1
|
Obergasteiger J, Castonguay AM, Pizzi S, Magnabosco S, Frapporti G, Lobbestael E, Baekelandt V, Hicks AA, Pramstaller PP, Gravel C, Corti C, Lévesque M, Volta M. The small GTPase Rit2 modulates LRRK2 kinase activity, is required for lysosomal function and protects against alpha-synuclein neuropathology. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:44. [PMID: 36973269 PMCID: PMC10042831 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00484-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In Parkinson's disease (PD) misfolded alpha-synuclein (aSyn) accumulates in the substantia nigra, where dopaminergic neurons are progressively lost. The mechanisms underlying aSyn pathology are still unclear, but they are hypothesized to involve the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP). LRRK2 mutations are a major cause of familial and sporadic PD, and LRRK2 kinase activity has been shown to be involved in pS129-aSyn inclusion modulation. We observed selective downregulation of the novel PD risk factor RIT2 in vitro and in vivo. Rit2 overexpression in G2019S-LRRK2 cells rescued ALP abnormalities and diminished aSyn inclusions. In vivo, viral mediated overexpression of Rit2 operated neuroprotection against AAV-A53T-aSyn. Furthermore, Rit2 overexpression prevented the A53T-aSyn-dependent increase of LRRK2 kinase activity in vivo. On the other hand, reduction of Rit2 levels leads to defects in the ALP, similar to those induced by the G2019S-LRRK2 mutation. Our data indicate that Rit2 is required for correct lysosome function, inhibits overactive LRRK2 to ameliorate ALP impairment, and counteracts aSyn aggregation and related deficits. Targeting Rit2 could represent an effective strategy to combat neuropathology in familial and idiopathic PD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Obergasteiger
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Volta 21, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601 Chemin de la Canardiere, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Castonguay
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601 Chemin de la Canardiere, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Sara Pizzi
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Volta 21, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Stefano Magnabosco
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Volta 21, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giulia Frapporti
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Volta 21, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Evy Lobbestael
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 bus 1023, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Veerle Baekelandt
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 bus 1023, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andrew A Hicks
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Volta 21, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Peter P Pramstaller
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Volta 21, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Claude Gravel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601 Chemin de la Canardiere, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Corrado Corti
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Volta 21, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Martin Lévesque
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601 Chemin de la Canardiere, Quebec, QC, Canada.
| | - Mattia Volta
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Volta 21, 39100, Bolzano, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Obergasteiger J, Frapporti G, Lamonaca G, Pizzi S, Picard A, Lavdas AA, Pischedda F, Piccoli G, Hilfiker S, Lobbestael E, Baekelandt V, Hicks AA, Corti C, Pramstaller PP, Volta M. Kinase inhibition of G2019S-LRRK2 enhances autolysosome formation and function to reduce endogenous alpha-synuclein intracellular inclusions. Cell Death Discov 2020; 6:45. [PMID: 32550012 PMCID: PMC7280235 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-020-0279-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Parkinson's disease (PD)-associated kinase Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) is a crucial modulator of the autophagy-lysosome pathway, but unclarity exists on the precise mechanics of its role and the direction of this modulation. In particular, LRRK2 is involved in the degradation of pathological alpha-synuclein, with pathogenic mutations precipitating neuropathology in cellular and animal models of PD, and a significant proportion of LRRK2 patients presenting Lewy neuropathology. Defects in autophagic processing and lysosomal degradation of alpha-synuclein have been postulated to underlie its accumulation and onset of neuropathology. Thus, it is critical to obtain a comprehensive knowledge on LRRK2-associated pathology. Here, we investigated a G2019S-LRRK2 recombinant cell line exhibiting accumulation of endogenous, phosphorylated alpha-synuclein. We found that G2019S-LRRK2 leads to accumulation of LC3 and abnormalities in lysosome morphology and proteolytic activity in a kinase-dependent fashion, but independent from constitutively active Rab10. Notably, LRRK2 inhibition was ineffective upon upstream blockade of autophagosome-lysosome fusion events, highlighting this step as critical for alpha-synuclein clearance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Obergasteiger
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giulia Frapporti
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, TN Italy
| | - Giulia Lamonaca
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Sara Pizzi
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Anne Picard
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Alexandros A. Lavdas
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Francesca Pischedda
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, TN Italy
| | - Giovanni Piccoli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, TN Italy
| | - Sabine Hilfiker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers University - New Jersey Medical School, Medical Science Building, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07103 USA
| | - Evy Lobbestael
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 bus 1023, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Veerle Baekelandt
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 bus 1023, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andrew A. Hicks
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Corrado Corti
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Peter P. Pramstaller
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Neurology, General Central Hospital, Via Böhler 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mattia Volta
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck - Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Überbacher C, Obergasteiger J, Volta M, Venezia S, Müller S, Pesce I, Pizzi S, Lamonaca G, Picard A, Cattelan G, Malpeli G, Zoli M, Beccano-Kelly D, Flynn R, Wade-Martins R, Pramstaller PP, Hicks AA, Cowley SA, Corti C. Application of CRISPR/Cas9 editing and digital droplet PCR in human iPSCs to generate novel knock-in reporter lines to visualize dopaminergic neurons. Stem Cell Res 2019; 41:101656. [PMID: 31733438 PMCID: PMC7322529 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2019.101656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have become indispensable for disease modelling. They are an important resource to access patient cells harbouring disease-causing mutations. Derivation of midbrain dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons from hiPSCs of PD patients represents the only option to model physiological processes in a cell type that is not otherwise accessible from human patients. However, differentiation does not produce a homogenous population of DA neurons and contaminant cell types may interfere with the readout of the in vitro system. Here, we use CRISPR/Cas9 to generate novel knock-in reporter lines for DA neurons, engineered with an endogenous fluorescent tyrosine hydroxylase - enhanced green fluorescent protein (TH-eGFP) reporter. We present a reproducible knock-in strategy combined with a highly specific homologous directed repair (HDR) screening approach using digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). The knock-in cell lines that we created show a functioning fluorescent reporter system for DA neurons that are identifiable by flow cytometry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christa Überbacher
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
| | - Julia Obergasteiger
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Mattia Volta
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Serena Venezia
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Stefan Müller
- Institute of Human Genetics, Munich University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Isabella Pesce
- CIBIO - Centre for Integrative Biology, Università degli Studi di Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Sara Pizzi
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giulia Lamonaca
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Anne Picard
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giada Cattelan
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giorgio Malpeli
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Section of Surgery, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Michele Zoli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Dayne Beccano-Kelly
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rowan Flynn
- James Martin Stem Cell Facility, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Richard Wade-Martins
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter P Pramstaller
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Andrew A Hicks
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Sally A Cowley
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; James Martin Stem Cell Facility, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Corrado Corti
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Obergasteiger J, Frapporti G, Pramstaller PP, Hicks AA, Volta M. A new hypothesis for Parkinson's disease pathogenesis: GTPase-p38 MAPK signaling and autophagy as convergence points of etiology and genomics. Mol Neurodegener 2018; 13:40. [PMID: 30071902 PMCID: PMC6090926 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-018-0273-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [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: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The combination of genetics and genomics in Parkinson´s disease has recently begun to unveil molecular mechanisms possibly underlying disease onset and progression. In particular, catabolic processes such as autophagy have been increasingly gaining relevance as post-mortem evidence and experimental models suggested a participation in neurodegeneration and alpha-synuclein Lewy body pathology. In addition, familial Parkinson´s disease linked to LRRK2 and alpha-synuclein provided stronger correlation between etiology and alterations in autophagy. More detailed cellular pathways are proposed and genetic risk factors that associate with idiopathic Parkinson´s disease provide further clues in dissecting contributions of single players. Nevertheless, the fine-tuning of these processes remains elusive, as the initial stages of the pathways are not yet clarified.In this review, we collect literature evidence pointing to autophagy as the common, downstream target of Parkinsonian dysfunctions and augment current knowledge on the factors that direct the subsequent steps. Cell and molecular biology evidence indicate that p38 signaling underlies neurodegeneration and autoptic observations suggest a participation in neuropathology. Moreover, alpha-synuclein and LRRK2 also appear involved in the p38 pathway with additional roles in the regulation of GTPase signaling. Small GTPases are critical modulators of p38 activation and thus, their functional interaction with aSyn and LRRK2 could explain much of the detailed mechanics of autophagy in Parkinson´s disease.We propose a novel hypothesis for a more comprehensive working model where autophagy is controlled by upstream pathways, such as GTPase-p38, that have been so far underexplored in this context. In addition, etiological factors (LRRK2, alpha-synuclein) and risk loci might also combine in this common mechanism, providing a powerful experimental setting to dissect the cause of both familial and idiopathic disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Obergasteiger
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giulia Frapporti
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Peter P. Pramstaller
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Neurology, General Central Hospital, Via Böhler 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Andrew A. Hicks
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Mattia Volta
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pischedda F, Montani C, Obergasteiger J, Frapporti G, Corti C, Rosato Siri M, Volta M, Piccoli G. Cryopreservation of Primary Mouse Neurons: The Benefit of Neurostore Cryoprotective Medium. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:81. [PMID: 29623032 PMCID: PMC5874515 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [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: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary neuronal culture from rodents is a well-established model to investigate cellular neurobiology in vitro. However, for this purpose cell cultures need to be generated expressly, requiring extensive animal handling. Furthermore, often the preparation of fresh culture generates an excess of cells that are ultimately wasted. Therefore the ability to successfully cryopreserve primary neural cells would represent an important resource for neuroscience research and would allow to significantly reduce the sacrifice of animals. We describe here a novel freezing medium that allows long-term cryopreservation of primary mouse neurons prepared from E15.5 embryos. Combining imaging, biochemical and electrophysiological analyses, we found that cryopreserved cultures are viable and mature regarding morphology and functionality. These findings suggest that cryopreserved neurons are a valuable alternative to acutely dissociated neural cultures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Caterina Montani
- CIBIO, Dulbecco Telethon Institute, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Julia Obergasteiger
- Institute for Biomedicine, EURAC Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giulia Frapporti
- Institute for Biomedicine, EURAC Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Corrado Corti
- Institute for Biomedicine, EURAC Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Marcelo Rosato Siri
- Institute for Biomedicine, EURAC Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Mattia Volta
- Institute for Biomedicine, EURAC Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Piccoli
- CIBIO, Dulbecco Telethon Institute, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Obergasteiger J, Überbacher C, Pramstaller PP, Hicks AA, Corti C, Volta M. CADPS2 gene expression is oppositely regulated by LRRK2 and alpha-synuclein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017. [PMID: 28647363 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.06.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion 2 (CADPS2) is a member of the CAPS/CADPS protein family that plays crucial roles in synaptic vesicle dynamics. Genomic variability in the CADPS2 gene has been associated to autism spectrum disorders and Alzheimer's disease, both characterized by altered neurotransmission. Biological evidence also linked CADPS2 to Parkinson's disease (PD), as a disease-causing mutation in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) was reported to increase CADPS2 gene and protein expression. Furthermore, restoration of CADPS2 physiologic levels was able to provide neuroprotection in patient-derived neurons, consistent with the synaptic dysfunction postulated to underlie PD. However, little is known about the influence of PD-related proteins on transcriptional regulation of critical synaptic genes such as CADPS2. Here we aimed at investigating the transcriptional effects of LRRK2 and alpha-synuclein (aSyn) on CADPS2 gene expression, using a combination of in silico analyses and cell biology techniques. First, we identified a predicted promoter in the human CADPS2 genomic sequence, which we then utilized in a luciferase-based gene reporter assay. This approach enabled us to disclose a differential effect of high levels of LRRK2 and aSyn on CADPS2 promoter activity. Specifically, CADPS2 transcriptional activity was enhanced by high cellular levels of LRRK2 and reduced by overexpression of aSyn. Consistently, CADPS2 mRNA levels were diminished in aSyn overexpressing cells. Our results indicate that LRRK2 and aSyn participate in the dysregulation of CADPS2 by altering transcription and support the hypothesis that synaptic dysfunctions, through different mechanisms, might contribute to the neuronal defects of diseases such as PD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Obergasteiger
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Christa Überbacher
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Peter P Pramstaller
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100, Bolzano, Italy; Department of Neurology, General Central Hospital, Via Böhler 5, 39100, Bolzano, Italy; Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Andrew A Hicks
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Corrado Corti
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100, Bolzano, Italy.
| | - Mattia Volta
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100, Bolzano, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|