, Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, 15588, South Korea
| | - Jinhoi Song
- Aging Research Institute, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea
| | - Seokho Kim
- Aging Research Institute, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea
| | - Sangkyun Jeong
- Mibyeong Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-811, South Korea
| | - Hyemyung Seo
- Department of Molecular and Life Sciences, Hanyang University, Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, 15588, South Korea
| | - Yong-Kook Kang
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, KRIBB, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.,Aging Research Institute, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, University of Science and Technology (UST), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea
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Choi KA, Choi Y, Hong S. Stem cell transplantation for Huntington's diseases. Methods. 2018;133:104-112. [PMID: 28867501 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic approaches based on stem cells have received considerable attention as potential treatments for Huntington's disease (HD), which is a fatal, inherited neurodegenerative disorder, caused by progressive loss of GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum of the forebrain. Transplantation of stem cells or their derivatives in animal models of HD, efficiently improved functions by replacing the damaged or lost neurons. In particular, neural stem cells (NSCs) for HD treatments have been developed from various sources, such as the brain itself, the pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), and the somatic cells of the HD patients. However, the brain-derived NSCs are difficult to obtain, and the PSCs have to be differentiated into a population of the desired neuronal cells that may cause a risk of tumor formation after transplantation. In contrast, induced NSCs, derived from somatic cells as a new stem cell source for transplantation, are less likely to form tumors. Given that the stem cell transplantation strategy for treatment of HD, as a genetic disease, is to replace the dysfunctional or lost neurons, the correction of mutant genes containing the expanded CAG repeats is essential. In this review, we will describe the methods for obtaining the optimal NSCs for transplantation-based HD treatment and the differentiation conditions for the functional GABAergic MSNs as therapeutic cells. Also, we will discuss the valuable gene correction of the disease stem cells by the CRISPR/Cas9 system for HD treatment.
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Trajkovic K, Jeong H, Krainc D. Mutant Huntingtin Is Secreted via a Late Endosomal/Lysosomal Unconventional Secretory Pathway. J Neurosci 2017; 37:9000-12. [PMID: 28821645 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0118-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a CAG triplet in the gene encoding for huntingtin (Htt). The resulting mutant protein (mHtt) with extended polyglutamine (polyQ) sequence at the N terminus leads to neuronal degeneration both in a cell-autonomous and a non-cell-autonomous manner. Recent studies identified mHtt in the extracellular environment and suggested that its spreading contributes to toxicity, but the mechanism of mHtt release from the cell of origin remains unknown. In this study, we performed a comprehensive, unbiased analysis of secretory pathways and identified an unconventional lysosomal pathway as an important mechanism for mHtt secretion in mouse neuroblastoma and striatal cell lines, as well as in primary neurons. mHtt secretion was dependent on synaptotagmin 7, a regulator of lysosomal secretion, and inhibited by chemical ablation of late endosomes/lysosomes, suggesting a lysosomal secretory pattern. mHtt was targeted preferentially to the late endosomes/lysosomes compared with wild-type Htt. Importantly, we found that late endosomal/lysosomal targeting and secretion of mHtt could be inhibited efficiently by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and neutral sphingomyelinase chemical inhibitors, Ly294002 and GW4869, respectively. Together, our data suggest a lysosomal mechanism of mHtt secretion and offer potential strategies for pharmacological modulation of its neuronal secretion.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This is the first study examining the mechanism of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) secretion in an unbiased manner. We found that the protein is secreted via a late endosomal/lysosomal unconventional secretory pathway. Moreover, mHtt secretion can be reduced significantly by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and neutral sphingomyelinase inhibitors. Understanding and manipulating the secretion of mHtt is important because of its potentially harmful propagation in the brain.
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Morigaki R, Goto S. Striatal Vulnerability in Huntington's Disease: Neuroprotection Versus Neurotoxicity. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7060063. [PMID: 28590448 PMCID: PMC5483636 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7060063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat encoding an abnormally long polyglutamine tract (PolyQ) in the huntingtin (Htt) protein. In HD, striking neuropathological changes occur in the striatum, including loss of medium spiny neurons and parvalbumin-expressing interneurons accompanied by neurodegeneration of the striosome and matrix compartments, leading to progressive impairment of reasoning, walking and speaking abilities. The precise cause of striatal pathology in HD is still unknown; however, accumulating clinical and experimental evidence suggests multiple plausible pathophysiological mechanisms underlying striatal neurodegeneration in HD. Here, we review and discuss the characteristic neurodegenerative patterns observed in the striatum of HD patients and consider the role of various huntingtin-related and striatum-enriched proteins in neurotoxicity and neuroprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoma Morigaki
- Parkinson's Disease and Dystonia Research Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disorders Research, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Goto
- Parkinson's Disease and Dystonia Research Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disorders Research, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
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Shin A, Shin B, Shin JW, Kim KH, Atwal RS, Hope JM, Gillis T, Leszyk JD, Shaffer SA, Lee R, Kwak S, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF, Seong IS, Lee JM. Novel allele-specific quantification methods reveal no effects of adult onset CAG repeats on HTT mRNA and protein levels. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:1258-1267. [PMID: 28165127 PMCID: PMC6075029 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) reflects dominant consequences of a CAG repeat expansion mutation in HTT. Expanded CAG repeat size is the primary determinant of age at onset and age at death in HD. Although HD pathogenesis is driven by the expanded CAG repeat, whether the mutation influences the expression levels of mRNA and protein from the disease allele is not clear due to the lack of sensitive allele-specific quantification methods and the presence of confounding factors. To determine the impact of CAG expansion at the molecular level, we have developed novel allele-specific HTT mRNA and protein quantification methods based on principles of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and targeted MS/MS parallel reaction monitoring, respectively. These assays, exhibiting high levels of specificity and sensitivity, were designed to distinguish allelic products based upon expressed polymorphic variants in HTT, including rs149 109 767. To control for other cis-haplotype variations, we applied allele-specific quantification assays to a panel of HD lymphoblastoid cell lines, each carrying the major European disease haplotype (i.e. hap.01) on the mutant chromosome. We found that steady state levels of HTT mRNA and protein were not associated with expanded CAG repeat length. Rather, the products of mutant and normal alleles, both mRNA and protein, were balanced, thereby arguing that a cis-regulatory effect of the expanded CAG repeat is not a critical component of the underlying mechanism of HD. These robust allele-specific assays could prove valuable for monitoring the impact of allele-specific gene silencing strategies currently being explored as therapeutic interventions in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aram Shin
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Baehyun Shin
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jun Wan Shin
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kyung-Hee Kim
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ranjit S. Atwal
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Hope
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Tammy Gillis
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - John D. Leszyk
- Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Scott A. Shaffer
- Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Ramee Lee
- CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Seung Kwak
- CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Marcy E. MacDonald
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - James F. Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ihn Sik Seong
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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Hensman Moss DJ, Flower MD, Lo KK, Miller JRC, van Ommen GJB, ’t Hoen PAC, Stone TC, Guinee A, Langbehn DR, Jones L, Plagnol V, van Roon-Mom WMC, Holmans P, Tabrizi SJ. Huntington's disease blood and brain show a common gene expression pattern and share an immune signature with Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44849. [PMID: 28322270 PMCID: PMC5359597 DOI: 10.1038/srep44849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
There is widespread transcriptional dysregulation in Huntington's disease (HD) brain, but analysis is inevitably limited by advanced disease and postmortem changes. However, mutant HTT is ubiquitously expressed and acts systemically, meaning blood, which is readily available and contains cells that are dysfunctional in HD, could act as a surrogate for brain tissue. We conducted an RNA-Seq transcriptomic analysis using whole blood from two HD cohorts, and performed gene set enrichment analysis using public databases and weighted correlation network analysis modules from HD and control brain datasets. We identified dysregulated gene sets in blood that replicated in the independent cohorts, correlated with disease severity, corresponded to the most significantly dysregulated modules in the HD caudate, the most prominently affected brain region, and significantly overlapped with the transcriptional signature of HD myeloid cells. High-throughput sequencing technologies and use of gene sets likely surmounted the limitations of previously inconsistent HD blood expression studies. Our results suggest transcription is disrupted in peripheral cells in HD through mechanisms that parallel those in brain. Immune upregulation in HD overlapped with Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a common pathogenic mechanism involving macrophage phagocytosis and microglial synaptic pruning, and raises the potential for shared therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davina J. Hensman Moss
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Michael D. Flower
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Kitty K. Lo
- University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - James R. C. Miller
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Gert-Jan B. van Ommen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Postzone S-4-P, The Netherlands
| | - Peter A. C. ’t Hoen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Postzone S-4-P, The Netherlands
| | - Timothy C. Stone
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Amelia Guinee
- Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, CB2 8PQ, Cambridge UK
| | - Douglas R. Langbehn
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biostatistics, University of Iowa, IA 52242, USA
| | - Lesley Jones
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Vincent Plagnol
- University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Peter Holmans
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Sarah J. Tabrizi
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1B 5EH, UK
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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive, monogenic dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by repeat expansion mutation in the huntingtin gene. The accumulation of mutant huntingtin protein, forming intranuclear inclusions, subsequently leads to degeneration of medium spiny neurons in the striatum and cortical areas. Genetic testing can identify HD gene carriers before individuals develop overt cognitive, psychiatric, and chorea symptoms. Thus, HD gene carriers can be studied in premanifest stages to understand and track the evolution of HD pathology. While advances have been made, the precise pathophysiological mechanisms underlying HD are unclear. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) have been employed to understand HD pathology in presymptomatic and symptomatic disease stages. PET imaging uses radioactive tracers to detect specific changes, at a molecular level, which could be used as markers of HD progression and to monitor response to therapeutic treatments for HD gene expansion carriers (HDGECs). This review focuses on available PET techniques, employed in cross-sectional and longitudinal human studies, as biomarkers for HD, and highlights future potential PET targets. PET studies have assessed changes in postsynaptic dopaminergic receptors, brain metabolism, microglial activation, and recently phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) as markers to track HD progression. Alterations in PDE10A expression are the earliest biochemical change identified in HD gene carriers up to 43 years before predicted symptomatic onset. Thus, PDE10A expression could be a promising marker to track HD progression from early premanifest disease stages. Other PET targets which have been less well investigated as biomarkers include cannabinoid, adenosine, and GABA receptors. Future longitudinal studies are required to fully validate these PET biomarkers for use to track disease progression from far-onset premanifest to manifest HD stages. PET imaging is a crucial neuroimaging tool, with the potential to detect early changes and validate sensitivity of biomarkers for tracking HD pathology. Moreover, continued development of novel PET tracers provides exciting opportunities to investigate new molecular targets, such as histamine and serotonin receptors, to further understand the mechanisms underlying HD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Wilson
- Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London , London , UK
| | - Rosa De Micco
- Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London , London , UK
| | - Flavia Niccolini
- Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London , London , UK
| | - Marios Politis
- Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London , London , UK
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Wright DJ, Renoir T, Gray LJ, Hannan AJ. Huntington’s Disease: Pathogenic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets. Advances in Neurobiology 2017; 15:93-128. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-57193-5_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Hering T, Braubach P, Landwehrmeyer GB, Lindenberg KS, Melzer W. Fast-to-Slow Transition of Skeletal Muscle Contractile Function and Corresponding Changes in Myosin Heavy and Light Chain Formation in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166106. [PMID: 27820862 PMCID: PMC5098792 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [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: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington´s disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease resulting from an expanded polyglutamine sequence (poly-Q) in the protein huntingtin (HTT). Various studies report atrophy and metabolic pathology of skeletal muscle in HD and suggest as part of the process a fast-to-slow fiber type transition that may be caused by the pathological changes in central motor control or/and by mutant HTT in the muscle tissue itself. To investigate muscle pathology in HD, we used R6/2 mice, a common animal model for a rapidly progressing variant of the disease expressing exon 1 of the mutant human gene. We investigated alterations in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL), a typical fast-twitch muscle, and the soleus (SOL), a slow-twitch muscle. We focussed on mechanographic measurements of excised muscles using single and repetitive electrical stimulation and on the expression of the various myosin isoforms (heavy and light chains) using dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of whole muscle and single fiber preparations. In EDL of R6/2, the functional tests showed a left shift of the force-frequency relation and decrease in specific force. Moreover, the estimated relative contribution of the fastest myosin isoform MyHC IIb decreased, whereas the contribution of the slower MyHC IIx isoform increased. An additional change occurred in the alkali MyLC forms showing a decrease in 3f and an increase in 1f level. In SOL, a shift from fast MyHC IIa to the slow isoform I was detectable in male R6/2 mice only, and there was no evidence of isoform interconversion in the MyLC pattern. These alterations point to a partial remodeling of the contractile apparatus of R6/2 mice towards a slower contractile phenotype, predominantly in fast glycolytic fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Hering
- Institute of Applied Physiology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Peter Braubach
- Institute of Applied Physiology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | - Werner Melzer
- Institute of Applied Physiology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Raper J, Bosinger S, Johnson Z, Tharp G, Moran SP, Chan AWS. Increased irritability, anxiety, and immune reactivity in transgenic Huntington's disease monkeys. Brain Behav Immun 2016; 58:181-190. [PMID: 27395434 PMCID: PMC5067193 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the most notable clinical symptoms of Huntington's disease (HD) are motor disturbances and brain atrophy, other symptoms include cognitive dysfunction, emotional and hormonal dysregulation. Emotional dysregulation (irritability, anger/aggression, and anxiety) and increased inflammation are early emerging symptoms which can be detected decades before the onset of motor symptoms in HD patients. Despite the advances in understanding the genetic causes of HD there is still no cure or preventative treatment. Thus, to better understand the pathogenesis of HD and develop effective treatments, a holistic understanding of HD is needed, as well as animal models that replicate the full spectrum of HD symptoms. The current study examined the emotional, hormonal, and gene expression responses to an acute stressor of adult male transgenic HD rhesus monkeys (n=2) as compared to wild-type controls (n=2). Results revealed that HD monkeys expressed increased anxiety and irritability/aggression as compared to controls. Reactive cortisol response to the stressor was similar between groups. However, HD monkeys exhibited increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and higher induction of immune pathway genes as compared to controls. Overall, results reveal that HD monkeys exhibit these early emerging symptoms of HD and may be an effective animal model to facilitate the development of new therapeutics for HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Raper
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Steven Bosinger
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Zachary Johnson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Gregory Tharp
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Sean P Moran
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Anthony W S Chan
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Suite 301, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Ni CL, Seth D, Fonseca FV, Wang L, Xiao TS, Gruber P, Sy MS, Stamler JS, Tartakoff AM. Polyglutamine Tract Expansion Increases S-Nitrosylation of Huntingtin and Ataxin-1. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163359. [PMID: 27658206 PMCID: PMC5033456 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the huntingtin (Htt) protein causes Huntington’s disease (HD), a fatal inherited movement disorder linked to neurodegeneration in the striatum and cortex. S-nitrosylation and S-acylation of cysteine residues regulate many functions of cytosolic proteins. We therefore used a resin-assisted capture approach to identify these modifications in Htt. In contrast to many proteins that have only a single S-nitrosylation or S-acylation site, we identified sites along much of the length of Htt. Moreover, analysis of cells expressing full-length Htt or a large N-terminal fragment of Htt shows that polyQ expansion strongly increases Htt S-nitrosylation. This effect appears to be general since it is also observed in Ataxin-1, which causes spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) when its polyQ tract is expanded. Overexpression of nitric oxide synthase increases the S-nitrosylation of normal Htt and the frequency of conspicuous juxtanuclear inclusions of Htt N-terminal fragments in transfected cells. Taken together with the evidence that S-nitrosylation of Htt is widespread and parallels polyQ expansion, these subcellular changes show that S-nitrosylation affects the biology of this protein in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Lun Ni
- Cell Biology Program, Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
| | - Divya Seth
- Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
| | - Fabio Vasconcelos Fonseca
- Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
| | - Liwen Wang
- Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
| | - Tsan Sam Xiao
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
| | - Phillip Gruber
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
| | - Man-Sun Sy
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
| | - Jonathan S. Stamler
- Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
| | - Alan M. Tartakoff
- Cell Biology Program, Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Naseri NN, Bonica J, Xu H, Park LC, Arjomand J, Chen Z, Gibson GE. Novel Metabolic Abnormalities in the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle in Peripheral Cells From Huntington's Disease Patients. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160384. [PMID: 27611087 PMCID: PMC5017661 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction is well-documented in Huntington's disease (HD). However, the link between the mutant huntingtin (mHTT) gene and the pathology is unknown. The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is the main metabolic pathway for the production of NADH for conversion to ATP via the electron transport chain (ETC). The objective of this study was to test for differences in enzyme activities, mRNAs and protein levels related to the TCA cycle between lymphoblasts from healthy subjects and from patients with HD. The experiments utilize the advantages of lymphoblasts to reveal new insights about HD. The large quantity of homogeneous cell populations permits multiple dynamic measures to be made on exactly comparable tissues. The activities of nine enzymes related to the TCA cycle and the expression of twenty-nine mRNAs encoding for these enzymes and enzyme complexes were measured. Cells were studied under baseline conditions and during metabolic stress. The results support our recent findings that the activities of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) are elevated in HD. The data also show a large unexpected depression in MDH activities. Furthermore, message levels for isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) were markedly increased in in HD lymphoblasts and were responsive to treatments. The use of lymphoblasts allowed us to clarify that the reported decrease in aconitase activity in HD autopsy brains is likely due to secondary hypoxic effects. These results demonstrate the mRNA and enzymes of the TCA cycle are critical therapeutic targets that have been understudied in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nima N. Naseri
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Burke Medical Research Institute, 785 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605, United States of America
| | - Joseph Bonica
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Burke Medical Research Institute, 785 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605, United States of America
| | - Hui Xu
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Burke Medical Research Institute, 785 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605, United States of America
| | - Larry C. Park
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Inc., 6080 Center Drive. Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045, United States of America
| | - Jamshid Arjomand
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Inc., 6080 Center Drive. Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045, United States of America
| | - Zhengming Chen
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, 425 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10065, United States of America
| | - Gary E. Gibson
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Burke Medical Research Institute, 785 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605, United States of America
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Zeng Y, Guo W, Xu G, Wang Q, Feng L, Long S, Liang F, Huang Y, Lu X, Li S, Zhou J, Burgunder JM, Pang J, Pei Z. Xyloketal-derived small molecules show protective effect by decreasing mutant Huntingtin protein aggregates in Caenorhabditis elegans model of Huntington's disease. Drug Des Devel Ther 2016; 10:1443-51. [PMID: 27110099 PMCID: PMC4835117 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s94666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder, with chorea as the most prominent manifestation. The disease is caused by abnormal expansion of CAG codon repeats in the IT15 gene, which leads to the expression of a glutamine-rich protein named mutant Huntingtin (Htt). Because of its devastating disease burden and lack of valid treatment, development of more effective therapeutics for Huntington's disease is urgently required. Xyloketal B, a natural product from mangrove fungus, has shown protective effects against toxicity in other neurodegenerative disease models such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. To identify potential neuroprotective molecules for Huntington's disease, six derivatives of xyloketal B were screened in a Caenorhabditis elegans Huntington's disease model; all six compounds showed a protective effect. Molecular docking studies indicated that compound 1 could bind to residues GLN369 and GLN393 of the mutant Htt protein, forming a stable trimeric complex that can prevent the formation of mutant Htt aggregates. Taken together, we conclude that xyloketal derivatives could be novel drug candidates for treating Huntington's disease. Molecular target analysis is a good method to simulate the interaction between proteins and drug compounds. Further, protective candidate drugs could be designed in future using the guidance of molecular docking results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Zeng
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Guangzhou Center, Chinese Huntington's Disease Network, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyuan Guo
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangqing Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinmei Wang
- Key laboratory on Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Luyang Feng
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Guangzhou Center, Chinese Huntington's Disease Network, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Simei Long
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengyin Liang
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Huang
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xilin Lu
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Shichang Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiebin Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jean-Marc Burgunder
- Swiss Huntington's Disease Center, Department of Neurology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jiyan Pang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhong Pei
- Department of Neurology, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Guangzhou Center, Chinese Huntington's Disease Network, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
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Jiang Y, Chadwick SR, Lajoie P. Endoplasmic reticulum stress: The cause and solution to Huntington's disease? Brain Res 2016; 1648:650-657. [PMID: 27040914 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of misfolded proteins is a hallmark of many human diseases, including several incurable neurological disorders, such as Huntington's disease (HD). In HD, expansion of a polyglutamine stretch within the first exon of the Huntingtin protein (Htt) leads to Htt misfolding, aberrant protein aggregation, and progressive appearance of disease symptoms. Several studies in various organisms (from yeast to humans) have identified the accumulation of misfolded secretory proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress) as a crucial determinant of cellular toxicity in HD. In this review, we highlight the recent research linking HD to ER stress. We also discuss how the modulation of signaling pathways responsible for coping with misfolded protein accumulation in the ER may constitute attractive methods to reduce toxicity and identify new therapeutic targets for treatment of HD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI:ER stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Jiang
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Sarah R Chadwick
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Patrick Lajoie
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada N6A 5C1.
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Nguyen KQ, Rymar VV, Sadikot AF. Impaired TrkB Signaling Underlies Reduced BDNF-Mediated Trophic Support of Striatal Neurons in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:37. [PMID: 27013968 PMCID: PMC4783409 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [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: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The principal projection neurons of the striatum are critically dependent on an afferent supply of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for neurotrophic support. These neurons express TrkB, the cognate receptor for BDNF, which activates signaling pathways associated with neuronal survival and phenotypic maintenance. Impairment of the BDNF-TrkB pathway is suspected to underlie the early dysfunction and prominent degeneration of striatal neurons in Huntington disease (HD). Some studies in HD models indicate that BDNF supply is reduced, while others suggest that TrkB signaling is impaired earlier in disease progression. It remains important to determine whether a primary defect in TrkB signaling underlies reduced neurotrophic support and the early vulnerability of striatal neurons in HD. Using the transgenic R6/2 mouse model of HD we found that prior to striatal degeneration there are early deficits in striatal protein levels of activated phospho-TrkB and the downstream-regulated protein DARPP-32. In contrast, total-TrkB and BDNF protein levels remained normal. Primary neurons cultured from R6/2 striatum exhibited reduced survival in response to exogenous BDNF applications. Moreover, BDNF activation of phospho-TrkB and downstream signal transduction was attenuated in R6/2 striatal cultures. These results suggest that neurotrophic support of striatal neurons is attenuated early in disease progression due to defects in TrkB signal transduction in the R6/2 model of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khanh Q Nguyen
- Cone Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vladimir V Rymar
- Cone Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Abbas F Sadikot
- Cone Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
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50
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Politis M, Lahiri N, Niccolini F, Su P, Wu K, Giannetti P, Scahill RI, Turkheimer FE, Tabrizi SJ, Piccini P. Increased central microglial activation associated with peripheral cytokine levels in premanifest Huntington's disease gene carriers. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 83:115-21. [PMID: 26297319 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [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: 06/14/2015] [Revised: 07/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown activation of the immune system and altered immune response in Huntington's disease (HD) gene carriers. Here, we hypothesized that peripheral and central immune responses could be concurrent pathophysiological events and represent a global innate immune response to the toxic effects of mutant huntingtin in HD gene carriers. We sought to investigate our hypothesis using [(11)C]PK11195 PET as a translocator protein (TSPO) marker of central microglial activation, together with assessment of peripheral plasma cytokine levels in a cohort of premanifest HD gene carriers who were more than a decade from predicted symptomatic conversion. Data were also compared to those from a group of healthy controls matched for age and gender. We found significantly increased peripheral plasma IL-1β levels in premanifest HD gene carriers compared to the group of normal controls (P=0.018). Premanifest HD gene carriers had increased TSPO levels in cortical, basal ganglia and thalamic brain regions (P<0.001). Increased microglial activation in somatosensory cortex correlated with higher plasma levels of IL-1β (rs=0.87, P=0.013), IL-6 (rs=0.85, P=0.013), IL-8 (rs=0.68, P=0.045) and TNF-α (rs=0.79; P=0.013). Our findings provide first in vivo evidence for an association between peripheral and central immune responses in premanifest HD gene carriers, and provide further supporting evidence for the role of immune dysfunction in the pathogenesis of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marios Politis
- Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Nayana Lahiri
- Huntington's Disease Research Group, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Flavia Niccolini
- Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Su
- Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kit Wu
- Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Paolo Giannetti
- Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Research Group, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Federico E Turkheimer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Research Group, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paola Piccini
- Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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