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Freischmidt A, Goswami A, Limm K, Zimyanin VL, Demestre M, Glaß H, Holzmann K, Helferich AM, Brockmann SJ, Tripathi P, Yamoah A, Poser I, Oefner PJ, Böckers TM, Aronica E, Ludolph AC, Andersen PM, Hermann A, Weis J, Reinders J, Danzer KM, Weishaupt JH. A serum microRNA sequence reveals fragile X protein pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain 2021; 144:1214-1229. [PMID: 33871026 PMCID: PMC8105042 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge about converging disease mechanisms in the heterogeneous syndrome amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is rare, but may lead to therapies effective in most ALS cases. Previously, we identified serum microRNAs downregulated in familial ALS, the majority of sporadic ALS patients, but also in presymptomatic mutation carriers. A 5-nucleotide sequence motif (GDCGG; D = G, A or U) was strongly enriched in these ALS-related microRNAs. We hypothesized that deregulation of protein(s) binding predominantly to this consensus motif was responsible for the ALS-linked microRNA fingerprint. Using microRNA pull-down assays combined with mass spectrometry followed by extensive biochemical validation, all members of the fragile X protein family, FMR1, FXR1 and FXR2, were identified to directly and predominantly interact with GDCGG microRNAs through their structurally disordered RGG/RG domains. Preferential association of this protein family with ALS-related microRNAs was confirmed by in vitro binding studies on a transcriptome-wide scale. Immunohistochemistry of lumbar spinal cord revealed aberrant expression level and aggregation of FXR1 and FXR2 in C9orf72- and FUS-linked familial ALS, but also patients with sporadic ALS. Further analysis of ALS autopsies and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons with FUS mutations showed co-aggregation of FXR1 with FUS. Hence, our translational approach was able to take advantage of blood microRNAs to reveal CNS pathology, and suggests an involvement of the fragile X-related proteins in familial and sporadic ALS already at a presymptomatic stage. The findings may uncover disease mechanisms relevant to many patients with ALS. They furthermore underscore the systemic, extra-CNS aspect of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Freischmidt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.,German Center For Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anand Goswami
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Katharina Limm
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Vitaly L Zimyanin
- Department of Neurology, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Maria Demestre
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hannes Glaß
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht-Kossel", Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Priyanka Tripathi
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alfred Yamoah
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ina Poser
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter J Oefner
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tobias M Böckers
- German Center For Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany.,Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.,German Center For Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Department of Neurology, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht-Kossel", Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany
| | - Joachim Weis
- Institute of Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jörg Reinders
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.,Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurology Department, University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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Brockmann SJ, Freischmidt A, Oeckl P, Müller K, Ponna SK, Helferich AM, Paone C, Reinders J, Kojer K, Orth M, Jokela M, Auranen M, Udd B, Hermann A, Danzer KM, Lichtner P, Walther P, Ludolph AC, Andersen PM, Otto M, Kursula P, Just S, Weishaupt JH. CHCHD10 mutations p.R15L and p.G66V cause motoneuron disease by haploinsufficiency. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:706-715. [PMID: 29315381 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the mitochondrially located protein CHCHD10 cause motoneuron disease by an unknown mechanism. In this study, we investigate the mutations p.R15L and p.G66V in comparison to wild-type CHCHD10 and the non-pathogenic variant p.P34S in vitro, in patient cells as well as in the vertebrate in vivo model zebrafish. We demonstrate a reduction of CHCHD10 protein levels in p.R15L and p.G66V mutant patient cells to approximately 50%. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that expression of CHCHD10 p.R15L, but not of CHCHD10 p.G66V, is already abrogated at the mRNA level. Altered secondary structure and rapid protein degradation are observed with regard to the CHCHD10 p.G66V mutant. In contrast, no significant differences in expression, degradation rate or secondary structure of non-pathogenic CHCHD10 p.P34S are detected when compared with wild-type protein. Knockdown of CHCHD10 expression in zebrafish to about 50% causes motoneuron pathology, abnormal myofibrillar structure and motility deficits in vivo. Thus, our data show that the CHCHD10 mutations p.R15L and p.G66V cause motoneuron disease primarily based on haploinsufficiency of CHCHD10.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patrick Oeckl
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Kathrin Müller
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Srinivas K Ponna
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Christoph Paone
- Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Jörg Reinders
- Institute for Functional Genomics, University Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Kojer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael Orth
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Manu Jokela
- Neuromuscular Research Center, Tampere University and University Hospital, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Mari Auranen
- Neurological Department, Helsinki University Hospital, 00029 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bjarne Udd
- Neuromuscular Research Center, Tampere University and University Hospital, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dresden Research Site, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Peter Lichtner
- Institute of Human Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Paul Walther
- Zentrale Einrichtung Elektronenmikroskopie, Universitaet Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Petri Kursula
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland.,Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Steffen Just
- Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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3
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Helferich AM, Brockmann SJ, Reinders J, Deshpande D, Holzmann K, Brenner D, Andersen PM, Petri S, Thal DR, Michaelis J, Otto M, Just S, Ludolph AC, Danzer KM, Freischmidt A, Weishaupt JH. Dysregulation of a novel miR-1825/TBCB/TUBA4A pathway in sporadic and familial ALS. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:4301-4319. [PMID: 30030593 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2873-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Genetic and functional studies suggest diverse pathways being affected in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), while knowledge about converging disease mechanisms is rare. We detected a downregulation of microRNA-1825 in CNS and extra-CNS system organs of both sporadic (sALS) and familial ALS (fALS) patients. Combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis revealed that reduced levels of microRNA-1825 caused a translational upregulation of tubulin-folding cofactor b (TBCB). Moreover, we found that excess TBCB led to depolymerization and degradation of tubulin alpha-4A (TUBA4A), which is encoded by a known ALS gene. Importantly, the increase in TBCB and reduction of TUBA4A protein was confirmed in brain cortex tissue of fALS and sALS patients, and led to motor axon defects in an in vivo model. Our discovery of a microRNA-1825/TBCB/TUBA4A pathway reveals a putative pathogenic cascade in both fALS and sALS extending the relevance of TUBA4A to a large proportion of ALS cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika M Helferich
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sarah J Brockmann
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jörg Reinders
- Institute of Functional Genomics, Regensburg University, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Karlheinz Holzmann
- Genomics-Core Facility, Center for Biomedical Research, Ulm University Hospital, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - David Brenner
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.,Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany.,Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium.,Department of Pathology, UZ Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Jens Michaelis
- Institute of Biophysics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Steffen Just
- Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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Abstract
Alpha-synuclein and Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) are both aggregation-prone proteins that are associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), respectively. Recently, we showed that alpha-synuclein interacts with SOD1 in various cell types and tissues. Using a cell culture model, we also found that alpha-synuclein nucleates the polymerization of SOD1. Here, we discuss the current literature regarding their interaction and their co-localization in aggregates of human post-mortem tissue. Furthermore we comment on the reported alpha-synuclein-induced SOD1 polymerization in terms of cross-seeding effects in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika M Helferich
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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5
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Zondler L, Müller K, Khalaji S, Bliederhäuser C, Ruf WP, Grozdanov V, Thiemann M, Fundel-Clemes K, Freischmidt A, Holzmann K, Strobel B, Weydt P, Witting A, Thal DR, Helferich AM, Hengerer B, Gottschalk KE, Hill O, Kluge M, Ludolph AC, Danzer KM, Weishaupt JH. Peripheral monocytes are functionally altered and invade the CNS in ALS patients. Acta Neuropathol 2016; 132:391-411. [PMID: 26910103 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-016-1548-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [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: 10/02/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting primarily the upper and lower motor neurons. A common feature of all ALS cases is a well-characterized neuroinflammatory reaction within the central nervous system (CNS). However, much less is known about the role of the peripheral immune system and its interplay with CNS resident immune cells in motor neuron degeneration. Here, we characterized peripheral monocytes in both temporal and spatial dimensions of ALS pathogenesis. We found the circulating monocytes to be deregulated in ALS regarding subtype constitution, function and gene expression. Moreover, we show that CNS infiltration of peripheral monocytes correlates with improved motor neuron survival in a genetic ALS mouse model. Furthermore, application of human immunoglobulins or fusion proteins containing only the human Fc, but not the Fab antibody fragment, increased CNS invasion of peripheral monocytes and delayed the disease onset. Our results underline the importance of peripheral monocytes in ALS pathogenesis and are in agreement with a protective role of monocytes in the early phase of the disease. The possibility to boost this beneficial function of peripheral monocytes by application of human immunoglobulins should be evaluated in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Zondler
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Kathrin Müller
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Samira Khalaji
- Department of Experimental Physics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Corinna Bliederhäuser
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang P Ruf
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Veselin Grozdanov
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Axel Freischmidt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Patrick Weydt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anke Witting
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anika M Helferich
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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6
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Koch Y, Helferich AM, Steinacker P, Oeckl P, Walther P, Weishaupt JH, Danzer KM, Otto M. Aggregated α-Synuclein Increases SOD1 Oligomerization in a Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Am J Pathol 2016; 186:2152-2161. [PMID: 27322773 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Aggregation of misfolded disease-related proteins is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases. Aggregate propagation accompanying disease progression has been demonstrated for different proteins (eg, for α-synuclein). Additional evidence supports aggregate cross-seeding activity for α-synuclein. For mutated superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), which causes familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), self-propagation of aggregation and cell-to-cell transmission have been demonstrated in vitro. However, there is a prominent lack of in vivo data concerning aggregation and cross-aggregation processes of SOD1. We analyzed the effect of α-synuclein and SOD1 seeds in cell culture using protein fragment complementation assay and intracerebral injection of α-synuclein and SOD1 seeds into SOD1(G93A) transgenic ALS mice. Survival of injected mice was determined, and SOD1 aggregates in the facial nuclei were quantified during disease course. We found that α-synuclein preformed fibrils increased the oligomerization rate of SOD1 in vivo and in vitro, whereas aggregated SOD1 did not exert any effect in both experimental setups. Notably, survival of ALS mice was not changed after inoculation of preformed fibrils. We conclude that misfolded α-synuclein can increase SOD1 aggregation and suppose that α-synuclein seeds are transported from the temporal cortex to the facial nuclei. However, unlike other proteins, the further enhancement of a self-aggregation process by additional SOD1 could not be confirmed in our models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Koch
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Patrick Oeckl
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Paul Walther
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
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Feiler MS, Strobel B, Freischmidt A, Helferich AM, Kappel J, Brewer BM, Li D, Thal DR, Walther P, Ludolph AC, Danzer KM, Weishaupt JH. TDP-43 is intercellularly transmitted across axon terminals. J Cell Biol 2016; 211:897-911. [PMID: 26598621 PMCID: PMC4657165 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201504057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kD (TDP-43) is an aggregation-prone prion-like domain-containing protein and component of pathological intracellular aggregates found in most amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. TDP-43 oligomers have been postulated to be released and subsequently nucleate TDP-43 oligomerization in recipient cells, which might be the molecular correlate of the systematic symptom spreading observed during ALS progression. We developed a novel protein complementation assay allowing quantification of TDP-43 oligomers in living cells. We demonstrate the exchange of TDP-43 between cell somata and the presence of TDP-43 oligomers in microvesicles/exosomes and show that microvesicular TDP-43 is preferentially taken up by recipient cells where it exerts higher toxicity than free TDP-43. Moreover, studies using microfluidic neuronal cultures suggest both anterograde and retrograde trans-synaptic spreading of TDP-43. Finally, we demonstrate TDP-43 oligomer seeding by TDP-43-containing material derived from both cultured cells and ALS patient brain lysate. Thus, using an innovative detection technique, we provide evidence for preferentially microvesicular uptake as well as both soma-to-soma "horizontal" and bidirectional "vertical" synaptic intercellular transmission and prion-like seeding of TDP-43.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Strobel
- Target Discovery Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | | | | | - Julia Kappel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Bryson M Brewer
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212
| | - Deyu Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Paul Walther
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
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8
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Helferich AM, Ruf WP, Grozdanov V, Freischmidt A, Feiler MS, Zondler L, Ludolph AC, McLean PJ, Weishaupt JH, Danzer KM. α-synuclein interacts with SOD1 and promotes its oligomerization. Mol Neurodegener 2015; 10:66. [PMID: 26643113 PMCID: PMC4672499 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-015-0062-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are both neurodegenerative diseases leading to impaired execution of movement. α-Synuclein plays a central role in the pathogenesis of PD whereas Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is a key player in a subset of familial ALS cases. Under pathological conditions both α-synuclein and SOD1 form oligomers and fibrils. In this study we investigated the possible molecular interaction of α-synuclein and SOD1 and its functional and pathological relevance. Results Using a protein-fragment complementation approach and co-IP, we found that α-synuclein and SOD1 physically interact in living cells, human erythrocytes and mouse brain tissue. Additionally, our data show that disease related mutations in α-synuclein (A30P, A53T) and SOD1 (G85R, G93A) modify the binding of α-synuclein to SOD1. Notably, α-synuclein accelerates SOD1 oligomerization independent of SOD1 activity. Conclusion This study provides evidence for a novel interaction of α-synuclein and SOD1 that might be relevant for neurodegenerative diseases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13024-015-0062-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika M Helferich
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang P Ruf
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Veselin Grozdanov
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Marisa S Feiler
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lisa Zondler
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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