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Marques C, Held A, Dorfman K, Sung J, Song C, Kavuturu AS, Aguilar C, Russo T, Oakley DH, Albers MW, Hyman BT, Petrucelli L, Lagier-Tourenne C, Wainger BJ. Neuronal STING activation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:56. [PMID: 38478117 PMCID: PMC10937762 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02688-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While prior studies have focused on STING within immune cells, little is known about STING within neurons. Here, we document neuronal activation of the STING pathway in human postmortem cortical and spinal motor neurons from individuals affected by familial or sporadic ALS. This process takes place selectively in the most vulnerable cortical and spinal motor neurons but not in neurons that are less affected by the disease. Concordant STING activation in layer V cortical motor neurons occurs in a mouse model of C9orf72 repeat-associated ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). To establish that STING activation occurs in a neuron-autonomous manner, we demonstrate the integrity of the STING signaling pathway, including both upstream activators and downstream innate immune response effectors, in dissociated mouse cortical neurons and neurons derived from control human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Human iPSC-derived neurons harboring different familial ALS-causing mutations exhibit increased STING signaling with DNA damage as a main driver. The elevated downstream inflammatory markers present in ALS iPSC-derived neurons can be suppressed with a STING inhibitor. Our results reveal an immunophenotype that consists of innate immune signaling driven by the STING pathway and occurs specifically within vulnerable neurons in ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Marques
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Held
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Dorfman
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joon Sung
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Song
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amey S Kavuturu
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Corey Aguilar
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tommaso Russo
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Derek H Oakley
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark W Albers
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | | | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brian J Wainger
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Lee S, Jun YW, Linares GR, Butler B, Yuva-Adyemir Y, Moore J, Krishnan G, Ruiz-Juarez B, Santana M, Pons M, Silverman N, Weng Z, Ichida JK, Gao FB. Downregulation of Hsp90 and the antimicrobial peptide Mtk suppresses poly(GR)-induced neurotoxicity in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Neuron 2023; 111:1381-1390.e6. [PMID: 36931278 PMCID: PMC10264157 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.029] [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: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
GGGGCC repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repeat RNAs can be translated into dipeptide repeat proteins, including poly(GR), whose mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. In an RNA-seq analysis of poly(GR) toxicity in Drosophila, we found that several antimicrobial peptide genes, such as metchnikowin (Mtk), and heat shock protein (Hsp) genes are activated. Mtk knockdown in the fly eye or in all neurons suppresses poly(GR) neurotoxicity. These findings suggest a cell-autonomous role of Mtk in neurodegeneration. Hsp90 knockdown partially rescues both poly(GR) toxicity in flies and neurodegeneration in C9ORF72 motor neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Topoisomerase II (TopoII) regulates poly(GR)-induced upregulation of Hsp90 and Mtk. TopoII knockdown also suppresses poly(GR) toxicity in Drosophila and improves survival of C9ORF72 iPSC-derived motor neurons. These results suggest potential novel therapeutic targets for C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soojin Lee
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Yong-Woo Jun
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gabriel R Linares
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brandon Butler
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yeliz Yuva-Adyemir
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jill Moore
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gopinath Krishnan
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Bryan Ruiz-Juarez
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Manuel Santana
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marine Pons
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Neal Silverman
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Justin K Ichida
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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3
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Kinger S, Dubey AR, Kumar P, Jagtap YA, Choudhary A, Kumar A, Prajapati VK, Dhiman R, Mishra A. Molecular Chaperones' Potential against Defective Proteostasis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Cells 2023; 12:cells12091302. [PMID: 37174703 PMCID: PMC10177248 DOI: 10.3390/cells12091302] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuronal degenerative condition identified via a build-up of mutant aberrantly folded proteins. The native folding of polypeptides is mediated by molecular chaperones, preventing their pathogenic aggregation. The mutant protein expression in ALS is linked with the entrapment and depletion of chaperone capacity. The lack of a thorough understanding of chaperones' involvement in ALS pathogenesis presents a significant challenge in its treatment. Here, we review how the accumulation of the ALS-linked mutant FUS, TDP-43, SOD1, and C9orf72 proteins damage cellular homeostasis mechanisms leading to neuronal loss. Further, we discuss how the HSP70 and DNAJ family co-chaperones can act as potential targets for reducing misfolded protein accumulation in ALS. Moreover, small HSPB1 and HSPB8 chaperones can facilitate neuroprotection and prevent stress-associated misfolded protein apoptosis. Designing therapeutic strategies by pharmacologically enhancing cellular chaperone capacity to reduce mutant protein proteotoxic effects on ALS pathomechanisms can be a considerable advancement. Chaperones, apart from directly interacting with misfolded proteins for protein quality control, can also filter their toxicity by initiating strong stress-response pathways, modulating transcriptional expression profiles, and promoting anti-apoptotic functions. Overall, these properties of chaperones make them an attractive target for gaining fundamental insights into misfolded protein disorders and designing more effective therapies against ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Kinger
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur 342037, India
| | - Ankur Rakesh Dubey
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur 342037, India
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur 342037, India
| | - Yuvraj Anandrao Jagtap
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur 342037, India
| | - Akash Choudhary
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur 342037, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Discipline of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Indore 453552, India
| | - Vijay Kumar Prajapati
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer 305817, India
| | - Rohan Dhiman
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, India
| | - Amit Mishra
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur 342037, India
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4
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Bi SS, Talukder M, Sun XT, Lv MW, Ge J, Zhang C, Li JL. Cerebellar injury induced by cadmium via disrupting the heat-shock response. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:22550-22559. [PMID: 36301385 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23771-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a food contaminant that poses serious threats to animal health, including birds. It is also an air pollutant with well-known neurotoxic effects on humans. However, knowledge on the neurotoxic effects of chronic Cd exposure on chicken is limited. Thus, this study assessed the neurotoxic effects of chronic Cd on chicken cerebellum. Chicks were exposed to 0 (control), 35 (low), and 70 (high) mg/kg of Cd for 90 days, and the expression of genes related to the heat-shock response was investigated. The chickens showed clinical symptoms of ataxia, and histopathology revealed that Cd exposure decreased the number of Purkinje cells and induced degeneration of Purkinje cells with pyknosis, and some dendrites were missing. Moreover, Cd exposure increased the expression of heat-shock factors, HSF1, HSF2, and HSF3, and heat-shock proteins, HSP60, HSP70, HSP90, and HSP110. These changes indicate that HSPs improve the tolerance of the cerebellum to Cd. Conversely, the expressions of HSP10, HSP25, and HSP40 were decreased significantly, which indicated that Cd inhibits the expression of small heat-shock proteins. However, HSP27 and HSP47 were upregulated following low-dose Cd exposure, but downregulated under high-dose Cd exposure. This work sheds light on the toxic effects of Cd on the cerebellum, and it may provide evidence for health risks posed by Cd. Additionally, this work also identified a novel target of Cd exposure in that Cd induces cerebellar injury by disrupting the heat-shock response. Cd can be absorbed into chicken's cerebellum through the food chain, which eventually caused cerebellar injury. This study provided a new insight that chronic Cd-induced neurotoxicity in the cerebellum is associated with alterations in heat-shock response-related genes, which indicated that Cd through disturbing heat-shock response induced cerebellar injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Shuai Bi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Lu'an, 237012, People's Republic of China
| | - Milton Talukder
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Barishal, 8210, Bangladesh
| | - Xue-Tong Sun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Mei-Wei Lv
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Ge
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Cong Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Long Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of the Provincial Education, Department of Heilongjiang for Common Animal Disease Prevention and Treatment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China.
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China.
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5
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Limone F, Guerra San Juan I, Mitchell JM, Smith JLM, Raghunathan K, Meyer D, Ghosh SD, Couto A, Klim JR, Joseph BJ, Gold J, Mello CJ, Nemesh J, Smith BM, Verhage M, McCarroll SA, Pietiläinen O, Nehme R, Eggan K. Efficient generation of lower induced motor neurons by coupling Ngn2 expression with developmental cues. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111896. [PMID: 36596304 PMCID: PMC10117176 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111896] [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: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are a powerful tool for disease modeling of hard-to-access tissues (such as the brain). Current protocols either direct neuronal differentiation with small molecules or use transcription-factor-mediated programming. In this study, we couple overexpression of transcription factor Neurogenin2 (Ngn2) with small molecule patterning to differentiate hPSCs into lower induced motor neurons (liMoNes/liMNs). This approach induces canonical MN markers including MN-specific Hb9/MNX1 in more than 95% of cells. liMNs resemble bona fide hPSC-derived MN, exhibit spontaneous electrical activity, express synaptic markers, and can contact muscle cells in vitro. Pooled, multiplexed single-cell RNA sequencing on 50 hPSC lines reveals reproducible populations of distinct subtypes of cervical and brachial MNs that resemble their in vivo, embryonic counterparts. Combining small molecule patterning with Ngn2 overexpression facilitates high-yield, reproducible production of disease-relevant MN subtypes, which is fundamental in propelling our knowledge of MN biology and its disruption in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Limone
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Leiden University Medical Center, LUMC, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Irune Guerra San Juan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jana M Mitchell
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Janell L M Smith
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kavya Raghunathan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Daniel Meyer
- Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sulagna Dia Ghosh
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexander Couto
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Joseph R Klim
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brian J Joseph
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Centre, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - John Gold
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Curtis J Mello
- Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James Nemesh
- Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brittany M Smith
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Matthijs Verhage
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Steven A McCarroll
- Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Olli Pietiläinen
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ralda Nehme
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kevin Eggan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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Hegde KN, Srivastava A. Drosophila melanogaster as a Tool for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:36. [PMID: 36135369 PMCID: PMC9505035 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10030036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Reliable animal model systems are an integral part of biological research. Ever since Thomas Hunt Morgan won a Nobel Prize for genetic work done using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model organism, it has played a larger and more important role in genetic research. Drosophila models have long been used to study neurodegenerative diseases and have aided in identifying key disease progression biological pathways. Due to the availability of a vast array of genetic manipulation tools, its relatively short lifespan, and its ability to produce many progenies, D. melanogaster has provided the ability to conduct large-scale genetic screens to elucidate possible genetic and molecular interactions in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). With regards to ALS, many of the gene mutations that have been discovered to be linked to the disease have been modeled in Drosophila to provide a look into a detailed model of pathogenesis. The aim of this review is to summarize key and newer developments in ALS research that have utilized Drosophila and to provide insight into the profound use of Drosophila as a tool for modeling this disease.
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7
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Liu F, Morderer D, Wren MC, Vettleson-Trutza SA, Wang Y, Rabichow BE, Salemi MR, Phinney BS, Oskarsson B, Dickson DW, Rossoll W. Proximity proteomics of C9orf72 dipeptide repeat proteins identifies molecular chaperones as modifiers of poly-GA aggregation. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:22. [PMID: 35164882 PMCID: PMC8842533 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01322-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The most common inherited cause of two genetically and clinico-pathologically overlapping neurodegenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), is the presence of expanded GGGGCC intronic hexanucleotide repeats in the C9orf72 gene. Aside from haploinsufficiency and toxic RNA foci, another non-exclusive disease mechanism is the non-canonical translation of the repeat RNA into five different dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), which form neuronal inclusions in affected patient brains. While evidence from cellular and animal models supports a toxic gain-of-function of pathologic poly-GA, poly-GR, and poly-PR aggregates in promoting deposition of TDP-43 pathology and neurodegeneration in affected brain areas, the relative contribution of DPRs to the disease process in c9FTD/ALS patients remains unclear. Here we have used the proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) proximity proteomics approach to investigate the formation and collective composition of DPR aggregates using cellular models. While interactomes of arginine rich poly-GR and poly-PR aggregates overlapped and were enriched for nucleolar and ribosomal proteins, poly-GA aggregates demonstrated a distinct association with proteasomal components, molecular chaperones (HSPA1A/HSP70, HSPA8/HSC70, VCP/p97), co-chaperones (BAG3, DNAJA1A) and other factors that regulate protein folding and degradation (SQSTM1/p62, CALR, CHIP/STUB1). Experiments in cellular models of poly-GA pathology show that molecular chaperones and co-chaperones are sequestered to the periphery of dense cytoplasmic aggregates, causing depletion from their typical cellular localization. Their involvement in the pathologic process is confirmed in autopsy brain tissue, where HSPA8, BAG3, VCP, and its adapter protein UBXN6 show a close association with poly-GA aggregates in the frontal cortex, temporal cortex, and hippocampus of c9FTLD and c9ALS cases. The association of heat shock proteins and co-chaperones with poly-GA led us to investigate their potential role in reducing its aggregation. We identified HSP40 co-chaperones of the DNAJB family as potent modifiers that increased the solubility of poly-GA, highlighting a possible novel therapeutic avenue and a central role of molecular chaperones in the pathogenesis of human C9orf72-linked diseases.
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8
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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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9
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Klim JR, Pintacuda G, Nash LA, Guerra San Juan I, Eggan K. Connecting TDP-43 Pathology with Neuropathy. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:424-440. [PMID: 33832769 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43), a multifunctional nucleic acid-binding protein, is a primary component of insoluble aggregates associated with several devastating nervous system disorders; mutations in TARDBP, its encoding gene, are a cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we review established and emerging roles of TDP-43 and consider how its dysfunction impinges on RNA homeostasis in the nervous system, thereby contributing to neural degeneration. Notably, improper splicing of the axonal growth-associated factor STMN2 has recently been connected to TDP-43 dysfunction, providing a mechanistic link between TDP-43 proteinopathies and neuropathy. This review highlights how a deep understanding of the function of TDP-43 in the brain might be leveraged to develop new targeted therapies for several neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Klim
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Greta Pintacuda
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Leslie A Nash
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Irune Guerra San Juan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Kevin Eggan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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10
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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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11
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Krishnan G, Zhang Y, Gu Y, Kankel MW, Gao FB, Almeida S. CRISPR deletion of the C9ORF72 promoter in ALS/FTD patient motor neurons abolishes production of dipeptide repeat proteins and rescues neurodegeneration. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 140:81-4. [PMID: 32266467 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02154-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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12
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Abo-Rady M, Kalmbach N, Pal A, Schludi C, Janosch A, Richter T, Freitag P, Bickle M, Kahlert AK, Petri S, Stefanov S, Glass H, Staege S, Just W, Bhatnagar R, Edbauer D, Hermann A, Wegner F, Sterneckert JL. Knocking out C9ORF72 Exacerbates Axonal Trafficking Defects Associated with Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansion and Reduces Levels of Heat Shock Proteins. Stem Cell Reports 2020; 14:390-405. [PMID: 32084385 PMCID: PMC7066330 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) motor neurons (MNs) undergo dying-back, where the distal axon degenerates before the soma. The hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of ALS, but the mechanism of pathogenesis is largely unknown with both gain- and loss-of-function mechanisms being proposed. To better understand C9ORF72-ALS pathogenesis, we generated isogenic induced pluripotent stem cells. MNs with HRE in C9ORF72 showed decreased axonal trafficking compared with gene corrected MNs. However, knocking out C9ORF72 did not recapitulate these changes in MNs from healthy controls, suggesting a gain-of-function mechanism. In contrast, knocking out C9ORF72 in MNs with HRE exacerbated axonal trafficking defects and increased apoptosis as well as decreased levels of HSP70 and HSP40, and inhibition of HSPs exacerbated ALS phenotypes in MNs with HRE. Therefore, we propose that the HRE in C9ORF72 induces ALS pathogenesis via a combination of gain- and loss-of-function mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masin Abo-Rady
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Norman Kalmbach
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Arun Pal
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Carina Schludi
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Munich Cluster for System Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Antje Janosch
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Tanja Richter
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Petra Freitag
- Institut für Klinische Genetik, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Marc Bickle
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Anne-Karin Kahlert
- Institut für Klinische Genetik, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefan Stefanov
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Hannes Glass
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht-Kossel", Department of Neurology and Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
| | - Selma Staege
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Walter Just
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Dieter Edbauer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Munich Cluster for System Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), 01307 Dresden, Germany; Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht-Kossel", Department of Neurology and Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, 18147 Rostock, Germany
| | - Florian Wegner
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Jared L Sterneckert
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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13
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Filipi T, Hermanova Z, Tureckova J, Vanatko O, Anderova AM. Glial Cells-The Strategic Targets in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Treatment. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E261. [PMID: 31963681 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9010261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [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: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurological disease, which is characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons in the motor cortex and the spinal cord and subsequently by muscle atrophy. To date, numerous gene mutations have been linked to both sporadic and familial ALS, but the effort of many experimental groups to develop a suitable therapy has not, as of yet, proven successful. The original focus was on the degenerating motor neurons, when researchers tried to understand the pathological mechanisms that cause their slow death. However, it was soon discovered that ALS is a complicated and diverse pathology, where not only neurons, but also other cell types, play a crucial role via the so-called non-cell autonomous effect, which strongly deteriorates neuronal conditions. Subsequently, variable glia-based in vitro and in vivo models of ALS were established and used for brand-new experimental and clinical approaches. Such a shift towards glia soon bore its fruit in the form of several clinical studies, which more or less successfully tried to ward the unfavourable prognosis of ALS progression off. In this review, we aimed to summarize current knowledge regarding the involvement of each glial cell type in the progression of ALS, currently available treatments, and to provide an overview of diverse clinical trials covering pharmacological approaches, gene, and cell therapies.
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14
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Almeida S, Krishnan G, Rushe M, Gu Y, Kankel MW, Gao FB. Production of poly(GA) in C9ORF72 patient motor neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 138:1099-101. [PMID: 31624870 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02083-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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15
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Yuva-Aydemir Y, Almeida S, Krishnan G, Gendron TF, Gao FB. Transcription elongation factor AFF2/FMR2 regulates expression of expanded GGGGCC repeat-containing C9ORF72 allele in ALS/FTD. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5466. [PMID: 31784536 PMCID: PMC6884579 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13477-8] [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: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Expanded GGGGCC (G4C2) repeats in C9ORF72 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). How RNAs containing expanded G4C2 repeats are transcribed in human neurons is largely unknown. Here we describe a Drosophila model in which poly(GR) expression in adult neurons causes axonal and locomotor defects and premature death without apparent TDP-43 pathology. In an unbiased genetic screen, partial loss of Lilliputian (Lilli) activity strongly suppresses poly(GR) toxicity by specifically downregulating the transcription of GC-rich sequences in Drosophila. Knockout of AFF2/FMR2 (one of four mammalian homologues of Lilli) with CRISPR-Cas9 decreases the expression of the mutant C9ORF72 allele containing expanded G4C2 repeats and the levels of repeat RNA foci and dipeptide repeat proteins in cortical neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells of C9ORF72 patients, resulting in rescue of axonal degeneration and TDP-43 pathology. Thus, AFF2/FMR2 regulates the transcription and toxicity of expanded G4C2 repeats in human C9ORF72-ALS/FTD neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeliz Yuva-Aydemir
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Sandra Almeida
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
| | - Gopinath Krishnan
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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16
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Goodman LD, Prudencio M, Kramer NJ, Martinez-Ramirez LF, Srinivasan AR, Lan M, Parisi MJ, Zhu Y, Chew J, Cook CN, Berson A, Gitler AD, Petrucelli L, Bonini NM. Toxic expanded GGGGCC repeat transcription is mediated by the PAF1 complex in C9orf72-associated FTD. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:863-874. [PMID: 31110321 PMCID: PMC6535128 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0396-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [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: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
An expanded GGGGCC hexanucleotide of more than 30 repeats (termed (G4C2)30+) within C9orf72 is the most prominent mutation in familial frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (termed C9+). Through an unbiased large-scale screen of (G4C2)49-expressing Drosophila we identify the CDC73/PAF1 complex (PAF1C), a transcriptional regulator of RNA polymerase II, as a suppressor of G4C2-associated toxicity when knocked-down. Depletion of PAF1C reduces RNA and GR dipeptide production from (G4C2)30+ transgenes. Notably, in Drosophila, the PAF1C components Paf1 and Leo1 appear to be selective for the transcription of long, toxic repeat expansions, but not shorter, nontoxic expansions. In yeast, PAF1C components regulate the expression of both sense and antisense repeats. PAF1C is upregulated following (G4C2)30+ expression in flies and mice. In humans, PAF1 is also upregulated in C9+-derived cells, and its heterodimer partner, LEO1, binds C9+ repeat chromatin. In C9+ FTD, PAF1 and LEO1 are upregulated and their expression positively correlates with the expression of repeat-containing C9orf72 transcripts. These data indicate that PAF1C activity is an important factor for transcription of the long, toxic repeat in C9+ FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey D. Goodman
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Nicholas J. Kramer
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | | | - Matthews Lan
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael J. Parisi
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yongqing Zhu
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jeannie Chew
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Casey N. Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Amit Berson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aaron D. Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Nancy M. Bonini
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,corresponding author,
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17
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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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18
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Goodman LD, Prudencio M, Srinivasan AR, Rifai OM, Lee VMY, Petrucelli L, Bonini NM. eIF4B and eIF4H mediate GR production from expanded G4C2 in a Drosophila model for C9orf72-associated ALS. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:62. [PMID: 31023341 PMCID: PMC6485101 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0711-9] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of an expanded (GGGGCC)n repeat (termed G4C2) within the first intron of C9orf72 in familial ALS/FTD has led to a number of studies showing that the aberrant expression of G4C2 RNA can produce toxic dipeptides through repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN-) translation. To reveal canonical translation factors that impact this process, an unbiased loss-of-function screen was performed in a G4C2 fly model that maintained the upstream intronic sequence of the human gene and contained a GFP tag in the GR reading frame. 11 of 48 translation factors were identified that impact production of the GR-GFP protein. Further investigations into two of these, eIF4B and eIF4H, revealed that downregulation of these factors reduced toxicity caused by the expression of expanded G4C2 and reduced production of toxic GR dipeptides from G4C2 transcripts. In patient-derived cells and in post-mortem tissue from ALS/FTD patients, eIF4H was found to be downregulated in cases harboring the G4C2 mutation compared to patients lacking the mutation and healthy individuals. Overall, these data define eIF4B and eIF4H as disease modifiers whose activity is important for RAN-translation of the GR peptide from G4C2-transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey D. Goodman
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Mercedes Prudencio
- 0000 0004 0443 9942grid.417467.7Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224 USA
| | - Ananth R. Srinivasan
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Olivia M. Rifai
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Virginia M.-Y. Lee
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- 0000 0004 0443 9942grid.417467.7Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224 USA
| | - Nancy M. Bonini
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA ,0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
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19
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Zhang YJ, Guo L, Gonzales PK, Gendron TF, Wu Y, Jansen-West K, O'Raw AD, Pickles SR, Prudencio M, Carlomagno Y, Gachechiladze MA, Ludwig C, Tian R, Chew J, DeTure M, Lin WL, Tong J, Daughrity LM, Yue M, Song Y, Andersen JW, Castanedes-Casey M, Kurti A, Datta A, Antognetti G, McCampbell A, Rademakers R, Oskarsson B, Dickson DW, Kampmann M, Ward ME, Fryer JD, Link CD, Shorter J, Petrucelli L. Heterochromatin anomalies and double-stranded RNA accumulation underlie C9orf72 poly(PR) toxicity. Science 2019; 363:eaav2606. [PMID: 30765536 PMCID: PMC6524780 DOI: 10.1126/science.aav2606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [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: 09/02/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
How hexanucleotide GGGGCC (G4C2) repeat expansions in C9orf72 cause frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is not understood. We developed a mouse model engineered to express poly(PR), a proline-arginine (PR) dipeptide repeat protein synthesized from expanded G4C2 repeats. The expression of green fluorescent protein-conjugated (PR)50 (a 50-repeat PR protein) throughout the mouse brain yielded progressive brain atrophy, neuron loss, loss of poly(PR)-positive cells, and gliosis, culminating in motor and memory impairments. We found that poly(PR) bound DNA, localized to heterochromatin, and caused heterochromatin protein 1α (HP1α) liquid-phase disruptions, decreases in HP1α expression, abnormal histone methylation, and nuclear lamina invaginations. These aberrations of histone methylation, lamins, and HP1α, which regulate heterochromatin structure and gene expression, were accompanied by repetitive element expression and double-stranded RNA accumulation. Thus, we uncovered mechanisms by which poly(PR) may contribute to the pathogenesis of C9orf72-associated FTD and ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Jie Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Lin Guo
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Patrick K Gonzales
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Yanwei Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Aliesha D O'Raw
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Sarah R Pickles
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Mercedes Prudencio
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Yari Carlomagno
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Mariam A Gachechiladze
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Connor Ludwig
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ruilin Tian
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeannie Chew
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Michael DeTure
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Wen-Lang Lin
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Jimei Tong
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Mei Yue
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Yuping Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Aishe Kurti
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | | | - Rosa Rademakers
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Martin Kampmann
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael E Ward
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John D Fryer
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Christopher D Link
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
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