1
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Gotoh S, Mori K, Fujino Y, Kawabe Y, Yamashita T, Omi T, Nagata K, Tagami S, Nagai Y, Ikeda M. eIF5 stimulates the CUG initiation of RAN translation of poly-GA dipeptide repeat protein (DPR) in C9orf72 FTLD/ALS. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105703. [PMID: 38301895 PMCID: PMC10904283 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Tandem GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9orf72 is a genetic cause of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Transcribed repeats are translated into dipeptide repeat proteins via repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. However, the regulatory mechanism of RAN translation remains unclear. Here, we reveal a GTPase-activating protein, eukaryotic initiation factor 5 (eIF5), which allosterically facilitates the conversion of eIF2-bound GTP into GDP upon start codon recognition, as a novel modifier of C9orf72 RAN translation. Compared to global translation, eIF5, but not its inactive mutants, preferentially stimulates poly-GA RAN translation. RAN translation is increased during integrated stress response, but the stimulatory effect of eIF5 on poly-GA RAN translation was additive to the increase of RAN translation during integrated stress response, with no further increase in phosphorylated eIF2α. Moreover, an alteration of the CUG near cognate codon to CCG or AUG in the poly-GA reading frame abolished the stimulatory effects, indicating that eIF5 primarily acts through the CUG-dependent initiation. Lastly, in a Drosophila model of C9orf72 FTLD/ALS that expresses GGGGCC repeats in the eye, knockdown of endogenous eIF5 by two independent RNAi strains significantly reduced poly-GA expressions, confirming in vivo effect of eIF5 on poly-GA RAN translation. Together, eIF5 stimulates the CUG initiation of poly-GA RAN translation in cellular and Drosophila disease models of C9orf72 FTLD/ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiho Gotoh
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Kohji Mori
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
| | - Yuzo Fujino
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan; Department of Neurology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuya Kawabe
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Tomoko Yamashita
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Tsubasa Omi
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Kenichi Nagata
- Department of Precision Medicine for Dementia, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Shinji Tagami
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Nagai
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Manabu Ikeda
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
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2
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Uy G, Farrell LN, Faheem SF, Kinne LE, Adore MG, Im SH, Fairman R. The Effects of poly-GA and poly-PR C9orf72 Dipeptide Repeats on Sleep Patterns in Drosophila melanogaster. MicroPubl Biol 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.000973. [PMID: 38495583 PMCID: PMC10943360 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
C9orf72 is the most common familial gene associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dipeptide repeats (DPRs) encoded by an expanded nucleotide repeat sequence in the C9orf72 gene were found in the sleep-related neurons of patients, indicating a role of DPRs in ALS-associated sleep disruptions. Poly-GA or poly-PR DPRs were expressed in male Drosophila melanogaster to study their effect on sleep . Poly-PR expression caused sleep disruptions while poly-GA expression did not. This study validates the use of Drosophila as an in vivo model system for exploring the roles of DPRs in perturbing the underlying molecular mechanisms in sleep regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Uy
- Chemistry, Haverford College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Laura N. Farrell
- Neuroscience, Haverford College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Syeda F. Faheem
- Biology, Haverford College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Lauren E. Kinne
- Biology, Haverford College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Madison G. Adore
- Biology, Haverford College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Seol Hee Im
- Biology, Haverford College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Robert Fairman
- Biology, Haverford College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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3
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Firdaus Z, Li X. Unraveling the Genetic Landscape of Neurological Disorders: Insights into Pathogenesis, Techniques for Variant Identification, and Therapeutic Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2320. [PMID: 38396996 PMCID: PMC10889342 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042320] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic abnormalities play a crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). Genetic exploration has indeed contributed to unraveling the molecular complexities responsible for the etiology and progression of various NDDs. The intricate nature of rare and common variants in NDDs contributes to a limited understanding of the genetic risk factors associated with them. Advancements in next-generation sequencing have made whole-genome sequencing and whole-exome sequencing possible, allowing the identification of rare variants with substantial effects, and improving the understanding of both Mendelian and complex neurological conditions. The resurgence of gene therapy holds the promise of targeting the etiology of diseases and ensuring a sustained correction. This approach is particularly enticing for neurodegenerative diseases, where traditional pharmacological methods have fallen short. In the context of our exploration of the genetic epidemiology of the three most prevalent NDDs-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, our primary goal is to underscore the progress made in the development of next-generation sequencing. This progress aims to enhance our understanding of the disease mechanisms and explore gene-based therapies for NDDs. Throughout this review, we focus on genetic variations, methodologies for their identification, the associated pathophysiology, and the promising potential of gene therapy. Ultimately, our objective is to provide a comprehensive and forward-looking perspective on the emerging research arena of NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeba Firdaus
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Xiaogang Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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4
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Smeele PH, Cesare G, Vaccari T. ALS' Perfect Storm: C9orf72-Associated Toxic Dipeptide Repeats as Potential Multipotent Disruptors of Protein Homeostasis. Cells 2024; 13:178. [PMID: 38247869 PMCID: PMC10813877 DOI: 10.3390/cells13020178] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein homeostasis is essential for neuron longevity, requiring a balanced regulation between protein synthesis and degradation. The clearance of misfolded and aggregated proteins, mediated by autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome systems, maintains protein homeostasis in neurons, which are post-mitotic and thus cannot use cell division to diminish the burden of misfolded proteins. When protein clearance pathways are overwhelmed or otherwise disrupted, the accumulation of misfolded or aggregated proteins can lead to the activation of ER stress and the formation of stress granules, which predominantly attempt to restore the homeostasis by suppressing global protein translation. Alterations in these processes have been widely reported among studies investigating the toxic function of dipeptide repeats (DPRs) produced by G4C2 expansion in the C9orf72 gene of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In this review, we outline the modalities of DPR-induced disruptions in protein homeostasis observed in a wide range of models of C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD. We also discuss the relative importance of each DPR for toxicity, possible synergies between DPRs, and discuss the possible functional relevance of DPR aggregation to disease pathogenesis. Finally, we highlight the interdependencies of the observed effects and reflect on the importance of feedback and feedforward mechanisms in their contribution to disease progression. A better understanding of DPR-associated disease pathogenesis discussed in this review might shed light on disease vulnerabilities that may be amenable with therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Vaccari
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
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5
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Rogers ML, Schultz DW, Karnaros V, Shepheard SR. Urinary biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: candidates, opportunities and considerations. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad287. [PMID: 37946793 PMCID: PMC10631861 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad287] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a relentless neurodegenerative disease that is mostly fatal within 3-5 years and is diagnosed on evidence of progressive upper and lower motor neuron degeneration. Around 15% of those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also have frontotemporal degeneration, and gene mutations account for ∼10%. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a variable heterogeneous disease, and it is becoming increasingly clear that numerous different disease processes culminate in the final degeneration of motor neurons. There is a profound need to clearly articulate and measure pathological process that occurs. Such information is needed to tailor treatments to individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis according to an individual's pathological fingerprint. For new candidate therapies, there is also a need for methods to select patients according to expected treatment outcomes and measure the success, or not, of treatments. Biomarkers are essential tools to fulfil these needs, and urine is a rich source for candidate biofluid biomarkers. This review will describe promising candidate urinary biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other possible urinary candidates in future areas of investigation as well as the limitations of urinary biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary-Louise Rogers
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, South Australia, Australia
| | - David W Schultz
- Neurology Department and MND Clinic, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide 5042, South Australia, Australia
| | - Vassilios Karnaros
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, South Australia, Australia
| | - Stephanie R Shepheard
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, South Australia, Australia
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6
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Fu RH, Chen HJ, Hong SY. Glycine-Alanine Dipeptide Repeat Protein from C9-ALS Interacts with Sulfide Quinone Oxidoreductase (SQOR) to Induce the Activity of the NLRP3 Inflammasome in HMC3 Microglia: Irisflorentin Reverses This Interaction. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1896. [PMID: 37891975 PMCID: PMC10604625 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12101896] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal rare disease of progressive degeneration of motor neurons. The most common genetic mutation in ALS is the hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) located in the first intron of the C9orf72 gene (C9-ALS). HRE can produce dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) such as poly glycine-alanine (GA) in a repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation. GA-DPR has been shown to be toxic to motor neurons in various biological models. However, its effects on microglia involved in C9-ALS have not been reported. Here, we show that GA-DPR (GA50) activates the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in a human HMC3 microglia model. MCC950 (specific inhibitor of the NLRP3) treatment can abrogate this activity. Next, using yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified sulfide quinone oxidoreductase (SQOR) as a GA50 interacting protein. SQOR knockdown in HMC3 cells can significantly induce the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome by upregulating the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species and the cytoplasmic escape of mitochondrial DNA. Furthermore, we obtained irisflorentin as an effective blocker of the interaction between SQOR and GA50, thus inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activity in GA50-expressing HMC3 cells. These results imply the association of GA-DPR, SQOR, and NLRP3 inflammasomes in microglia and establish a treatment strategy for C9-ALS with irisflorentin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru-Huei Fu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Translational Medicine Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program for Aging, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Jye Chen
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Syuan-Yu Hong
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, China Medical University Children’s Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
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7
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Morón-Oset J, Fischer LK, Carcolé M, Giblin A, Zhang P, Isaacs AM, Grönke S, Partridge L. Toxicity of C9orf72-associated dipeptide repeat peptides is modified by commonly used protein tags. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201739. [PMID: 37308278 PMCID: PMC10262077 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene are the most prevalent genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Transcripts of the expansions are translated into toxic dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins. Most preclinical studies in cell and animal models have used protein-tagged polyDPR constructs to investigate DPR toxicity but the effects of tags on DPR toxicity have not been systematically explored. Here, we used Drosophila to assess the influence of protein tags on DPR toxicity. Tagging of 36 but not 100 arginine-rich DPRs with mCherry increased toxicity, whereas adding mCherry or GFP to GA100 completely abolished toxicity. FLAG tagging also reduced GA100 toxicity but less than the longer fluorescent tags. Expression of untagged but not GFP- or mCherry-tagged GA100 caused DNA damage and increased p62 levels. Fluorescent tags also affected GA100 stability and degradation. In summary, protein tags affect DPR toxicity in a tag- and DPR-dependent manner, and GA toxicity might be underestimated in studies using tagged GA proteins. Thus, including untagged DPRs as controls is important when assessing DPR toxicity in preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mireia Carcolé
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Ashling Giblin
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Pingze Zhang
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | - Linda Partridge
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
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8
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Giménez-Bejarano A, Alegre-Cortés E, Yakhine-Diop SMS, Gómez-Suaga P, Fuentes JM. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Repeat Expansion Diseases. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1593. [PMID: 37627588 PMCID: PMC10451345 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12081593] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeat expansion diseases are a group of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders characterized by expansions of several successive repeated DNA sequences. Currently, more than 50 repeat expansion diseases have been described. These disorders involve diverse pathogenic mechanisms, including loss-of-function mechanisms, toxicity associated with repeat RNA, or repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) products, resulting in impairments of cellular processes and damaged organelles. Mitochondria, double membrane organelles, play a crucial role in cell energy production, metabolic processes, calcium regulation, redox balance, and apoptosis regulation. Its dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of repeat expansion diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of the signaling pathways or proteins involved in mitochondrial functioning described in these disorders. The focus of this review will be on the analysis of published data related to three representative repeat expansion diseases: Huntington's disease, C9orf72-frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and myotonic dystrophy type 1. We will discuss the common effects observed in all three repeat expansion disorders and their differences. Additionally, we will address the current gaps in knowledge and propose possible new lines of research. Importantly, this group of disorders exhibit alterations in mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis, with specific proteins involved in these processes having been identified. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of mitochondrial alterations in these disorders can potentially lead to the development of neuroprotective strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Giménez-Bejarano
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Eva Alegre-Cortés
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Sokhna M. S. Yakhine-Diop
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Patricia Gómez-Suaga
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - José M. Fuentes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
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9
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Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic alteration associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These neurodegenerative diseases share genetic, clinical and pathological features. The mutation in C9ORF72 appears to drive pathogenesis through a combination of loss of C9ORF72 normal function and gain of toxic effects due to the repeat expansion, which result in aggregation prone expanded RNAs and dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins. Studies in cellular and animal models indicate that the DPR proteins are the more toxic species. Thus, a large body of research has focused on identifying the cellular pathways most directly impacted by these toxic proteins, with the goal of characterizing disease pathogenesis and nominating potential targets for therapeutic development. The preventative block of the production of the toxic proteins before they can cause harm is a second strategy of intense focus. Despite the considerable amount of effort dedicated to this prophylactic approach, it is still unclear how the DPR proteins are synthesized from RNAs harboring repeat expansions. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of the specific protein translation mechanisms shown to account for the synthesis of DPR proteins. We will then discuss how enhanced understanding of the composition of these toxic effectors could help in refining disease mechanisms, and paving the way to identify and design effective prophylactic therapies for C9ORF72 ALS-FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heleen M Van't Spijker
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sandra Almeida
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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10
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Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating motoneuron disease, in which lower motoneurons lose control of skeletal muscles. Degeneration of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) occurs at the initial stage of ALS. Dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) from G4C2 repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation are known to cause C9orf72-associated ALS (C9-ALS). However, DPR inclusion burdens are weakly correlated with neurodegenerative areas in C9-ALS patients, indicating that DPRs may exert cell non-autonomous effects, in addition to the known intracellular pathological mechanisms. Here, we report that poly-GA, the most abundant form of DPR in C9-ALS, is released from cells. Local administration of poly-GA proteins in peripheral synaptic regions causes muscle weakness and impaired neuromuscular transmission in vivo. The NMJ structure cannot be maintained, as evidenced by the fragmentation of postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters and distortion of presynaptic nerve terminals. Mechanistic study demonstrated that extracellular poly-GA sequesters soluble Agrin ligands and inhibits Agrin-MuSK signaling. Our findings provide a novel cell non-autonomous mechanism by which poly-GA impairs NMJs in C9-ALS. Thus, targeting NMJs could be an early therapeutic intervention for C9-ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yo Tu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Department of Neurobiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020, China
| | - Wentao Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Department of Neurobiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020, China
| | - Jianmin Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Department of Neurobiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020, China
| | - Shuyuan Qi
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Department of Neurobiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020, China
| | - Lei Bai
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Department of Neurobiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020, China
| | - Chengyong Shen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Department of Neurobiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020, China
- MOE Frontier Science, Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. E-mail:
| | - Kejing Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Department of Neurobiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310020, China. E-mail:
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11
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Shu X, Wei C, Tu WY, Zhong K, Qi S, Wang A, Bai L, Zhang SX, Luo B, Xu ZZ, Zhang K, Shen C. Negative regulation of TREM2-mediated C9orf72 poly-GA clearance by the NLRP3 inflammasome. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112133. [PMID: 36800288 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansion of the hexanucleotide repeat GGGGCC in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic factor in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Poly-Gly-Ala (poly-GA), one form of dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) produced from GGGGCC repeats, tends to form neurotoxic protein aggregates. The C9orf72 GGGGCC repeats and microglial receptor TREM2 are both associated with risk for ALS/FTD. The role and regulation of TREM2 in C9orf72-ALS/FTD remain unclear. Here, we found that poly-GA proteins activate the microglial NLRP3 inflammasome to produce interleukin-1β (IL-1β), which promotes ADAM10-mediated TREM2 cleavage and inhibits phagocytosis of poly-GA. The inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, MCC950, reduces the TREM2 cleavage and poly-GA aggregates, resulting in the alleviation of motor deficits in poly-GA mice. Our study identifies a crosstalk between NLRP3 and TREM2 signaling, suggesting that targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome to sustain TREM2 is an approach to treat C9orf72-ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiu Shu
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Chen Wei
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Wen-Yo Tu
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Keke Zhong
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Shuyuan Qi
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Ailian Wang
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Lei Bai
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Shan-Xin Zhang
- School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Benyan Luo
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Zhen-Zhong Xu
- School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Kejing Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China.
| | - Chengyong Shen
- Department of Neurobiology of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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12
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Jiang J, Wang Y, Deng M. New developments and opportunities in drugs being trialed for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from 2020 to 2022. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1054006. [PMID: 36518658 PMCID: PMC9742490 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1054006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. In the recent past, there have been just two drugs approved for treatment, riluzole and edaravone, which only prolong survival by a few months. However, there are many novel experimental drugs in development. In this review, we summarize 53 new drugs that have been evaluated in clinical trials from 2020 to 2022, which we have classified into eight mechanistic groups (anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-excitotoxicity, regulated integrated stress response, neurotrophic factors and neuroprotection, anti-aggregation, gene therapy and other). Six were tested in phase 1 studies, 31 were in phase 2 studies, three failed in phase 3 studies and stopped further development, and the remaining 13 drugs were being tested in phase 3 studies, including methylcobalamin, masitinib, MN-166, verdiperstat, memantine, AMX0035, trazodone, CNM-Au8, pridopidine, SLS-005, IONN363, tofersen, and reldesemtiv. Among them, five drugs, including methylcobalamin, masitinib, AMX0035, CNM-Au8, and tofersen, have shown potent therapeutic effects in clinical trials. Recently, AMX0035 has been the third medicine approved by the FDA for the treatment of ALS after riluzole and edaravone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Min Deng
- Institute of Medical Innovation and Research, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
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13
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Marchi PM, Marrone L, Brasseur L, Coens A, Webster CP, Bousset L, Destro M, Smith EF, Walther CG, Alfred V, Marroccella R, Graves EJ, Robinson D, Shaw AC, Wan LM, Grierson AJ, Ebbens SJ, De Vos KJ, Hautbergue GM, Ferraiuolo L, Melki R, Azzouz M. C9ORF72-derived poly-GA DPRs undergo endocytic uptake in iAstrocytes and spread to motor neurons. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/9/e202101276. [PMID: 35568435 PMCID: PMC9108631 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins are aggregation-prone polypeptides encoded by the pathogenic GGGGCC repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene, the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. In this study, we focus on the role of poly-GA DPRs in disease spread. We demonstrate that recombinant poly-GA oligomers can directly convert into solid-like aggregates and form characteristic β-sheet fibrils in vitro. To dissect the process of cell-to-cell DPR transmission, we closely follow the fate of poly-GA DPRs in either their oligomeric or fibrillized form after administration in the cell culture medium. We observe that poly-GA DPRs are taken up via dynamin-dependent and -independent endocytosis, eventually converging at the lysosomal compartment and leading to axonal swellings in neurons. We then use a co-culture system to demonstrate astrocyte-to-motor neuron DPR propagation, showing that astrocytes may internalise and release aberrant peptides in disease pathogenesis. Overall, our results shed light on the mechanisms of poly-GA cellular uptake and propagation, suggesting lysosomal impairment as a possible feature underlying the cellular pathogenicity of these DPR species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo M Marchi
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lara Marrone
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laurent Brasseur
- The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Institut François Jacob (MIRcen) and The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (UMR9199), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Audrey Coens
- The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Institut François Jacob (MIRcen) and The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (UMR9199), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Christopher P Webster
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Luc Bousset
- The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Institut François Jacob (MIRcen) and The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (UMR9199), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Marco Destro
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emma F Smith
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK.,Centre for Membrane Interactions and Dynamics, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Christa G Walther
- The Wolfson Light Microscopy Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Victor Alfred
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Raffaele Marroccella
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emily J Graves
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Darren Robinson
- The Wolfson Light Microscopy Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Allan C Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lai Mei Wan
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Andrew J Grierson
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Stephen J Ebbens
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Kurt J De Vos
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK.,Centre for Membrane Interactions and Dynamics, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Guillaume M Hautbergue
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Ronald Melki
- The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Institut François Jacob (MIRcen) and The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (UMR9199), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Mimoun Azzouz
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK .,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
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14
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Krishnan G, Raitcheva D, Bartlett D, Prudencio M, McKenna-Yasek DM, Douthwright C, Oskarsson BE, Ladha S, King OD, Barmada SJ, Miller TM, Bowser R, Watts JK, Petrucelli L, Brown RH, Kankel MW, Gao FB. Poly(GR) and poly(GA) in cerebrospinal fluid as potential biomarkers for C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2799. [PMID: 35589711 PMCID: PMC9119980 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30387-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9ORF72, which can be translated in both sense and antisense directions into five dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins, including poly(GP), poly(GR), and poly(GA), is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here we developed sensitive assays that can detect poly(GA) and poly(GR) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with C9ORF72 mutations. CSF poly(GA) and poly(GR) levels did not correlate with age at disease onset, disease duration, or rate of decline of ALS Functional Rating Scale, and the average levels of these DPR proteins were similar in symptomatic and pre-symptomatic patients with C9ORF72 mutations. However, in a patient with C9ORF72-ALS who was treated with antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting the aberrant C9ORF72 transcript, CSF poly(GA) and poly(GR) levels decreased approximately 50% within 6 weeks, indicating they may serve as sensitive fluid-based biomarkers in studies directed against the production of GGGGCC repeat RNAs or DPR proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gopinath Krishnan
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | | | - Daniel Bartlett
- Biomarkers, Clinical Sciences Biogen, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | | | - Diane M McKenna-Yasek
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Catherine Douthwright
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | | | - Shafeeq Ladha
- Departments of Neurology and Translational Neuroscience, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute, 350W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Oliver D King
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Sami J Barmada
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 4005 BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2200, USA
| | - Timothy M Miller
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MI, 63110, USA
| | - Robert Bowser
- Departments of Neurology and Translational Neuroscience, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute, 350W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Jonathan K Watts
- RNA Therapeutics Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | | | - Robert H Brown
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Mark W Kankel
- Neuromuscular & Movement Disorders, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
- Apple Tree Partners (ATP) Research Labs, Branford, CT, 06405, USA.
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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15
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Candelise N, Salvatori I, Scaricamazza S, Nesci V, Zenuni H, Ferri A, Valle C. Mechanistic Insights of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: An Update on a Lasting Relationship. Metabolites 2022; 12:233. [PMID: 35323676 PMCID: PMC8951432 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12030233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of the upper and lower motor neurons. Despite the increasing effort in understanding the etiopathology of ALS, it still remains an obscure disease, and no therapies are currently available to halt its progression. Following the discovery of the first gene associated with familial forms of ALS, Cu–Zn superoxide dismutase, it appeared evident that mitochondria were key elements in the onset of the pathology. However, as more and more ALS-related genes were discovered, the attention shifted from mitochondria impairment to other biological functions such as protein aggregation and RNA metabolism. In recent years, mitochondria have again earned central, mechanistic roles in the pathology, due to accumulating evidence of their derangement in ALS animal models and patients, often resulting in the dysregulation of the energetic metabolism. In this review, we first provide an update of the last lustrum on the molecular mechanisms by which the most well-known ALS-related proteins affect mitochondrial functions and cellular bioenergetics. Next, we focus on evidence gathered from human specimens and advance the concept of a cellular-specific mitochondrial “metabolic threshold”, which may appear pivotal in ALS pathogenesis.
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16
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Gomez‐Suaga P, Mórotz GM, Markovinovic A, Martín‐Guerrero SM, Preza E, Arias N, Mayl K, Aabdien A, Gesheva V, Nishimura A, Annibali A, Lee Y, Mitchell JC, Wray S, Shaw C, Noble W, Miller CCJ. Disruption of ER-mitochondria tethering and signalling in C9orf72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13549. [PMID: 35026048 PMCID: PMC8844122 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [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: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72 are the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The mechanisms by which the expansions cause disease are not properly understood but a favoured route involves its translation into dipeptide repeat (DPR) polypeptides, some of which are neurotoxic. However, the precise targets for mutant C9orf72 and DPR toxicity are not fully clear, and damage to several neuronal functions has been described. Many of these functions are regulated by signalling between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. ER‐mitochondria signalling requires close physical contacts between the two organelles that are mediated by the VAPB‐PTPIP51 ‘tethering’ proteins. Here, we show that ER‐mitochondria signalling and the VAPB‐PTPIP51 tethers are disrupted in neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from patients carrying ALS/FTD pathogenic C9orf72 expansions and in affected neurons in mutant C9orf72 transgenic mice. In these mice, disruption of the VAPB‐PTPIP51 tethers occurs prior to disease onset suggesting that it contributes to the pathogenic process. We also show that neurotoxic DPRs disrupt the VAPB‐PTPIP51 interaction and ER‐mitochondria contacts and that this may involve activation of glycogen synthase kinases‐3β (GSK3β), a known negative regulator of VAPB‐PTPIP51 binding. Finally, we show that these DPRs disrupt delivery of Ca2+ from ER stores to mitochondria, which is a primary function of the VAPB‐PTPIP51 tethers. This delivery regulates a number of key neuronal functions that are damaged in ALS/FTD including bioenergetics, autophagy and synaptic function. Our findings reveal a new molecular target for mutant C9orf72‐mediated toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Gomez‐Suaga
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Gábor M. Mórotz
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Andrea Markovinovic
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Sandra M. Martín‐Guerrero
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Elisavet Preza
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology London UK
| | - Natalia Arias
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Keith Mayl
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Afra Aabdien
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Vesela Gesheva
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Agnes Nishimura
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Ambra Annibali
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Younbok Lee
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Jacqueline C. Mitchell
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Selina Wray
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology London UK
| | - Christopher Shaw
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
| | - Christopher C. J. Miller
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London London UK
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17
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Licata NV, Cristofani R, Salomonsson S, Wilson KM, Kempthorne L, Vaizoglu D, D’Agostino VG, Pollini D, Loffredo R, Pancher M, Adami V, Bellosta P, Ratti A, Viero G, Quattrone A, Isaacs AM, Poletti A, Provenzani A. C9orf72 ALS/FTD dipeptide repeat protein levels are reduced by small molecules that inhibit PKA or enhance protein degradation. EMBO J 2022; 41:e105026. [PMID: 34791698 PMCID: PMC8724771 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Intronic GGGGCC (G4C2) hexanucleotide repeat expansion within the human C9orf72 gene represents the most common cause of familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (C9ALS/FTD). Repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of repeat-containing C9orf72 RNA results in the production of neurotoxic dipeptide-repeat proteins (DPRs). Here, we developed a high-throughput drug screen for the identification of positive and negative modulators of DPR levels. We found that HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin and aldosterone antagonist spironolactone reduced DPR levels by promoting protein degradation via the proteasome and autophagy pathways respectively. Surprisingly, cAMP-elevating compounds boosting protein kinase A (PKA) activity increased DPR levels. Inhibition of PKA activity, by both pharmacological and genetic approaches, reduced DPR levels in cells and rescued pathological phenotypes in a Drosophila model of C9ALS/FTD. Moreover, knockdown of PKA-catalytic subunits correlated with reduced translation efficiency of DPRs, while the PKA inhibitor H89 reduced endogenous DPR levels in C9ALS/FTD patient-derived iPSC motor neurons. Together, our results suggest new and druggable pathways modulating DPR levels in C9ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nausicaa V Licata
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Riccardo Cristofani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e BiomolecolariUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Sally Salomonsson
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Katherine M Wilson
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Liam Kempthorne
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Deniz Vaizoglu
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Vito G D’Agostino
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Daniele Pollini
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Rosa Loffredo
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Michael Pancher
- HTS Core Facility, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Valentina Adami
- HTS Core Facility, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Paola Bellosta
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
- Department of MedicineNYU at Grossman School of MedicineNYUSA
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of NeurologyStroke Unit and Laboratory of NeuroscienceIstituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCSMilanItaly
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina TraslazionaleUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | | | - Alessandro Quattrone
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Angelo Poletti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e BiomolecolariUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Alessandro Provenzani
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
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18
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Alvarez-Mora MI, Podlesniy P, Riazuelo T, Molina-Porcel L, Gelpi E, Rodriguez-Revenga L. Reduced mtDNA Copy Number in the Prefrontal Cortex of C9ORF72 Patients. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:1230-1237. [PMID: 34978044 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02673-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hexanucleotide repeat expansion in C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (C9ALS/FTD). Loss of C9ORF72 protein function and a toxic gain-of-function directly by the RNA or RAN translation have been proposed as triggering pathological mechanisms, along with the accumulation of TDP-43 protein. In addition, mitochondrial defects have been described to be a major driver of disease initiation. Mitochondrial DNA copy number has been proposed as a useful biomarker of mitochondrial dysfunction. The aim of our study was to determine the presence of mtDNA copy number alterations in C9ALS/FTD patients. Therefore, we assessed mtDNA copy number in postmortem prefrontal cortex from 18 C9ORF72 brain donors and 9 controls using digital droplet PCR. A statistically significant decrease of 50% was obtained when comparing C9ORF72 samples and controls. This decrease was independent of age and sex. The reduction of mtDNA copy number was found to be higher in patients' samples presenting abundant TDP-43 protein inclusions. A growing number of studies demonstrated the influence of mtDNA copy number reduction on neurodegeneration. Our results provide new insights into the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of C9ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Isabel Alvarez-Mora
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, C/Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Petar Podlesniy
- CIBER of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Riazuelo
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, C/Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Molina-Porcel
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobank-Hospital Clinic-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.,Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ellen Gelpi
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laia Rodriguez-Revenga
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, C/Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain. .,CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. .,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
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19
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Sharpe JL, Harper NS, Garner DR, West RJH. Modeling C9orf72-Related Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Drosophila. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:770937. [PMID: 34744635 PMCID: PMC8566814 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.770937] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
An intronic hexanucleotide (GGGGCC) expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the decade following its discovery, much progress has been made in enhancing our understanding of how it precipitates disease. Both loss of function caused by reduced C9orf72 transcript levels, and gain of function mechanisms, triggered by the production of repetitive sense and antisense RNA and dipeptide repeat proteins, are thought to contribute to the toxicity. Drosophila models, with their unrivaled genetic tractability and short lifespan, have played a key role in developing our understanding of C9orf72-related FTD/ALS. There is no C9orf72 homolog in fly, and although this precludes investigations into loss of function toxicity, it is useful for elucidating mechanisms underpinning gain of function toxicity. To date there are a range of Drosophila C9orf72 models, encompassing different aspects of gain of function toxicity. In addition to pure repeat transgenes, which produce both repeat RNA and dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), RNA only models and DPR models have been generated to unpick the individual contributions of RNA and each dipeptide repeat protein to C9orf72 toxicity. In this review, we discuss how Drosophila models have shaped our understanding of C9orf72 gain of function toxicity, and address opportunities to utilize these models for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne L Sharpe
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nikki S Harper
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan R Garner
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan J H West
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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20
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Božič J, Motaln H, Janež AP, Markič L, Tripathi P, Yamoah A, Aronica E, Lee YB, Heilig R, Fischer R, Thompson AJ, Goswami A, Rogelj B. Interactome screening of C9orf72 dipeptide repeats reveals VCP sequestration and functional impairment by polyGA. Brain 2021; 145:684-699. [PMID: 34534264 PMCID: PMC9014755 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene are a common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration, two devastating neurodegenerative disorders. One of the proposed mechanisms of GGGGCC repeat expansion is their translation into non-canonical dipeptide repeats, which can then accumulate as aggregates and contribute to these pathologies. There are five different dipeptide repeat proteins (polyGA, polyGR, polyPR, polyPA and polyGP), some of which are known to be neurotoxic. In the present study, we used BioID2 proximity labelling to identify the interactomes of all five dipeptide repeat proteins consisting of 125 repeats each. We identified 113 interacting partners for polyGR, 90 for polyGA, 106 for polyPR, 25 for polyPA and 27 for polyGP. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis of the proteomic data revealed that these target interaction partners are involved in a variety of functions, including protein translation, signal transduction pathways, protein catabolic processes, amide metabolic processes and RNA-binding. Using autopsy brain tissue from patients with C9orf72 expansion complemented with cell culture analysis, we evaluated the interactions between polyGA and valosin containing protein (VCP). Functional analysis of this interaction revealed sequestration of VCP with polyGA aggregates, altering levels of soluble valosin-containing protein. VCP also functions in autophagy processes, and consistent with this, we observed altered autophagy in cells expressing polyGA. We also observed altered co-localization of polyGA aggregates and p62 in cells depleted of VCP. All together, these data suggest that sequestration of VCP with polyGA aggregates contributes to the loss of VCP function, and consequently to alterations in autophagy processes in C9orf72 expansion disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janja Božič
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Helena Motaln
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anja Pucer Janež
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lara Markič
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Priyanka Tripathi
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alfred Yamoah
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro) Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Youn-Bok Lee
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Raphael Heilig
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roman Fischer
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Anand Goswami
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Boris Rogelj
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Biomedical Research Institute (BRIS), Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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21
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Kaliszewska A, Allison J, Col TT, Shaw C, Arias N. Elucidating the Role of Cerebellar Synaptic Dysfunction in C9orf72-ALS/FTD - a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cerebellum 2021. [PMID: 34491551 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-021-01320-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with synaptic dysfunction identified as an early pathological hallmark. Although TDP-43 pathology and overt neurodegeneration are largely absent from the cerebellum, the pathological hallmarks of RNA foci and dipeptide repeat protein (DPR) inclusions are most abundant. Here, we present a systematic literature search in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and Science Direct up until March 5, 2021, which yielded 19,515 publications. Following the exclusion criteria, 72 articles were included having referred to C9orf72, synapses and the cerebellum. Meta-analyses were conducted on studies which reported experimental and control groups with means and standard deviations extracted from figures using the online tool PlotDigitizer. This revealed dendritic defects (P = 0.03), reduced C9orf72 in human patients (P = 0.005) and DPR-related neuronal loss (P = 0.0006) but no neuromuscular junction abnormalities (P = 0.29) or cerebellar neuronal loss (P = 0.23). Our results suggest that dendritic arborisation defects, synaptic gene dysregulation and altered synaptic neurotransmission may drive cerebellar synaptic dysfunction in C9-ALS/FTD. In this review, we discuss how the chronological appearance of the different pathological hallmarks alters synaptic integrity which may have profound implications for disease progression. We conclude that a reduction in C9orf72 protein levels combined with the accumulation of RNA foci and DPRs act synergistically to drive C9 synaptopathy in the cerebellum of C9-ALS/FTD patients.
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22
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Mori K, Gotoh S, Yamashita T, Uozumi R, Kawabe Y, Tagami S, Kamp F, Nuscher B, Edbauer D, Haass C, Nagai Y, Ikeda M. The porphyrin TMPyP4 inhibits elongation during the noncanonical translation of the FTLD/ALS-associated GGGGCC repeat in the C9orf72 gene. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101120. [PMID: 34450161 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
GGGGCC (G4C2) repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene has been shown to cause frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Dipeptide repeat proteins produced through repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation are recognized as potential drivers for neurodegeneration. Therefore, selective inhibition of RAN translation could be a therapeutic avenue to treat these neurodegenerative diseases. It was previously known that the porphyrin TMPyP4 binds to G4C2 repeat RNA. However, the consequences of this interaction have not been well characterized. Here, we confirmed that TMPyP4 inhibits C9orf72 G4C2 repeat translation in cellular and in in vitro translation systems. An artificial insertion of an AUG codon failed to cancel the translation inhibition, suggesting that TMPyP4 acts downstream of non-AUG translation initiation. Polysome profiling assays also revealed polysome retention on G4C2 repeat RNA, along with inhibition of translation, indicating that elongating ribosomes stall on G4C2 repeat RNA. Urea-resistant interaction between G4C2 repeat RNA and TMPyP4 likely contributes to this ribosome stalling and thus to selective inhibition of RAN translation. Taken together, our data reveal a novel mode of action of TMPyP4 as an inhibitor of G4C2 repeat translation elongation.
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23
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Novak V, Rogelj B, Župunski V. Therapeutic Potential of Polyphenols in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10081328. [PMID: 34439576 PMCID: PMC8389294 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10081328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are severe neurodegenerative disorders that belong to a common disease spectrum. The molecular and cellular aetiology of the spectrum is a highly complex encompassing dysfunction in many processes, including mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. There is a paucity of treatment options aside from therapies with subtle effects on the post diagnostic lifespan and symptom management. This presents great interest and necessity for the discovery and development of new compounds and therapies with beneficial effects on the disease. Polyphenols are secondary metabolites found in plant-based foods and are well known for their antioxidant activity. Recent research suggests that they also have a diverse array of neuroprotective functions that could lead to better treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. We present an overview of the effects of various polyphenols in cell line and animal models of ALS/FTD. Furthermore, possible mechanisms behind actions of the most researched compounds (resveratrol, curcumin and green tea catechins) are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Novak
- Chair of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (V.N.); (B.R.)
| | - Boris Rogelj
- Chair of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (V.N.); (B.R.)
- Department of Biotechnology, Jozef Stefan Institute, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Vera Župunski
- Chair of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (V.N.); (B.R.)
- Correspondence:
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24
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Chien HM, He RY, Lee CC, Huang YA, Hung IJ, Hou KT, Hsiao JC, Lu PC, Agnihotri D, Hwang E, Huang JJ. Nanoscopic investigation of C9orf72 poly-GA oligomers on nuclear membrane disruption by a photoinducible platform. Commun Chem 2021; 4:111. [PMID: 36697556 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-021-00547-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycine-alanine dipeptide repeats (GA DPRs) translated from the mutated C9orf72 gene have recently been correlated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While GA DPRs aggregates have been suggested as amyloid, the biophysical features and cytotoxicity of GA DPRs oligomers has not been explored due to its unstable nature. In this study, we develop a photoinducible platform based on methoxynitrobenzene chemistry to enrich GA DPRs that allows monitoring the oligomerization process of GA DPRs in cells. By applying advanced microscopies, we examined the GA DPRs oligomerization process nanoscopically in a time-dependent manner. We provided direct evidences to demonstrate GA DPRs oligomers rather than nanofibrils disrupt nuclear membrane. Moreover, we found GA DPRs hamper nucleocytoplasmic transport in cells and cause cytosolic retention of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 in cortical neurons. Our results highlight the toxicity of GA DPRs oligomers, which is a key step toward elucidating the pathological roles of C9orf72 DPRs.
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25
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Frottin F, Pérez-Berlanga M, Hartl FU, Hipp MS. Multiple pathways of toxicity induced by C9orf72 dipeptide repeat aggregates and G 4C 2 RNA in a cellular model. eLife 2021; 10:62718. [PMID: 34161229 PMCID: PMC8221807 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The most frequent genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia is a G4C2 repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene. This expansion gives rise to translation of aggregating dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins, including poly-GA as the most abundant species. However, gain of toxic function effects have been attributed to either the DPRs or the pathological G4C2 RNA. Here, we analyzed in a cellular model the relative toxicity of DPRs and RNA. Cytoplasmic poly-GA aggregates, generated in the absence of G4C2 RNA, interfered with nucleocytoplasmic protein transport, but had little effect on cell viability. In contrast, nuclear poly-GA was more toxic, impairing nucleolar protein quality control and protein biosynthesis. Production of the G4C2 RNA strongly reduced viability independent of DPR translation and caused pronounced inhibition of nuclear mRNA export and protein biogenesis. Thus, while the toxic effects of G4C2 RNA predominate in the cellular model used, DPRs exert additive effects that may contribute to pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Frottin
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Manuela Pérez-Berlanga
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - F Ulrich Hartl
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Mark S Hipp
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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26
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Todd TW, McEachin ZT, Chew J, Burch AR, Jansen-West K, Tong J, Yue M, Song Y, Castanedes-Casey M, Kurti A, Dunmore JH, Fryer JD, Zhang YJ, San Millan B, Teijeira Bautista S, Arias M, Dickson D, Gendron TF, Sobrido MJ, Disney MD, Bassell GJ, Rossoll W, Petrucelli L. Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansions in c9FTD/ALS and SCA36 Confer Selective Patterns of Neurodegeneration In Vivo. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107616. [PMID: 32375043 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A G4C2 hexanucleotide repeat expansion in an intron of C9orf72 is the most common cause of frontal temporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (c9FTD/ALS). A remarkably similar intronic TG3C2 repeat expansion is associated with spinocerebellar ataxia 36 (SCA36). Both expansions are widely expressed, form RNA foci, and can undergo repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation to form similar dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs). Yet, these diseases result in the degeneration of distinct subsets of neurons. We show that the expression of these repeat expansions in mice is sufficient to recapitulate the unique features of each disease, including this selective neuronal vulnerability. Furthermore, only the G4C2 repeat induces the formation of aberrant stress granules and pTDP-43 inclusions. Overall, our results demonstrate that the pathomechanisms responsible for each disease are intrinsic to the individual repeat sequence, highlighting the importance of sequence-specific RNA-mediated toxicity in each disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany W Todd
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Zachary T McEachin
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Laboratory for Translational Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Jeannie Chew
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Alexander R Burch
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Karen Jansen-West
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Jimei Tong
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Mei Yue
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Yuping Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | | | - Aishe Kurti
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Judith H Dunmore
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - John D Fryer
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Yong-Jie Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Beatriz San Millan
- Rare Diseases and Pediatric Medicine Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain; Pathology Department, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo (CHUVI), SERGAS, Vigo, Spain
| | - Susana Teijeira Bautista
- Rare Diseases and Pediatric Medicine Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain; Pathology Department, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo (CHUVI), SERGAS, Vigo, Spain
| | - Manuel Arias
- Neurogenetics Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario, SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Dennis Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - María-Jesús Sobrido
- Neurogenetics Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario, SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Matthew D Disney
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Gary J Bassell
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Laboratory for Translational Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Wilfried Rossoll
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.
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27
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Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disease caused by degeneration of motor neurons (MNs). ALS pathogenic features include accumulation of misfolded proteins, glutamate excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction at distal axon terminals, and neuronal cytoskeleton changes. Synergies between loss of C9orf72 functions and gain of function by toxic effects of repeat expansions also contribute to C9orf72-mediated pathogenesis. However, the impact of haploinsufficiency of C9orf72 on neurons and in synaptic functions requires further examination. As the motor neurons degenerate, the disease symptoms will lead to neurotransmission deficiencies in the brain, spinal cord, and neuromuscular junction. Altered neuronal excitability, synaptic morphological changes, and C9orf72 protein and DPR localization at the synapses, suggest a potential involvement of C9orf72 at synapses. In this review article, we provide a conceptual framework for assessing the putative involvement of C9orf72 as a synaptopathy, and we explore the underlying and common disease mechanisms with other neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we reflect on the major challenges of understanding C9orf72-ALS as a synaptopathy focusing on integrating mitochondrial and neuronal cytoskeleton degeneration as biomarkers and potential targets to treat ALS neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes L Nishimura
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, UK Dementia Research Institute, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Arias
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, UK Dementia Research Institute, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,INEUROPA, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
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28
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Mayl K, Shaw CE, Lee YB. Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches in C9orf72 ALS-FTD. Biomedicines 2021; 9:601. [PMID: 34070550 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9060601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion mutation in the first intron of C9orf72 is the most common known genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Since the discovery in 2011, numerous pathogenic mechanisms, including both loss and gain of function, have been proposed. The body of work overall suggests that toxic gain of function arising from bidirectionally transcribed repeat RNA is likely to be the primary driver of disease. In this review, we outline the key pathogenic mechanisms that have been proposed to date and discuss some of the novel therapeutic approaches currently in development.
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29
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Zhang K, Wang A, Zhong K, Qi S, Wei C, Shu X, Tu WY, Xu W, Xia C, Xiao Y, Chen A, Bai L, Zhang J, Luo B, Wang W, Shen C. UBQLN2-HSP70 axis reduces poly-Gly-Ala aggregates and alleviates behavioral defects in the C9ORF72 animal model. Neuron 2021; 109:1949-1962.e6. [PMID: 33991504 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Expansion of a hexanucleotide repeat GGGGCC (G4C2) in the intron of the C9ORF72 gene is the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (C9-ALS/FTD). Transcripts carrying G4C2 repeat expansions generate neurotoxic dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins, including poly-Gly-Ala (poly-GA), which tends to form protein aggregates. Here, we demonstrate that UBQLN2, another ALS/FTD risk factor, is recruited to reduce poly-GA aggregates and alleviate poly-GA-induced neurotoxicity. UBQLN2 could recognize HSP70 ubiquitination, which facilitates the UBQLN2-HSP70-GA complex formation and promotes poly-GA degradation. ALS/FTD-related UBQLN2 mutants fail to bind HSP70 and clear poly-GA aggregates. Disruption of the interaction between UBQLN2 and HSP70 inhibits poly-GA aggregation in C9-ALS/FTD iPSC-derived neurons. Finally, enhancing HSP70 by the chemical compound 17AAG at the adult stage mitigates behavioral defects in poly-GA animals. Our findings suggest a critical role of the UBQLN2-HSP70 axis in protein aggregate clearance in C9-ALS/FTD.
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30
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Castelli LM, Huang WP, Lin YH, Chang KY, Hautbergue GM. Mechanisms of repeat-associated non-AUG translation in neurological microsatellite expansion disorders. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:775-92. [PMID: 33729487 DOI: 10.1042/BST20200690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation was discovered in 2011 in spinocerebellar ataxia type 8 (SCA8) and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). This non-canonical form of translation occurs in all reading frames from both coding and non-coding regions of sense and antisense transcripts carrying expansions of trinucleotide to hexanucleotide repeat sequences. RAN translation has since been reported in 7 of the 53 known microsatellite expansion disorders which mainly present with neurodegenerative features. RAN translation leads to the biosynthesis of low-complexity polymeric repeat proteins with aggregating and cytotoxic properties. However, the molecular mechanisms and protein factors involved in assembling functional ribosomes in absence of canonical AUG start codons remain poorly characterised while secondary repeat RNA structures play key roles in initiating RAN translation. Here, we briefly review the repeat expansion disorders, their complex pathogenesis and the mechanisms of physiological translation initiation together with the known factors involved in RAN translation. Finally, we discuss research challenges surrounding the understanding of pathogenesis and future directions that may provide opportunities for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for this group of incurable neurodegenerative diseases.
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31
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Schmitz A, Pinheiro Marques J, Oertig I, Maharjan N, Saxena S. Emerging Perspectives on Dipeptide Repeat Proteins in C9ORF72 ALS/FTD. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:637548. [PMID: 33679328 PMCID: PMC7930069 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.637548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a hexanucleotide expansion in the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 gene (C9ORF72). This hexanucleotide expansion consists of GGGGCC (G4C2) repeats that have been implicated to lead to three main modes of disease pathology: loss of function of the C9ORF72 protein, the generation of RNA foci, and the production of dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) through repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. Five different DPRs are currently known to be formed: glycine-alanine (GA) and glycine-arginine (GR) from the sense strand, proline-alanine (PA), and proline-arginine (PR) from the antisense strand, and glycine-proline (GP) from both strands. The exact contribution of each DPR to disease pathology is currently under intense scrutiny and is still poorly understood. However, recent advances in both neuropathological and cellular studies have provided us with clues enabling us to better understand the effect of individual DPRs on disease pathogenesis. In this review, we compile the current knowledge of specific DPR involvement on disease development and highlight recent advances, such as the impact of arginine-rich DPRs on nucleolar protein quality control, the correlation of poly-GR with neurodegeneration, and the possible involvement of chimeric DPR species. Further, we discuss recent findings regarding the mechanisms of RAN translation, its modulators, and other promising therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - João Pinheiro Marques
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Irina Oertig
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Niran Maharjan
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Smita Saxena
- Department of Neurology, Center for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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32
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Szebényi K, Wenger LMD, Sun Y, Dunn AWE, Limegrover CA, Gibbons GM, Conci E, Paulsen O, Mierau SB, Balmus G, Lakatos A. Human ALS/FTD brain organoid slice cultures display distinct early astrocyte and targetable neuronal pathology. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1542-54. [PMID: 34675437 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00923-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis overlapping with frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) is a fatal and currently untreatable disease characterized by rapid cognitive decline and paralysis. Elucidating initial cellular pathologies is central to therapeutic target development, but obtaining samples from presymptomatic patients is not feasible. Here, we report the development of a cerebral organoid slice model derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that recapitulates mature cortical architecture and displays early molecular pathology of C9ORF72 ALS/FTD. Using a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing and biological assays, we reveal distinct transcriptional, proteostasis and DNA repair disturbances in astroglia and neurons. We show that astroglia display increased levels of the autophagy signaling protein P62 and that deep layer neurons accumulate dipeptide repeat protein poly(GA), DNA damage and undergo nuclear pyknosis that could be pharmacologically rescued by GSK2606414. Thus, patient-specific iPSC-derived cortical organoid slice cultures are a reproducible translational platform to investigate preclinical ALS/FTD mechanisms as well as novel therapeutic approaches.
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Rostalski H, Hietanen T, Leskelä S, Behánová A, Abdollahzadeh A, Wittrahm R, Mäkinen P, Huber N, Hoffmann D, Solje E, Remes AM, Natunen T, Takalo M, Tohka J, Hiltunen M, Haapasalo A. BV-2 Microglial Cells Overexpressing C9orf72 Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansion Produce DPR Proteins and Show Normal Functionality but No RNA Foci. Front Neurol 2020; 11:550140. [PMID: 33123074 PMCID: PMC7573144 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.550140] [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: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in the chromosome 9 open-reading frame 72 (C9orf72) gene is the most common genetic cause underpinning frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It leads to the accumulation of toxic RNA foci and various dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins into cells. These C9orf72 HRE-specific hallmarks are abundant in neurons. So far, the role of microglia, the immune cells of the brain, in C9orf72 HRE-associated FTLD/ALS is unclear. In this study, we overexpressed C9orf72 HRE of a pathological length in the BV-2 microglial cell line and used biochemical methods and fluorescence imaging to investigate its effects on their phenotype, viability, and functionality. We found that BV-2 cells expressing the C9orf72 HRE presented strong expression of specific DPR proteins but no sense RNA foci. Transiently increased levels of cytoplasmic TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), slightly altered levels of p62 and lysosome-associated membrane protein (LAMP) 2A, and reduced levels of polyubiquitinylated proteins, but no signs of cell death were detected in HRE overexpressing cells. Overexpression of the C9orf72 HRE did not affect BV-2 cell phagocytic activity or response to an inflammatory stimulus, nor did it shift their RNA profile toward disease-associated microglia. These findings suggest that DPR proteins do not affect microglial cell viability or functionality in BV-2 cells. However, additional studies in other models are required to further elucidate the role of C9orf72 HRE in microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Rostalski
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tomi Hietanen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Stina Leskelä
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Andrea Behánová
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ali Abdollahzadeh
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Rebekka Wittrahm
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Petra Mäkinen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Nadine Huber
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Dorit Hoffmann
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Eino Solje
- Institute of Clinical Medicine-Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Neuro Center, Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anne M Remes
- Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Medical Research Center (MRC) Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Teemu Natunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mari Takalo
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jussi Tohka
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mikko Hiltunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Annakaisa Haapasalo
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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Hao Z, Wang R, Ren H, Wang G. Role of the C9ORF72 Gene in the Pathogenesis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Neurosci Bull 2020; 36:1057-1070. [PMID: 32860626 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-020-00567-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the C9ORF72 gene in 2011, great advances have been achieved in its genetics and in identifying its role in disease models and pathological mechanisms; it is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). ALS patients with C9ORF72 expansion show heterogeneous symptoms. Those who are C9ORF72 expansion carriers have shorter survival after disease onset than non-C9ORF72 expansion patients. Pathological and clinical features of C9ORF72 patients have been well mimicked via several models, including induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons and transgenic mice that were embedded with bacterial artificial chromosome construct and that overexpressing dipeptide repeat proteins. The mechanisms implicated in C9ORF72 pathology include DNA damage, changes of RNA metabolism, alteration of phase separation, and impairment of nucleocytoplasmic transport, which may underlie C9ORF72 expansion-related ALS/FTD and provide insight into non-C9ORF72 expansion-related ALS, FTD, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongbing Hao
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Haigang Ren
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Guanghui Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
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35
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Solomon DA, Mitchell JC, Salcher-Konrad MT, Vance CA, Mizielinska S. Review: Modelling the pathology and behaviour of frontotemporal dementia. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2020; 45:58-80. [PMID: 30582188 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) encompasses a collection of clinically and pathologically diverse neurological disorders. Clinical features of behavioural and language dysfunction are associated with neurodegeneration, predominantly of frontal and temporal cortices. Over the past decade, there have been significant advances in the understanding of the genetic aetiology and neuropathology of FTD which have led to the creation of various disease models to investigate the molecular pathways that contribute to disease pathogenesis. The generation of in vivo models of FTD involves either targeting genes with known disease-causative mutations such as GRN and C9orf72 or genes encoding proteins that form the inclusions that characterize the disease pathologically, such as TDP-43 and FUS. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the different in vivo model systems used to understand pathomechanisms in FTD, with a focus on disease models which reproduce aspects of the wide-ranging behavioural phenotypes seen in people with FTD. We discuss the emerging disease pathways that have emerged from these in vivo models and how this has shaped our understanding of disease mechanisms underpinning FTD. We also discuss the challenges of modelling the complex clinical symptoms shown by people with FTD, the confounding overlap with features of motor neuron disease, and the drive to make models more disease-relevant. In summary, in vivo models can replicate many pathological and behavioural aspects of clinical FTD, but robust and thorough investigations utilizing shared features and variability between disease models will improve the disease-relevance of findings and thus better inform therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Solomon
- UK Dementia Research Institute, King's College London, London, Camberwell, UK.,Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
| | - J C Mitchell
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
| | - M-T Salcher-Konrad
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
| | - C A Vance
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
| | - S Mizielinska
- UK Dementia Research Institute, King's College London, London, Camberwell, UK.,Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
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36
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He F, Flores BN, Krans A, Frazer M, Natla S, Niraula S, Adefioye O, Barmada SJ, Todd PK. The carboxyl termini of RAN translated GGGGCC nucleotide repeat expansions modulate toxicity in models of ALS/FTD. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:122. [PMID: 32753055 PMCID: PMC7401224 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01002-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An intronic hexanucleotide repeat expansion in C9ORF72 causes familial and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). This repeat is thought to elicit toxicity through RNA mediated protein sequestration and repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs). We generated a series of transgenic Drosophila models expressing GGGGCC (G4C2) repeats either inside of an artificial intron within a GFP reporter or within the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of GFP placed in different downstream reading frames. Expression of 484 intronic repeats elicited minimal alterations in eye morphology, viability, longevity, or larval crawling but did trigger RNA foci formation, consistent with prior reports. In contrast, insertion of repeats into the 5' UTR elicited differential toxicity that was dependent on the reading frame of GFP relative to the repeat. Greater toxicity correlated with a short and unstructured carboxyl terminus (C-terminus) in the glycine-arginine (GR) RAN protein reading frame. This change in C-terminal sequence triggered nuclear accumulation of all three RAN DPRs. A similar differential toxicity and dependence on the GR C-terminus was observed when repeats were expressed in rodent neurons. The presence of the native C-termini across all three reading frames was partly protective. Taken together, these findings suggest that C-terminal sequences outside of the repeat region may alter the behavior and toxicity of dipeptide repeat proteins derived from GGGGCC repeats.
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37
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Buckner N, Kemp KC, Scott HL, Shi G, Rivers C, Gialeli A, Wong LF, Cordero-LLana O, Allen N, Wilkins A, Uney JB. Abnormal scaffold attachment factor 1 expression and localization in spinocerebellar ataxias and Huntington's chorea. Brain Pathol 2020; 30:1041-1055. [PMID: 32580238 PMCID: PMC8018166 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12872] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
SAFB1 is a DNA and RNA binding protein that is highly expressed in the cerebellum and hippocampus and is involved in the processing of coding and non-coding RNAs, splicing and dendritic function. We analyzed SAFB1 expression in the post-mortem brain tissue of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), Huntington's disease (HD), Multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease patients and controls. In SCA cases, the expression of SAFB1 in the nucleus was increased and there was abnormal and extensive expression in the cytoplasm where it co-localized with the markers of Purkinje cell injury. Significantly, no SAFB1 expression was found in the cerebellar neurons of the dentate nucleus in control or MS patients; however, in SCA patients, SAFB1 expression was increased significantly in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of dentate neurons. In HD, we found that SAFB1 expression was increased in the nucleus and cytoplasm of striatal neurons; however, there was no SAFB1 staining in the striatal neurons of controls. In PD substantia nigra, we did not see any changes in neuronal SAFB1 expression. iCLIP analysis found that SAFB1 crosslink sites within ATXN1 RNA were adjacent to the start and within the glutamine repeat sequence. Further investigation found increased binding of SAFB1 to pathogenic ATXN1-85Q mRNA. These novel data strongly suggest SAFB1 contributes to the etiology of SCA and Huntington's chorea and that it may be a pathological marker of polyglutamine repeat expansion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Buckner
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kevin C Kemp
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Helen L Scott
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Gongyu Shi
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Caroline Rivers
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andriana Gialeli
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Liang-Fong Wong
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Oscar Cordero-LLana
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Alastair Wilkins
- Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - James B Uney
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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38
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Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that targets motor neurons (MNs) in the brain and spinal cord. It leads to gradual loss of motor signals to muscles leading to atrophy and weakness. Most patients do not survive for more than 3–5 years after disease onset. Current ALS treatments provide only a small delay of disease progression. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to explore new therapeutic approaches. One of the major hindrances in achieving this goal is poor understanding of causes of the disease. ALS has complex pathophysiological mechanisms in its genetic and sporadic forms. Protein aggregates are a common hallmark of ALS regardless of cause making protein pathways attractive therapeutic targets in ALS. Here, we provide an overview of compounds in different stages of pharmacological development and their protein pathway targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinder Malik
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Martina Wiedau
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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39
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Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disease that is defined by loss of upper and lower motor neurons, associated with accumulation of protein aggregates in cells. There is also pathology in extra-motor areas of the brain, Possible causes of cell death include failure to deal with the aggregated proteins, glutamate toxicity and mitochondrial failure. ALS also involves abnormalities of metabolism and the immune system, including neuroinflammation in the brain and spinal cord. Strikingly, there are also abnormalities of the peripheral immune system, with alterations of T lymphocytes, monocytes, complement and cytokines in the peripheral blood of patients with ALS. The precise contribution of the peripheral immune system in ALS pathogenesis is an active area of research. Although some trials of immunomodulatory agents have been negative, there is strong preclinical evidence of benefit from immune modulation and further trials are currently underway. Here, we review the emerging evidence implicating peripheral immune alterations contributing to ALS, and their potential as future therapeutic targets for clinical intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela A. McCombe
- Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Wesley Medical Research, The Wesley Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - John D. Lee
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Trent M. Woodruff
- Wesley Medical Research, The Wesley Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Montembeault M, Sayah S, Rinaldi D, Le Toullec B, Bertrand A, Funkiewiez A, Saracino D, Camuzat A, Couratier P, Chouly M, Hannequin D, Aubier-Girard C, Pasquier F, Delbeuck X, Colliot O, Batrancourt B, Azuar C, Lévy R, Dubois B, Le Ber I, Migliaccio R. Cognitive inhibition impairments in presymptomatic C9orf72 carriers. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 91:366-372. [PMID: 32054668 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2019-322242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate cognitive inhibition in presymptomatic C9orf72 mutation carriers (C9+) and its associated neuroanatomical correlates. METHODS Thirty-eight presymptomatic C9orf72 mutation carriers (C9+, mean age 38.2±8.0 years) and 22 C9- controls from the PREV-DEMALS cohort were included in this study. They underwent a cognitive inhibition assessment with the Hayling Sentence Completion Test (HSCT; time to completion (part B-part A); error score in part B) as well as a 3D MRI. RESULTS C9+ individuals younger than 40 years had higher error scores (part B) but equivalent HSCT time to completion (part B-part A) compared to C9- individuals. C9+ individuals older than 40 years had both higher error scores and longer time to completion. HSCT time to completion significantly predicted the proximity to estimated clinical conversion from presymptomatic to symptomatic phase in C9+ individuals (based on the average age at onset of affected relatives in the family). Anatomically, we found that HSCT time to completion was associated with the integrity of the cerebellum. CONCLUSION The HSCT represents a good marker of cognitive inhibition impairments in C9+ and of proximity to clinical conversion. This study also highlights the key role of the cerebellum in cognitive inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Montembeault
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,FrontLab, Paris, France.,Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sabrina Sayah
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Daisy Rinaldi
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Reference Centre for Rare of Early Onset Dementias, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Le Toullec
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Reference Centre for Rare of Early Onset Dementias, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Anne Bertrand
- Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 06, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle Épinière, FrontLAB, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.,Aramis Project Team, Inria Research Center of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Aurélie Funkiewiez
- Reference Centre for Rare of Early Onset Dementias, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.,Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Centre of Excellence of Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Dario Saracino
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Reference Centre for Rare of Early Onset Dementias, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.,Aramis Project Team, Inria Research Center of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Agnès Camuzat
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du motoneurone, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, Limoges, France.,Centre de Compétence Démences Rares, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Marianne Chouly
- Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du motoneurone, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, Limoges, France.,Centre de Compétence Démences Rares, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Didier Hannequin
- Centre National de Référence pour les Malades Alzheimer Jeunes, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rouen, INSERM 1245, Rouen, France.,Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rouen, Rouen, France
| | - Carole Aubier-Girard
- Centre National de Référence pour les Malades Alzheimer Jeunes, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rouen, INSERM 1245, Rouen, France.,Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rouen, Rouen, France
| | - Florence Pasquier
- Université de Lille, INSERM U1171, Centre de la mémoire (CMRR), Centre national de référence pour les malades Alzheimer jeunes (CNRMAJ), CHU Lille, Development of Innovative Strategies for a Transdisciplinary approach to ALZheimer's disease (DistAlz), Lille, France
| | - Xavier Delbeuck
- Université de Lille, INSERM U1171, Centre de la mémoire (CMRR), Centre national de référence pour les malades Alzheimer jeunes (CNRMAJ), CHU Lille, Development of Innovative Strategies for a Transdisciplinary approach to ALZheimer's disease (DistAlz), Lille, France
| | - Olivier Colliot
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Aramis Project Team, Inria Research Center of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Bénédicte Batrancourt
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,FrontLab, Paris, France
| | - Carole Azuar
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,FrontLab, Paris, France.,Reference Centre for Rare of Early Onset Dementias, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Richard Lévy
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,FrontLab, Paris, France.,Reference Centre for Rare of Early Onset Dementias, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Dubois
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Reference Centre for Rare of Early Onset Dementias, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Le Ber
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,FrontLab, Paris, France.,Reference Centre for Rare of Early Onset Dementias, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Raffaella Migliaccio
- Inserm U1127, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France .,Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,FrontLab, Paris, France.,Reference Centre for Rare of Early Onset Dementias, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
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41
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Khosravi B, LaClair KD, Riemenschneider H, Zhou Q, Frottin F, Mareljic N, Czuppa M, Farny D, Hartmann H, Michaelsen M, Arzberger T, Hartl FU, Hipp MS, Edbauer D. Cell-to-cell transmission of C9orf72 poly-(Gly-Ala) triggers key features of ALS/FTD. EMBO J 2020; 39:e102811. [PMID: 32175624 PMCID: PMC7156967 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019102811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [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: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The C9orf72 repeat expansion causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, but the poor correlation between C9orf72‐specific pathology and TDP‐43 pathology linked to neurodegeneration hinders targeted therapeutic development. Here, we addressed the role of the aggregating dipeptide repeat proteins resulting from unconventional translation of the repeat in all reading frames. Poly‐GA promoted cytoplasmic mislocalization and aggregation of TDP‐43 non‐cell‐autonomously, and anti‐GA antibodies ameliorated TDP‐43 mislocalization in both donor and receiver cells. Cell‐to‐cell transmission of poly‐GA inhibited proteasome function in neighboring cells. Importantly, proteasome inhibition led to the accumulation of TDP‐43 ubiquitinated within the nuclear localization signal (NLS) at lysine 95. Mutagenesis of this ubiquitination site completely blocked poly‐GA‐dependent mislocalization of TDP‐43. Boosting proteasome function with rolipram reduced both poly‐GA and TDP‐43 aggregation. Our data from cell lines, primary neurons, transgenic mice, and patient tissue suggest that poly‐GA promotes TDP‐43 aggregation by inhibiting the proteasome cell‐autonomously and non‐cell‐autonomously, which can be prevented by inhibiting poly‐GA transmission with antibodies or boosting proteasome activity with rolipram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahram Khosravi
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Qihui Zhou
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Frédéric Frottin
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Nikola Mareljic
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Mareike Czuppa
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Farny
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | | | - Meike Michaelsen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Arzberger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - F Ulrich Hartl
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Mark S Hipp
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Dieter Edbauer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
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42
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Zhou Q, Mareljic N, Michaelsen M, Parhizkar S, Heindl S, Nuscher B, Farny D, Czuppa M, Schludi C, Graf A, Krebs S, Blum H, Feederle R, Roth S, Haass C, Arzberger T, Liesz A, Edbauer D. Active poly-GA vaccination prevents microglia activation and motor deficits in a C9orf72 mouse model. EMBO Mol Med 2020; 12:e10919. [PMID: 31858749 PMCID: PMC7005532 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201910919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [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: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The C9orf72 repeat expansion is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and/or frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Non-canonical translation of the expanded repeat results in abundant poly-GA inclusion pathology throughout the CNS. (GA)149 -CFP expression in mice triggers motor deficits and neuroinflammation. Since poly-GA is transmitted between cells, we investigated the therapeutic potential of anti-GA antibodies by vaccinating (GA)149 -CFP mice. To overcome poor immunogenicity, we compared the antibody response of multivalent ovalbumin-(GA)10 conjugates and pre-aggregated carrier-free (GA)15 . Only ovalbumin-(GA)10 immunization induced a strong anti-GA response. The resulting antisera detected poly-GA aggregates in cell culture and patient tissue. Ovalbumin-(GA)10 immunization largely rescued the motor function in (GA)149 -CFP transgenic mice and reduced poly-GA inclusions. Transcriptome analysis showed less neuroinflammation in ovalbumin-(GA)10 -immunized poly-GA mice, which was corroborated by semiquantitative and morphological analysis of microglia/macrophages. Moreover, cytoplasmic TDP-43 mislocalization and levels of the neurofilament light chain in the CSF were reduced, suggesting neuroaxonal damage is reduced. Our data suggest that immunotherapy may be a viable primary prevention strategy for ALS/FTD in C9orf72 mutation carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihui Zhou
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy)MunichGermany
| | - Nikola Mareljic
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
| | - Meike Michaelsen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
| | - Samira Parhizkar
- Chair of Metabolic BiochemistryBiomedical Center (BMC)Faculty of MedicineLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MunichMunichGermany
| | - Steffanie Heindl
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia ResearchLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichMunichGermany
| | - Brigitte Nuscher
- Chair of Metabolic BiochemistryBiomedical Center (BMC)Faculty of MedicineLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MunichMunichGermany
| | - Daniel Farny
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
| | - Mareike Czuppa
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
| | - Carina Schludi
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
| | - Alexander Graf
- Laboratory for Functional Genome AnalysisGene CenterLudwig Maximilian University of MunichMunichGermany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome AnalysisGene CenterLudwig Maximilian University of MunichMunichGermany
| | - Helmut Blum
- Laboratory for Functional Genome AnalysisGene CenterLudwig Maximilian University of MunichMunichGermany
| | - Regina Feederle
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy)MunichGermany
- Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility and Research GroupInstitute for Diabetes and ObesityHelmholtz Zentrum MünchenGerman Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH)MunichGermany
| | - Stefan Roth
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy)MunichGermany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia ResearchLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichMunichGermany
| | - Christian Haass
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy)MunichGermany
- Chair of Metabolic BiochemistryBiomedical Center (BMC)Faculty of MedicineLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MunichMunichGermany
| | - Thomas Arzberger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy)MunichGermany
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion ResearchLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichMunichGermany
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity HospitalLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichMunichGermany
| | - Arthur Liesz
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy)MunichGermany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia ResearchLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichMunichGermany
| | - Dieter Edbauer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), MunichMunichGermany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy)MunichGermany
- Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichMunichGermany
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43
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Boivin M, Pfister V, Gaucherot A, Ruffenach F, Negroni L, Sellier C, Charlet-Berguerand N. Reduced autophagy upon C9ORF72 loss synergizes with dipeptide repeat protein toxicity in G4C2 repeat expansion disorders. EMBO J 2020; 39:e100574. [PMID: 31930538 PMCID: PMC7024836 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2018100574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of G4C2 repeats within the C9ORF72 gene is the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Such repeats lead to decreased expression of the autophagy regulator C9ORF72 protein. Furthermore, sense and antisense repeats are translated into toxic dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins. It is unclear how these repeats are translated, and in which way their translation and the reduced expression of C9ORF72 modulate repeat toxicity. Here, we found that sense and antisense repeats are translated upon initiation at canonical AUG or near‐cognate start codons, resulting in polyGA‐, polyPG‐, and to a lesser degree polyGR‐DPR proteins. However, accumulation of these proteins is prevented by autophagy. Importantly, reduced C9ORF72 levels lead to suboptimal autophagy, thereby impairing clearance of DPR proteins and causing their toxic accumulation, ultimately resulting in neuronal cell death. Of clinical importance, pharmacological compounds activating autophagy can prevent neuronal cell death caused by DPR proteins accumulation. These results suggest the existence of a double‐hit pathogenic mechanism in ALS/FTD, whereby reduced expression of C9ORF72 synergizes with DPR protein accumulation and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Boivin
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Véronique Pfister
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Angeline Gaucherot
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Frank Ruffenach
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Luc Negroni
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Chantal Sellier
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Nicolas Charlet-Berguerand
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France
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44
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Abstract
Several neurodegenerative disorders like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) are caused by non-coding nucleotide repeat expansions. Different pathogenic mechanisms may underlie these non-coding repeat expansion disorders. While gain-of-function mechanisms, such as toxicity associated with expression of repeat RNA or toxicity associated with repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) products, are most frequently connected with these disorders, loss-of-function mechanisms have also been implicated. We review the different pathways that have been linked to non-coding repeat expansion disorders such as C9ORF72-linked ALS/frontotemporal dementia (FTD), myotonic dystrophy, fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), SCA, and Huntington's disease-like 2. We discuss modes of RNA toxicity focusing on the identity and the interacting partners of the toxic RNA species. Using the C9ORF72 ALS/FTD paradigm, we further explore the efforts and different methods used to disentangle RNA vs. RAN toxicity. Overall, we conclude that there is ample evidence for a role of RNA toxicity in non-coding repeat expansion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Swinnen
- Department of NeurosciencesExperimental NeurologyLeuven Brain Institute (LBI)KU Leuven – University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory of NeurobiologyVIB, Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospitals LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Wim Robberecht
- Department of NeurosciencesExperimental NeurologyLeuven Brain Institute (LBI)KU Leuven – University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory of NeurobiologyVIB, Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospitals LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of NeurosciencesExperimental NeurologyLeuven Brain Institute (LBI)KU Leuven – University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory of NeurobiologyVIB, Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
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45
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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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46
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McCombe PA, Henderson RD, Lee A, Lee JD, Woodruff TM, Restuadi R, McRae A, Wray NR, Ngo S, Steyn FJ. Gut microbiota in ALS: possible role in pathogenesis? Expert Rev Neurother 2019; 19:785-805. [PMID: 31122082 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2019.1623026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: The gut microbiota has important roles in maintaining human health. The microbiota and its metabolic byproducts could play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Areas covered: The authors evaluate the methods of assessing the gut microbiota, and also review how the gut microbiota affects the various physiological functions of the gut. The authors then consider how gut dysbiosis could theoretically affect the pathogenesis of ALS. They present the current evidence regarding the composition of the gut microbiota in ALS and in rodent models of ALS. Finally, the authors review therapies that could improve gut dysbiosis in the context of ALS. Expert opinion: Currently reported studies suggest some instances of gut dysbiosis in ALS patients and mouse models; however, these studies are limited, and more information with well-controlled larger datasets is required to make a definitive judgment about the role of the gut microbiota in ALS pathogenesis. Overall this is an emerging field that is worthy of further investigation. The authors advocate for larger studies using modern metagenomic techniques to address the current knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela A McCombe
- Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.,Wesley Medical Research, Level 8 East Wing, The Wesley Hospital , Brisbane , Australia.,Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital , Brisbane , Australia.,School of Medicine, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
| | - Robert D Henderson
- Wesley Medical Research, Level 8 East Wing, The Wesley Hospital , Brisbane , Australia.,Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital , Brisbane , Australia.,School of Medicine, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
| | - Aven Lee
- Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
| | - John D Lee
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
| | - Trent M Woodruff
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
| | - Restuadi Restuadi
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
| | - Allan McRae
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
| | - Naomi R Wray
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
| | - Shyuan Ngo
- Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.,Wesley Medical Research, Level 8 East Wing, The Wesley Hospital , Brisbane , Australia.,Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital , Brisbane , Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.,Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
| | - Frederik J Steyn
- Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.,Wesley Medical Research, Level 8 East Wing, The Wesley Hospital , Brisbane , Australia.,Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital , Brisbane , Australia.,Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia
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47
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Xu W, Bao P, Jiang X, Wang H, Qin M, Wang R, Wang T, Yang Y, Lorenzini I, Liao L, Sattler R, Xu J. Reactivation of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay protects against C9orf72 dipeptide-repeat neurotoxicity. Brain 2019; 142:1349-1364. [PMID: 30938419 PMCID: PMC6487333 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [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: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a deleterious neurodegenerative disease without effective treatment options. Recent studies have indicated the involvement of the dysregulation of RNA metabolism in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Among the various RNA regulatory machineries, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a stress responsive cellular surveillance system that degrades selected mRNA substrates to prevent the translation of defective or harmful proteins. Whether this pathway is affected in neurodegenerative diseases is unclear. Here we report the inhibition of NMD by arginine-rich dipeptide repeats derived from C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion, the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Bioinformatic analysis of multiple transcriptome profiles revealed significant overlap of upregulated genes in NMD-defective cells with those in the brain tissues, micro-dissected motor neurons, or induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons specifically from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients carrying C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion, suggesting the suppression of NMD pathway in these patients. Using Drosophila as a model, we have validated that the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion products could lead to the accumulation of the NMD substrates and identified arginine-rich dipeptide repeats, including poly glycine-arginine and poly proline-arginine, as the main culprits of NMD inhibition. Furthermore, in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and in mouse brains, expression of glycine-arginine with 36 repeats (GR36) was sufficient to cause NMD inhibition. In cells expressing GR36, stress granule accumulation was accompanied by decreased processing body formation, which contributed to the inhibition of NMD. Remarkably, expression of UPF1, a core gene in the NMD pathway, efficiently blocked neurotoxicity caused by arginine-rich dipeptide repeats in both cellular and Drosophila models. Although not as effective as UPF1, expression of another NMD gene UPF2 also ameliorated the degenerative phenotypes in dipeptide repeat-expressing flies, indicating that genetically reactivating the NMD pathway could suppress dipeptide repeat toxicity. Finally, after validating tranilast as an NMD-activating drug, we demonstrated the therapeutic potential of this asthma drug in cellular and Drosophila models of C9orf72 dipeptide repeat neurotoxicity. Therefore, our study has revealed a cellular mechanism whereby arginine-rich C9orf72 dipeptide repeats could inhibit NMD activities by reducing the abundance of processing bodies. Furthermore, our results suggested that activation of the NMD pathway could be a potential therapeutic strategy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with defective RNA metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangchao Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Puhua Bao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Haifang Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Meiling Qin
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruiqi Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ileana Lorenzini
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Dignity Health, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix AZ, USA
| | - Lujian Liao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rita Sattler
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Dignity Health, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix AZ, USA
| | - Jin Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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48
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Berson A, Goodman LD, Sartoris AN, Otte CG, Aykit JA, Lee VMY, Trojanowski JQ, Bonini NM. Drosophila Ref1/ALYREF regulates transcription and toxicity associated with ALS/FTD disease etiologies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:65. [PMID: 31036086 PMCID: PMC6487524 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0710-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but the underlying disease mechanisms remain unclear. In an unbiased screen in Drosophila for RBPs that genetically interact with TDP-43, we found that downregulation of the mRNA export factor Ref1 (fly orthologue to human ALYREF) mitigated TDP-43 induced toxicity. Further, Ref1 depletion also reduced toxicity caused by expression of the C9orf72 GGGGCC repeat expansion. Ref1 knockdown lowered the mRNA levels for these related disease genes and reduced the encoded proteins with no effect on a wild-type Tau disease transgene or a control transgene. Interestingly, expression of TDP-43 or the GGGGCC repeat expansion increased endogenous Ref1 mRNA levels in the fly brain. Further, the human orthologue ALYREF was upregulated by immunohistochemistry in ALS motor neurons, with the strongest upregulation occurring in ALS cases harboring the GGGGCC expansion in C9orf72. These data support ALYREF as a contributor to ALS/FTD and highlight its downregulation as a potential therapeutic target that may affect co-existing disease etiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Berson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Lindsey D Goodman
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ashley N Sartoris
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Charlton G Otte
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - James A Aykit
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Nancy M Bonini
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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49
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Abstract
During neurodegenerative disease, the multifunctional RNA-binding protein TDP-43 undergoes a vast array of post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation, and cleavage. Many of these alterations may directly contribute to the pathogenesis of TDP-43 proteinopathies, which include most forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and approximately half of all frontotemporal dementia, pathologically identified as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with TDP-43 pathology. However, the relative contributions of the various TDP-43 post-translational modifications to disease remain unclear, and indeed some may be secondary epiphenomena rather than disease-causative. It is therefore critical to determine the involvement of each modification in disease processes to allow the design of targeted treatments. In particular, TDP-43 C-terminal fragments (CTFs) accumulate in the brains of people with ALS and FTLD and are therefore described as a neuropathological signature of these diseases. Remarkably, these TDP-43 CTFs are rarely observed in the spinal cord, even in ALS which involves dramatic degeneration of spinal motor neurons. Therefore, TDP-43 CTFs are not produced non-specifically in the course of all forms of TDP-43-related neurodegeneration, but rather variably arise due to additional factors influenced by regional heterogeneity in the central nervous system. In this review, we summarize how TDP-43 CTFs are generated and degraded by cells, and critique evidence from studies of TDP-43 CTF pathology in human disease tissues, as well as cell and animal models, to analyze the pathophysiological relevance of TDP-43 CTFs to ALS and FTLD. Numerous studies now indicate that, although TDP-43 CTFs are prevalent in ALS and FTLD brains, disease-related pathology is only variably reproduced in TDP-43 CTF cell culture models. Furthermore, TDP-43 CTF expression in both transgenic and viral-mediated in vivo models largely fails to induce motor or behavioral dysfunction reminiscent of human disease. We therefore conclude that although TDP-43 CTFs are a hallmark of TDP-43-related neurodegeneration in the brain, they are not a primary cause of ALS or FTLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt A. Berning
- Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Adam K. Walker
- Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
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50
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Abstract
Microsatellite mutations involving the expansion of tri-, tetra-, penta-, or hexanucleotide repeats cause more than 40 different neurological disorders. Although, traditionally, the position of the repeat within or outside of an open reading frame has been used to focus research on disease mechanisms involving protein loss of function, protein gain of function, or RNA gain of function, the discoveries of bidirectional transcription and repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) have blurred these distinctions. Here we review what is known about RAN proteins in disease, the mechanisms by which they are produced, and the novel therapeutic opportunities they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien Nguyen
- Center for NeuroGenetics, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Genetics Institute, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA;
| | - John Douglas Cleary
- Center for NeuroGenetics, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Genetics Institute, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA;
| | - Laura P W Ranum
- Center for NeuroGenetics, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Genetics Institute, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA;
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