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Diaw SH, Delcambre S, Much C, Ott F, Kostic VS, Gajos A, Münchau A, Zittel S, Busch H, Grünewald A, Klein C, Lohmann K. DYT-THAP1: exploring gene expression in fibroblasts for potential biomarker discovery. Neurogenetics 2024:10.1007/s10048-024-00752-0. [PMID: 38498291 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-024-00752-0] [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: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Dystonia due to pathogenic variants in the THAP1 gene (DYT-THAP1) shows variable expressivity and reduced penetrance of ~ 50%. Since THAP1 encodes a transcription factor, modifiers influencing this variability likely operate at the gene expression level. This study aimed to assess the transferability of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in neuronal cells related to pathogenic variants in the THAP1 gene, which were previously identified by transcriptome analyses. For this, we performed quantitative (qPCR) and Digital PCR (dPCR) in cultured fibroblasts. RNA was extracted from THAP1 manifesting (MMCs) and non-manifesting mutation carriers (NMCs) as well as from healthy controls. The expression profiles of ten of 14 known neuronal DEGs demonstrated differences in fibroblasts between these three groups. This included transcription factors and targets (ATF4, CLN3, EIF2A, RRM1, YY1), genes involved in G protein-coupled receptor signaling (BDKRB2, LPAR1), and a gene linked to apoptosis and DNA replication/repair (CRADD), which all showed higher expression levels in MMCs and NMCs than in controls. Moreover, the analysis of genes linked to neurological disorders (STXBP1, TOR1A) unveiled differences in expression patterns between MMCs and controls. Notably, the genes CUEDC2, DRD4, ECH1, and SIX2 were not statistically significantly differentially expressed in fibroblast cultures. With > 70% of the tested genes being DEGs also in fibroblasts, fibroblasts seem to be a suitable model for DYT-THAP1 research despite some restrictions. Furthermore, at least some of these DEGs may potentially also serve as biomarkers of DYT-THAP1 and influence its penetrance and expressivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sylvie Delcambre
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Christoph Much
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Fabian Ott
- Institute of Experimental Dermatology and Institute of Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Vladimir S Kostic
- Institute of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
| | - Agata Gajos
- Department of Extrapyramidal Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, 90-647, Poland
| | - Alexander Münchau
- Institute of Systems Motor Science, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Simone Zittel
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hauke Busch
- Institute of Experimental Dermatology and Institute of Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Anne Grünewald
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany.
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2
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Diaw SH, Borsche M, Streubel-Gallasch L, Dulovic-Mahlow M, Hermes J, Lenz I, Seibler P, Klein C, Brüggemann N, Vos M, Lohmann K. Characterization of the pathogenic α-Synuclein Variant V15A in Parkinson´s disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:148. [PMID: 37903765 PMCID: PMC10616187 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00584-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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite being a major component of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, pathogenic variants in the gene encoding alpha-Synuclein (α-Syn) are rare. To date, only four missense variants in the SNCA gene, encoding α-Syn have unequivocally been shown to be disease-causing. We here describe a Parkinson´s disease patient with early cognitive decline carrying an as yet not fully characterized variant in SNCA (NM_001146055: c.44T > C, p.V15A). We used different cellular models, including stably transfected neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell cultures, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neuronal cultures, and generated a Drosophila model to elucidate the impact of the p.V15A variant on α-Syn function and aggregation properties compared to other known pathogenic variants. We demonstrate that p.V15A increased the aggregation potential of α-Syn and the levels of apoptotic markers, and impaired the mitochondrial network. Moreover, p.V15A affects the flying ability and survival of mutant flies. Thus, we provide supporting evidence for the pathogenicity of the p.V15A variant, suggesting its inclusion in genetic testing approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Max Borsche
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | | | - Julia Hermes
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Insa Lenz
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Philip Seibler
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Norbert Brüggemann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Melissa Vos
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany.
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3
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Pauly MG, Korenke GC, Diaw SH, Grözinger A, Cazurro-Gutiérrez A, Pérez-Dueñas B, González V, Macaya A, Serrano Antón AT, Peterlin B, Božović IB, Maver A, Münchau A, Lohmann K. The Expanding Phenotypical Spectrum of WARS2-Related Disorder: Four Novel Cases with a Common Recurrent Variant. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14040822. [PMID: 37107582 PMCID: PMC10137540 DOI: 10.3390/genes14040822] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Biallelic variants in the mitochondrial form of the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetases (WARS2) can cause a neurodevelopmental disorder with movement disorders including early-onset tremor-parkinsonism syndrome. Here, we describe four new patients, who all presented at a young age with a tremor-parkinsonism syndrome and responded well to levodopa. All patients carry the same recurrent, hypomorphic missense variant (NM_015836.4: c.37T>G; p.Trp13Gly) either together with a previously described truncating variant (NM_015836.4: c.797Cdel; p.Pro266ArgfsTer10), a novel truncating variant (NM_015836.4: c.346C>T; p.Gln116Ter), a novel canonical splice site variant (NM_015836.4: c.349-1G>A), or a novel missense variant (NM_015836.4: c.475A>C, p.Thr159Pro). We investigated the mitochondrial function in patients and found increased levels of mitochondrially encoded cytochrome C Oxidase II as part of the mitochondrial respiratory chain as well as decreased mitochondrial integrity and branching. Finally, we conducted a literature review and here summarize the broad phenotypical spectrum of reported WARS2-related disorders. In conclusion, WARS2-related disorders are diagnostically challenging diseases due to the broad phenotypic spectrum and the disease relevance of a relatively common missense change that is often filtered out in a diagnostic setting since it occurs in ~0.5% of the general European population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martje G Pauly
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
- Institute of Systems Motor Science, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - G Christoph Korenke
- Department of Neuropediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Klinikum Oldenburg, 26133 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sokhna Haissatou Diaw
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Anne Grözinger
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Ana Cazurro-Gutiérrez
- Pediatric Neurology Research Group, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Belén Pérez-Dueñas
- Pediatric Neurology Research Group, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victoria González
- Department of Neurology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfons Macaya
- Pediatric Neurology Research Group, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Teresa Serrano Antón
- Clinical Genetic Section, Pediatric Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
| | - Borut Peterlin
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ivana Babić Božović
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Aleš Maver
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Alexander Münchau
- Institute of Systems Motor Science, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
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4
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Pauly MG, Brüggemann N, Efthymiou S, Grözinger A, Diaw SH, Chelban V, Turchetti V, Vona B, Tadic V, Houlden H, Münchau A, Lohmann K. Not to Miss: Intronic Variants, Treatment, and Review of the Phenotypic Spectrum in VPS13D-Related Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031874. [PMID: 36768210 PMCID: PMC9953040 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031874] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
VPS13D is one of four human homologs of the vacuolar sorting protein 13 gene (VPS13). Biallelic pathogenic variants in the gene are associated with spastic ataxia or spastic paraplegia. Here, we report two patients with intronic pathogenic variants: one patient with early onset severe spastic ataxia and debilitating tremor, which is compound-heterozygous for a canonical (NM_018156.4: c.2237-1G > A) and a non-canonical (NM_018156.4: c.941+3G>A) splice site variant. The second patient carries the same non-canonical splice site variant in the homozygous state and is affected by late-onset spastic paraplegia. We confirmed altered splicing as a result of the intronic variants and demonstrated disturbed mitochondrial integrity. Notably, tremor in the first patient improved significantly by bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the ventralis intermedius (VIM) nucleus of the thalamus. We also conducted a literature review and summarized the phenotypical spectrum of reported VPS13D-related disorders. Our study underscores that looking for mutations outside the canonical splice sites is important not to miss a genetic diagnosis, especially in disorders with a highly heterogeneous presentation without specific red flags.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martje G. Pauly
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- Institute of Systems Motor Science, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Norbert Brüggemann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Stephanie Efthymiou
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Anne Grözinger
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Viorica Chelban
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Valentina Turchetti
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Barbara Vona
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vera Tadic
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Alexander Münchau
- Institute of Systems Motor Science, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Diaw SH, Ott F, Münchau A, Lohmann K, Busch H. Emerging role of a systems biology approach to elucidate factors of reduced penetrance: transcriptional changes in THAP1-linked dystonia as an example. MED GENET-BERLIN 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/medgen-2022-2126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Pathogenic variants in THAP1 can cause dystonia with a penetrance of about 50 %. The underlying mechanisms are unknown and can be considered as means of endogenous disease protection. Since THAP1 encodes a transcription factor, drivers of this variability putatively act at the transcriptome level. Several transcriptome studies tried to elucidate THAP1 function in diverse cellular and mouse models, including mutation carrier-derived cells and iPSC-derived neurons, unveiling various differentially expressed genes and affected pathways. These include nervous system development, dopamine signalling, myelination, or cell-cell adhesion. A network diffusion analysis revealed mRNA splicing, mitochondria, DNA repair, and metabolism as significant pathways that may represent potential targets for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sokhna Haissatou Diaw
- Institute of Neurogenetics , University of Lübeck , Ratzeburger Allee 160 , Lübeck , Germany
| | - Fabian Ott
- Institute of Experimental Dermatology and Institute of Cardiogenetics , University of Lübeck , Lübeck , Germany
| | - Alexander Münchau
- Institute of Systems Motor Science , University of Lübeck , Lübeck , Germany
| | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics , University of Lübeck , Ratzeburger Allee 160 , Lübeck , Germany
| | - Hauke Busch
- Institute of Experimental Dermatology and Institute of Cardiogenetics , University of Lübeck , Lübeck , Germany
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6
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Diaw SH, Ganos C, Zittel S, Plötze-Martin K, Kulikovskaja L, Vos M, Westenberger A, Rakovic A, Lohmann K, Dulovic-Mahlow M. Mutant WDR45 Leads to Altered Ferritinophagy and Ferroptosis in β-Propeller Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179524. [PMID: 36076926 PMCID: PMC9455908 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN) is a subtype of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) caused by loss-of-function variants in WDR45. The underlying mechanism of iron accumulation in WDR45 deficiency remains elusive. We established a primary skin fibroblast culture of a new BPAN patient with a missense variant p.(Asn61Lys) in WDR45 (NM_007075.3: c.183C>A). The female patient has generalized dystonia, anarthria, parkinsonism, spasticity, stereotypies, and a distinctive cranial MRI with generalized brain atrophy, predominantly of the cerebellum. For the functional characterization of this variant and to provide a molecular link of WDR45 and iron accumulation, we looked for disease- and variant-related changes in the patient’s fibroblasts by qPCR, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence comparing to three controls and a previously reported WDR45 patient. We demonstrated molecular changes in mutant cells comprising an impaired mitochondrial network, decreased levels of lysosomal proteins and enzymes, and altered autophagy, confirming the pathogenicity of the variant. Compared to increased levels of the ferritinophagy marker Nuclear Coactivator 4 (NCOA4) in control cells upon iron treatment, patients’ cells revealed unchanged NCOA4 protein levels, indicating disturbed ferritinophagy. Additionally, we observed abnormal protein levels of markers of the iron-dependent cell death ferroptosis in patients’ cells. Altogether, our data suggests that WDR45 deficiency affects ferritinophagy and ferroptosis, consequentially disturbing iron recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christos Ganos
- Department of Neurology, Charité—University Medicine, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Zittel
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Melissa Vos
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ana Westenberger
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- Correspondence:
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7
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Vos M, Dulovic-Mahlow M, Mandik F, Frese L, Kanana Y, Haissatou Diaw S, Depperschmidt J, Böhm C, Rohr J, Lohnau T, König IR, Klein C. Ceramide accumulation induces mitophagy and impairs β-oxidation in PINK1 deficiency. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2025347118. [PMID: 34686591 PMCID: PMC8639384 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025347118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [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] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Energy production via the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) and mitophagy are two important processes affected in Parkinson's disease (PD). Interestingly, PINK1, mutations of which cause early-onset PD, plays a key role in both processes, suggesting that these two mechanisms are connected. However, the converging link of both pathways currently remains enigmatic. Recent findings demonstrated that lipid aggregation, along with defective mitochondria, is present in postmortem brains of PD patients. In addition, an increasing body of evidence shows that sphingolipids, including ceramide, are altered in PD, supporting the importance of lipids in the pathophysiology of PD. Here, we identified ceramide to play a crucial role in PINK1-related PD that was previously linked almost exclusively to mitochondrial dysfunction. We found ceramide to accumulate in mitochondria and to negatively affect mitochondrial function, most notably the ETC. Lowering ceramide levels improved mitochondrial phenotypes in pink1-mutant flies and PINK1-deficient patient-derived fibroblasts, showing that the effects of ceramide are evolutionarily conserved. In addition, ceramide accumulation provoked ceramide-induced mitophagy upon PINK1 deficiency. As a result of the ceramide accumulation, β-oxidation in PINK1 mutants was decreased, which was rescued by lowering ceramide levels. Furthermore, stimulation of β-oxidation was sufficient to rescue PINK1-deficient phenotypes. In conclusion, we discovered a cellular mechanism resulting from PD-causing loss of PINK1 and found a protective role of β-oxidation in ETC dysfunction, thus linking lipids and mitochondria in the pathophysiology of PINK1-related PD. Furthermore, our data nominate β-oxidation and ceramide as therapeutic targets for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Vos
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany;
| | | | - Frida Mandik
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Lisa Frese
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Yuliia Kanana
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | | | | | - Claudia Böhm
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Jonas Rohr
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Thora Lohnau
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Inke R König
- Institut für Medizinische Biometrie und Statistik, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany;
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8
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Dulovic-Mahlow M, König IR, Trinh J, Diaw SH, Urban PP, Knappe E, Kuhnke N, Ingwersen LC, Hinrichs F, Weber J, Kupnicka P, Balck A, Delcambre S, Vollbrandt T, Grünewald A, Klein C, Seibler P, Lohmann K. Discordant Monozygotic Parkinson Disease Twins: Role of Mitochondrial Integrity. Ann Neurol 2020; 89:158-164. [PMID: 33094862 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Even though genetic predisposition has proven to be an important element in Parkinson's disease (PD) etiology, monozygotic (MZ) twins with PD displayed a concordance rate of only about 20% despite their shared identical genetic background. METHODS We recruited 5 pairs of MZ twins discordant for idiopathic PD and established skin fibroblast cultures to investigate mitochondrial phenotypes in these cellular models against the background of a presumably identical genome. To test for genetic differences, we performed whole genome sequencing, deep mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing, and tested for mitochondrial deletions by multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the fibroblast cultures. Further, the fibroblast cultures were tested for mitochondrial integrity by immunocytochemistry, immunoblotting, flow cytometry, and real-time PCR to quantify gene expression. RESULTS Genome sequencing did not identify any genetic difference. We found decreased mitochondrial functionality with reduced cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, altered mitochondrial morphology, elevated protein levels of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and increased levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-α (PPARGC1A) messenger RNA (mRNA) in skin fibroblast cultures from the affected compared to the unaffected twins. Further, there was a tendency for a higher number of somatic mtDNA variants among the affected twins. INTERPRETATION We demonstrate disease-related differences in mitochondrial integrity in the genetically identical twins. Of note, the clinical expression matches functional alterations of the mitochondria. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:158-164.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Inke R König
- Institut für Medizinische Biometrie und Statistik, Universität zu Lübeck, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Joanne Trinh
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Peter P Urban
- Department of Neurology, Asklepios Klinik Barmbek, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Evelyn Knappe
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Neele Kuhnke
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Frauke Hinrichs
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Joachim Weber
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Patrycja Kupnicka
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Alexander Balck
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Sylvie Delcambre
- Molecular and Functional Neurobiology Group, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Tillman Vollbrandt
- Cell Analysis Core Facility CAnaCore, Universität zu Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany, (LCSB), Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Anne Grünewald
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,Molecular and Functional Neurobiology Group, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Philip Seibler
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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9
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Diaw SH, Lohmann K. Linking Huntington's Disease and X-linked Dystonia Parkinsonism on the Molecular Level. Mov Disord 2020; 35:1752-1753. [PMID: 32960466 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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10
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Dulovic-Mahlow M, Lukomska A, Diaw SH, Balck A, Borsche M, Grütz K, Lenz I, Rudolph F, Lohmann K, Klein C, Seibler P. Generation and characterization of human-derived iPSC lines from three pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for Parkinson's disease. Stem Cell Res 2019; 41:101629. [PMID: 31706098 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2019.101629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a genetic component in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD), monozygotic twin pairs often display discordance for PD. Here, we describe the generation of six human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from dermal fibroblasts of three pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for PD. We used non-integrating Sendai virus and the iPSC lines were comprehensively characterized. These lines provide a valuable resource for studying molecular differences between the affected and unaffected monozygotic twin and their response to genetic and non-genetic factors that might be involved in the development of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alexander Balck
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Max Borsche
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Karen Grütz
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Insa Lenz
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | | | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Philip Seibler
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
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