1
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Xiong GJ, Sheng ZH. Presynaptic perspective: Axonal transport defects in neurodevelopmental disorders. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202401145. [PMID: 38568173 PMCID: PMC10988239 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202401145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Disruption of synapse assembly and maturation leads to a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. Presynaptic proteins are largely synthesized in the soma, where they are packaged into precursor vesicles and transported into distal axons to ensure precise assembly and maintenance of presynapses. Due to their morphological features, neurons face challenges in the delivery of presynaptic cargos to nascent boutons. Thus, targeted axonal transport is vital to build functional synapses. A growing number of mutations in genes encoding the transport machinery have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging lines of evidence have started to uncover presynaptic mechanisms underlying axonal transport defects, thus broadening the view of neurodevelopmental disorders beyond postsynaptic mechanisms. In this review, we discuss presynaptic perspectives of neurodevelopmental disorders by focusing on impaired axonal transport and disturbed assembly and maintenance of presynapses. We also discuss potential strategies for restoring axonal transport as an early therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Jing Xiong
- Synaptic Function Section, The Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zu-Hang Sheng
- Synaptic Function Section, The Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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2
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Lopez FV, O'Shea A, Huo Z, DeKosky ST, Trouard TP, Alexander GE, Woods AJ, Bowers D. Frontal-temporal regional differences in brain energy metabolism and mitochondrial function using 31P MRS in older adults. GeroScience 2024; 46:3185-3195. [PMID: 38225480 PMCID: PMC11009166 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-01046-3] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging is a major risk for cognitive decline and transition to dementia. One well-known age-related change involves decreased brain efficiency and energy production, mediated in part by changes in mitochondrial function. Damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria have been implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of the current study was to investigate mitochondrial function over frontal and temporal regions in a sample of 70 cognitively normal older adults with subjective memory complaints and a first-degree family history of AD. We hypothesized cerebral mitochondrial function and energy metabolism would be greater in temporal as compared to frontal regions based on the high energy consumption in the temporal lobes (i.e., hippocampus). To test this hypothesis, we used phosphorous (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) which is a non-invasive and powerful method for investigating in vivo mitochondrial function via high energy phosphates and phospholipid metabolism ratios. We used a single voxel method (left temporal and bilateral prefrontal) to achieve optimal sensitivity. Results of separate repeated measures analyses of variance showed 31P MRS ratios of static energy, energy reserve, energy consumption, energy demand, and phospholipid membrane metabolism were greater in the left temporal than bilateral prefrontal voxels. Our findings that all 31P MRS ratios were greater in temporal than bifrontal regions support our hypothesis. Future studies are needed to determine whether findings are related to cognition in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca V Lopez
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, PO Box 100165, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
| | - Andrew O'Shea
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Zhiguang Huo
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Steven T DeKosky
- Department of Neurology, Fixel Center for Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Theodore P Trouard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona and Alzheimer's Disease Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Gene E Alexander
- Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Adam J Woods
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, PO Box 100165, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dawn Bowers
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, PO Box 100165, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neurology, Fixel Center of Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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3
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Holtzer R, Choi J, Motl RW, Foley FW, Wagshul ME, Hernandez ME, Izzetoglu M. Brain control of dual-task walking can be improved in aging and neurological disease. GeroScience 2024; 46:3169-3184. [PMID: 38221528 PMCID: PMC11009168 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-01054-3] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The peak prevalence of multiple sclerosis has shifted into older age groups, but co-occurring and possibly synergistic motoric and cognitive declines in this patient population are poorly understood. Dual-task-walking performance, subserved by the prefrontal cortex, and compromised in multiple sclerosis and aging, predicts health outcomes. Whether acute practice can improve dual-task walking performance and prefrontal cortex hemodynamic response efficiency in multiple sclerosis has not been reported. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined task- and practice-related effects on dual-task-walking and associated brain activation in older adults with multiple sclerosis and controls. Multiple sclerosis (n = 94, mean age = 64.76 ± 4.19 years) and control (n = 104, mean age = 68.18 ± 7.01 years) participants were tested under three experimental conditions (dual-task-walk, single-task-walk, and single-task-alpha) administered over three repeated counterbalanced trials. Functional near-infrared-spectroscopy was used to evaluate task- and practice-related changes in prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin. Gait and cognitive performances declined, and prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin was higher in dual compared to both single task conditions in both groups. Gait and cognitive performances improved over trials in both groups. There were greater declines over trials in oxygenated hemoglobin in dual-task-walk compared to single-task-walk in both groups. Among controls, but not multiple sclerosis participants, declines over trials in oxygenated hemoglobin were greater in dual-task-walk compared to single-task-alpha. Dual-task walking and associated prefrontal cortex activation efficiency improved during a single session, but improvement in neural resource utilization, although significant, was attenuated in multiple sclerosis participants. These findings suggest encouraging brain adaptability in aging and neurological disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roee Holtzer
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Jaeun Choi
- Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Robert W Motl
- Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Frederick W Foley
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck, NJ, USA
| | - Mark E Wagshul
- Department of Radiology, Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Manuel E Hernandez
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Meltem Izzetoglu
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA
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Schrӧder LF, Peng W, Gao G, Wong YC, Schwake M, Krainc D. VPS13C regulates phospho-Rab10-mediated lysosomal function in human dopaminergic neurons. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202304042. [PMID: 38358348 PMCID: PMC10868123 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202304042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in VPS13C are linked to early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). While VPS13C has been previously studied in non-neuronal cells, the neuronal role of VPS13C in disease-relevant human dopaminergic neurons has not been elucidated. Using live-cell microscopy, we investigated the role of VPS13C in regulating lysosomal dynamics and function in human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons. Loss of VPS13C in dopaminergic neurons disrupts lysosomal morphology and dynamics with increased inter-lysosomal contacts, leading to impaired lysosomal motility and cellular distribution, as well as defective lysosomal hydrolytic activity and acidification. We identified Rab10 as a phospho-dependent interactor of VPS13C on lysosomes and observed a decreased phospho-Rab10-mediated lysosomal stress response upon loss of VPS13C. These findings highlight an important role of VPS13C in regulating lysosomal homeostasis in human dopaminergic neurons and suggest that disruptions in Rab10-mediated lysosomal stress response contribute to disease pathogenesis in VPS13C-linked PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie F. Schrӧder
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Biochemistry III/Faculty of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Wesley Peng
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ge Gao
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yvette C. Wong
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michael Schwake
- Biochemistry III/Faculty of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Dimitri Krainc
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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5
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Nadkarni AN, Mukamal KJ, Zhu X, Siscovick D, Brach JS, Jacob M, Seshadri S, Abe T, Rosano C, Djousse L, Rosso AL. Associations of Neurological Biomarkers in Serum With Gait Measures: The Cardiovascular Health Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glae043. [PMID: 38334311 PMCID: PMC11005783 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae043] [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: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gait impairment leads to increased mobility decline and may have neurological contributions. This study explores how neurological biomarkers are related to gait in older adults. METHODS We studied participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a population-based cohort of older Americans, who underwent a serum biomarker assessment from samples collected in 1996-1997 for neurofilament light chain (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein, ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1, and total tau (n = 1 959, mean age = 78.0 years, 60.8% female). In a subsample (n = 380), cross-sectional associations with quantitative gait measures were explored. This subsample was assessed on a mat for gait speed, step length, double support time, step time, step length variability, and step time variability. Gait speed was also measured over a 15-ft walkway annually from 1996-1997 to 1998-1999 for longitudinal analyses. Linear regression models assessed cross-sectional associations of biomarkers with gait measures, whereas mixed effects models assessed longitudinal gait speed change from baseline to 1998-1999. RESULTS Neurofilament light chain was significantly associated with annual gait speed decline (standardized β = -0.64 m/s, 95% CI: [-1.23, -0.06]) after adjustment for demographic and health factors. Among gait mat-assessed phenotypes, NfL was also cross-sectionally associated with gait speed (β = 0.001 m/s [0.0003, 0.002]) but not with other gait measures. None of the remaining biomarkers were significantly related to gait in either longitudinal or cross-sectional analyses. CONCLUSIONS Higher NfL levels were related to greater annual gait speed decline. Gait speed decline may be related to axonal degeneration. The clinical utility of NfL should be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijay N Nadkarni
- School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Xiaonan Zhu
- School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Jennifer S Brach
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mini Jacob
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sudha Seshadri
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Temidayo Abe
- Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Caterina Rosano
- School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Luc Djousse
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrea L Rosso
- School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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6
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He R, Liu M, Lin Z, Zhuang Z, Shen X, Pan W. DeLIVR: a deep learning approach to IV regression for testing nonlinear causal effects in transcriptome-wide association studies. Biostatistics 2024; 25:468-485. [PMID: 36610078 PMCID: PMC11017120 DOI: 10.1093/biostatistics/kxac051] [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: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) have been increasingly applied to identify (putative) causal genes for complex traits and diseases. TWAS can be regarded as a two-sample two-stage least squares method for instrumental variable (IV) regression for causal inference. The standard TWAS (called TWAS-L) only considers a linear relationship between a gene's expression and a trait in stage 2, which may lose statistical power when not true. Recently, an extension of TWAS (called TWAS-LQ) considers both the linear and quadratic effects of a gene on a trait, which however is not flexible enough due to its parametric nature and may be low powered for nonquadratic nonlinear effects. On the other hand, a deep learning (DL) approach, called DeepIV, has been proposed to nonparametrically model a nonlinear effect in IV regression. However, it is both slow and unstable due to the ill-posed inverse problem of solving an integral equation with Monte Carlo approximations. Furthermore, in the original DeepIV approach, statistical inference, that is, hypothesis testing, was not studied. Here, we propose a novel DL approach, called DeLIVR, to overcome the major drawbacks of DeepIV, by estimating a related but different target function and including a hypothesis testing framework. We show through simulations that DeLIVR was both faster and more stable than DeepIV. We applied both parametric and DL approaches to the GTEx and UK Biobank data, showcasing that DeLIVR detected additional 8 and 7 genes nonlinearly associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, respectively, all of which would be missed by TWAS-L, TWAS-LQ, and DeepIV; these genes include BUD13 associated with HDL, SLC44A2 and GMIP with LDL, all supported by previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu He
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, A460 Mayo Building, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 and School of Statistics, University of Minnesota, 313 Ford Hall, 224 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Mingyang Liu
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, A460 Mayo Building, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 and School of Statistics, University of Minnesota, 313 Ford Hall, 224 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Zhaotong Lin
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, A460 Mayo Building, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 and School of Statistics, University of Minnesota, 313 Ford Hall, 224 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Zhong Zhuang
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, A460 Mayo Building, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 and School of Statistics, University of Minnesota, 313 Ford Hall, 224 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Xiaotong Shen
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, A460 Mayo Building, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 and School of Statistics, University of Minnesota, 313 Ford Hall, 224 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Wei Pan
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, A460 Mayo Building, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 and School of Statistics, University of Minnesota, 313 Ford Hall, 224 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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7
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Abbasi A, Rangwani R, Bowen DW, Fealy AW, Danielsen NP, Gulati T. Cortico-cerebellar coordination facilitates neuroprosthetic control. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadm8246. [PMID: 38608024 PMCID: PMC11014440 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm8246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Temporally coordinated neural activity is central to nervous system function and purposeful behavior. Still, there is a paucity of evidence demonstrating how this coordinated activity within cortical and subcortical regions governs behavior. We investigated this between the primary motor (M1) and contralateral cerebellar cortex as rats learned a neuroprosthetic/brain-machine interface (BMI) task. In neuroprosthetic task, actuator movements are causally linked to M1 "direct" neurons that drive the decoder for successful task execution. However, it is unknown how task-related M1 activity interacts with the cerebellum. We observed a notable 3 to 6 hertz coherence that emerged between these regions' local field potentials (LFPs) with learning that also modulated task-related spiking. We identified robust task-related indirect modulation in the cerebellum, which developed a preferential relationship with M1 task-related activity. Inhibiting cerebellar cortical and deep nuclei activity through optogenetics led to performance impairments in M1-driven neuroprosthetic control. Together, these results demonstrate that cerebellar influence is necessary for M1-driven neuroprosthetic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aamir Abbasi
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rohit Rangwani
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Bioengineering Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Henry Samueli School of Engineering, University of California-Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel W. Bowen
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrew W. Fealy
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nathan P. Danielsen
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tanuj Gulati
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Bioengineering Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Henry Samueli School of Engineering, University of California-Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, and Department of Bioengineering, Henry Samueli School of Engineering, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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8
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Mufumba I, Kazinga C, Namazzi R, Opoka RO, Batte A, Bond C, John CC, Conroy AL. sTREM-1: A Biomarker of Mortality in Severe Malaria Impacted by Acute Kidney Injury. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:936-946. [PMID: 38078677 PMCID: PMC11011168 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad561] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria is an important cause of mortality in African children. Identification of biomarkers to identify children at risk of mortality has the potential to improve outcomes. METHODS We evaluated 11 biomarkers of host response in 592 children with severe malaria. The primary outcome was biomarker performance for predicting mortality. Biomarkers were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis comparing the area under the ROC curve (AUROC). RESULTS Mortality was 7.3% among children in the study with 72% of deaths occurring within 24 hours of admission. Among the candidate biomarkers, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1) had the highest AUROC (0.78 [95% confidence interval, .70-.86]), outperforming several other biomarkers including C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. sTREM-1 was the top-performing biomarker across prespecified subgroups (malaria definition, site, sex, nutritional status, age). Using established cutoffs, we evaluated mortality across sTREM-1 risk zones. Among children with acute kidney injury, 39.9% of children with a critical-risk sTREM-1 result had an indication for dialysis. When evaluated relative to a disease severity score, sTREM-1 improved mortality prediction (difference in AUROC, P = .016). CONCLUSIONS sTREM-1 is a promising biomarker to guide rational allocation of clinical resources and should be integrated into clinical decision support algorithms, particularly when acute kidney injury is suspected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Mufumba
- CHILD Laboratory, Global Health Uganda, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Ruth Namazzi
- CHILD Laboratory, Global Health Uganda, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Pediatrics, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Robert O Opoka
- CHILD Laboratory, Global Health Uganda, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Pediatrics, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Anthony Batte
- CHILD Laboratory, Global Health Uganda, Kampala, Uganda
- Child Health and Development Center, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Caitlin Bond
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine
| | - Chandy C John
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine
- Center for Global Health, Indiana University, Indianapolis
| | - Andrea L Conroy
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine
- Center for Global Health, Indiana University, Indianapolis
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9
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Smith S, Cassada JB, Von Bredow L, Erreger K, Webb EM, Trombley TA, Kalbfleisch JJ, Bender BJ, Zagol-Ikapitte I, Kramlinger VM, Bouchard JL, Mitchell SG, Tretbar M, Shoichet BK, Lindsley CW, Meiler J, Hamm HE. Discovery of Protease-Activated Receptor 4 (PAR4)-Tethered Ligand Antagonists Using Ultralarge Virtual Screening. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2024; 7:1086-1100. [PMID: 38633591 PMCID: PMC11020070 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00378] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Here, we demonstrate a structure-based small molecule virtual screening and lead optimization pipeline using a homology model of a difficult-to-drug G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) target. Protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) is activated by thrombin cleavage, revealing a tethered ligand that activates the receptor, making PAR4 a challenging target. A virtual screen of a make-on-demand chemical library yielded a one-hit compound. From the single-hit compound, we developed a novel series of PAR4 antagonists. Subsequent lead optimization via simultaneous virtual library searches and structure-based rational design efforts led to potent antagonists of thrombin-induced activation. Interestingly, this series of antagonists was active against PAR4 activation by the native protease thrombin cleavage but not the synthetic PAR4 agonist peptide AYPGKF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon
T. Smith
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Jackson B. Cassada
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Lukas Von Bredow
- Warren
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, Tennessee 37067, United States
- Institute
for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University Medical
School, Leipzig 04109, Germany
| | - Kevin Erreger
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Emma M. Webb
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Trevor A. Trombley
- Warren
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, Tennessee 37067, United States
| | - Jacob J. Kalbfleisch
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Warren
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, Tennessee 37067, United States
| | - Brian J. Bender
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Irene Zagol-Ikapitte
- Warren
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, Tennessee 37067, United States
| | - Valerie M. Kramlinger
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Warren
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, Tennessee 37067, United States
| | - Jacob L. Bouchard
- Warren
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, Tennessee 37067, United States
| | - Sidnee G. Mitchell
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Maik Tretbar
- Institute
for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University Medical
School, Leipzig 04109, Germany
| | - Brian K. Shoichet
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Craig W. Lindsley
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Warren
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, Tennessee 37067, United States
| | - Jens Meiler
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Institute
for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University Medical
School, Leipzig 04109, Germany
| | - Heidi E. Hamm
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
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10
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Rahman MS, Hadi Esfahani S, Zhang Y, Queen A, Aljarrah M, Kandil H, Baez A, Abbruscato TJ, Karamyan VT, Trippier PC. Imidazole Bioisostere Activators of Endopeptidase Neurolysin with Enhanced Potency and Metabolic Stability. ACS Med Chem Lett 2024; 15:510-517. [PMID: 38628788 PMCID: PMC11017387 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.4c00009] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The peptidase neurolysin (Nln) has been validated as a potential target for developing therapeutics for ischemic stroke (IS). Overexpression of Nln in a mouse model of IS provides significant cerebroprotection, leading to reduced infarction size and edema volume. Pharmacological inhibition of Nln in the post-stroke brain worsens neurological outcomes. A virtual screen identified dipeptide small-molecule activators of Nln. Optimization studies resulted in a class of peptidomimetic compounds with promising activity. However, these compounds still possessed an amide bond that compromised their stability in plasma and the brain. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a series of amide bioisosteres based on our peptidomimetic leads. Imidazole-based bioisosteres afford scaffolds with increased potency to activate Nln combined with enhanced mouse plasma stability and significantly better brain permeability over the original dipeptide hits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Shafikur Rahman
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Shiva Hadi Esfahani
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas 79106, United States
- Laboratory
for Neurodegenerative Disease & Drug Discovery, William Beaumont
School of Medicine, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, United States
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas 79106, United States
| | - Aarfa Queen
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Manar Aljarrah
- Laboratory
for Neurodegenerative Disease & Drug Discovery, William Beaumont
School of Medicine, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, United States
- Biological
and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, United States
| | - Haya Kandil
- Laboratory
for Neurodegenerative Disease & Drug Discovery, William Beaumont
School of Medicine, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, United States
- Biological
and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, United States
| | - Andrew Baez
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas 79106, United States
| | - Thomas J. Abbruscato
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas 79106, United States
- Center
for Blood Brain Barrier Research, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas 79106, United States
| | - Vardan T. Karamyan
- Laboratory
for Neurodegenerative Disease & Drug Discovery, William Beaumont
School of Medicine, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, United States
- Department
of Foundational Medical Studies, William Beaumont School of Medicine, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, United States
| | - Paul C. Trippier
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
- UNMC
Center for Drug Design and Innovation, University
of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
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11
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Rahman MH, Hegazy L. Mechanism of antagonist ligand binding to REV-ERBα. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8401. [PMID: 38600172 PMCID: PMC11006950 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58945-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
REV-ERBα, a therapeutically promising nuclear hormone receptor, plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes such as the circadian clock, inflammation, and metabolism. However, the availability of chemical probes to investigate the pharmacology of this receptor is limited, with SR8278 being the only identified synthetic antagonist. Moreover, no X-ray crystal structures are currently available that demonstrate the binding of REV-ERBα to antagonist ligands. This lack of structural information impedes the development of targeted therapeutics. To address this issue, we employed Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations to investigate the binding pathway of SR8278 to REV-ERBα. For comparison, we also used GaMD to observe the ligand binding process of STL1267, for which an X-ray structure is available. GaMD simulations successfully captured the binding of both ligands to the receptor's orthosteric site and predicted the ligand binding pathway and important amino acid residues involved in the antagonist SR8278 binding. This study highlights the effectiveness of GaMD in investigating protein-ligand interactions, particularly in the context of drug recognition for nuclear hormone receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Homaidur Rahman
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lamees Hegazy
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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12
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Peterson ER, Sajjakulnukit P, Scott AJ, Heaslip C, Andren A, Wilder-Romans K, Zhou W, Palavalasa S, Korimerla N, Lin A, O'Brien A, Kothari A, Zhao Z, Zhang L, Morgan MA, Venneti S, Koschmann C, Jabado N, Lyssiotis CA, Castro MG, Wahl DR. Purine salvage promotes treatment resistance in H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma. Cancer Metab 2024; 12:11. [PMID: 38594734 PMCID: PMC11003124 DOI: 10.1186/s40170-024-00341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG), including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs), are a fatal form of brain cancer. These tumors often carry a driver mutation on histone H3 converting lysine 27 to methionine (H3K27M). DMG-H3K27M are characterized by altered metabolism and resistance to standard of care radiation (RT) but how the H3K27M mediates the metabolic response to radiation and consequent treatment resistance is uncertain. METHODS We performed metabolomics on irradiated and untreated H3K27M isogenic DMG cell lines and observed an H3K27M-specific enrichment for purine synthesis pathways. We profiled the expression of purine synthesis enzymes in publicly available patient data and our models, quantified purine synthesis using stable isotope tracing, and characterized the in vitro and in vivo response to de novo and salvage purine synthesis inhibition in combination with RT. RESULTS DMG-H3K27M cells activate purine metabolism in an H3K27M-specific fashion. In the absence of genotoxic treatment, H3K27M-expressing cells have higher relative activity of de novo synthesis and apparent lower activity of purine salvage demonstrated via stable isotope tracing of key metabolites in purine synthesis and by lower expression of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT), the rate-limiting enzyme of purine salvage into IMP and GMP. Inhibition of de novo guanylate synthesis radiosensitized DMG-H3K27M cells in vitro and in vivo. Irradiated H3K27M cells upregulated HGPRT expression and hypoxanthine-derived guanylate salvage but maintained high levels of guanine-derived salvage. Exogenous guanine supplementation decreased radiosensitization in cells treated with combination RT and de novo purine synthesis inhibition. Silencing HGPRT combined with RT markedly suppressed DMG-H3K27M tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that DMG-H3K27M cells rely on highly active purine synthesis, both from the de novo and salvage synthesis pathways. However, highly active salvage of free purine bases into mature guanylates can bypass inhibition of the de novo synthetic pathway. We conclude that inhibiting purine salvage may be a promising strategy to overcome treatment resistance in DMG-H3K27M tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik R Peterson
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Peter Sajjakulnukit
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Andrew J Scott
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Caleb Heaslip
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anthony Andren
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kari Wilder-Romans
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Weihua Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sravya Palavalasa
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Navyateja Korimerla
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Angelica Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alexandra O'Brien
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ayesha Kothari
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zitong Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Meredith A Morgan
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sriram Venneti
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Carl Koschmann
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nada Jabado
- Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Maria G Castro
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel R Wahl
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Medical Science Unit I, 1301 Catherine Street, Rm 4433, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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13
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Jojoa-Cruz S, Dubin AE, Lee WH, Ward AB. Structure-guided mutagenesis of OSCAs reveals differential activation to mechanical stimuli. eLife 2024; 12:RP93147. [PMID: 38592763 PMCID: PMC11003742 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93147] [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] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The dimeric two-pore OSCA/TMEM63 family has recently been identified as mechanically activated ion channels. Previously, based on the unique features of the structure of OSCA1.2, we postulated the potential involvement of several structural elements in sensing membrane tension (Jojoa-Cruz et al., 2018). Interestingly, while OSCA1, 2, and 3 clades are activated by membrane stretch in cell-attached patches (i.e. they are stretch-activated channels), they differ in their ability to transduce membrane deformation induced by a blunt probe (poking). Here, in an effort to understand the domains contributing to mechanical signal transduction, we used cryo-electron microscopy to solve the structure of Arabidopsis thaliana (At) OSCA3.1, which, unlike AtOSCA1.2, only produced stretch- but not poke-activated currents in our initial characterization (Murthy et al., 2018). Mutagenesis and electrophysiological assessment of conserved and divergent putative mechanosensitive features of OSCA1.2 reveal a selective disruption of the macroscopic currents elicited by poking without considerable effects on stretch-activated currents (SAC). Our results support the involvement of the amphipathic helix and lipid-interacting residues in the membrane fenestration in the response to poking. Our findings position these two structural elements as potential sources of functional diversity within the family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Jojoa-Cruz
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps ResearchLa JollaUnited States
| | - Adrienne E Dubin
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps ResearchLa JollaUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Scripps ResearchLa JollaUnited States
| | - Wen-Hsin Lee
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps ResearchLa JollaUnited States
| | - Andrew B Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps ResearchLa JollaUnited States
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14
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Wilmot JH, Diniz CRAF, Crestani AP, Puhger KR, Roshgadol J, Tian L, Wiltgen BJ. Phasic locus coeruleus activity enhances trace fear conditioning by increasing dopamine release in the hippocampus. eLife 2024; 12:RP91465. [PMID: 38592773 PMCID: PMC11003744 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91465] [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] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Locus coeruleus (LC) projections to the hippocampus play a critical role in learning and memory. However, the precise timing of LC-hippocampus communication during learning and which LC-derived neurotransmitters are important for memory formation in the hippocampus are currently unknown. Although the LC is typically thought to modulate neural activity via the release of norepinephrine, several recent studies have suggested that it may also release dopamine into the hippocampus and other cortical regions. In some cases, it appears that dopamine release from LC into the hippocampus may be more important for memory than norepinephrine. Here, we extend these data by characterizing the phasic responses of the LC and its projections to the dorsal hippocampus during trace fear conditioning in mice. We find that the LC and its projections to the hippocampus respond to task-relevant stimuli and that amplifying these responses with optogenetic stimulation can enhance long-term memory formation. We also demonstrate that LC activity increases both norepinephrine and dopamine content in the dorsal hippocampus and that the timing of hippocampal dopamine release during trace fear conditioning is similar to the timing of LC activity. Finally, we show that hippocampal dopamine is important for trace fear memory formation, while norepinephrine is not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob H Wilmot
- Department of Psychology, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Cassiano RAF Diniz
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Ana P Crestani
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Kyle R Puhger
- Department of Psychology, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Jacob Roshgadol
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Brian Joseph Wiltgen
- Department of Psychology, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
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15
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Das S, Lyon CJ, Hu T. A Panorama of Extracellular Vesicle Applications: From Biomarker Detection to Therapeutics. ACS Nano 2024; 18:9784-9797. [PMID: 38471757 PMCID: PMC11008359 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00666] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by all cell types are involved in the cell-to-cell transfer of regulatory factors that influence cell and tissue phenotypes in normal and diseased tissues. EVs are thus a rich source of biomarker targets for assays that analyze blood and urinary EVs for disease diagnosis. Sensitive biomarker detection in EVs derived from specific cell populations is a key major hurdle when analyzing complex biological samples, but innovative approaches surveyed in this Perspective can streamline EV isolation and enhance the sensitivity of EV detection procedures required for clinical application of EV-based diagnostics and therapeutics, including nanotechnology and microfluidics, to achieve EV characterizations. Finally, this Perspective also outlines opportunities and challenges remaining for clinical translation of EV-based assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumita Das
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Diagnostics
and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, United States
| | - Christopher J. Lyon
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Diagnostics
and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, United States
| | - Tony Hu
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Diagnostics
and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, United States
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16
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De Santis D, Perez MA. A portable system to measure knee extensor spasticity after spinal cord injury. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2024; 21:50. [PMID: 38594696 PMCID: PMC11003160 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-024-01326-9] [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: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pendulum test is a quantitative method used to assess knee extensor spasticity in humans with spinal cord injury (SCI). Yet, the clinical implementation of this method remains limited. The goal of our study was to develop an objective and portable system to assess knee extensor spasticity during the pendulum test using inertial measurement units (IMU). METHODS Spasticity was quantified by measuring the first swing angle (FSA) using a 3-dimensional optical tracking system (with external markers over the iliotibial band, lateral knee epicondyle, and lateral malleolus) and two wireless IMUs (positioned over the iliotibial band and mid-part of the lower leg) as well as a clinical exam (Modified Ashworth Scale, MAS). RESULTS Measurements were taken on separate days to assess test-retest reliability and device agreement in humans with and without SCI. We found no differences between FSA values obtained with the optical tracking system and the IMU-based system in control subjects and individuals with SCI. FSA values from the IMU-based system showed excellent agreement with the optical tracking system in individuals with SCI (ICC > 0.98) and good agreement in controls (ICC > 0.82), excellent test-retest reliability across days in SCI (ICC = 0.93) and good in controls (ICC = 0.87). Notably, FSA values measured by both systems showed a strong association with MAS scores ( ρ ~ -0.8) being decreased in individuals with SCI with higher MAS scores, reflecting the presence of spasticity. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that our new portable IMU-based system provides a robust and flexible alternative to a camera-based optical tracking system to quantify knee extensor spasticity following SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica A Perez
- Shirley Ryan Abilitylab, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
- Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, 60141, USA.
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17
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Karas BF, Terez KR, Mowla S, Battula N, Flannery KP, Gural BM, Aboussleman G, Mubin N, Manzini MC. Removal of pomt1 in zebrafish leads to loss of α-dystroglycan glycosylation and dystroglycanopathy phenotypes. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:709-723. [PMID: 38272461 PMCID: PMC11000664 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddae006] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Biallelic mutations in Protein O-mannosyltransferase 1 (POMT1) are among the most common causes of a severe group of congenital muscular dystrophies (CMDs) known as dystroglycanopathies. POMT1 is a glycosyltransferase responsible for the attachment of a functional glycan mediating interactions between the transmembrane glycoprotein dystroglycan and its binding partners in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Disruptions in these cell-ECM interactions lead to multiple developmental defects causing brain and eye malformations in addition to CMD. Removing Pomt1 in the mouse leads to early embryonic death due to the essential role of dystroglycan during placental formation in rodents. Here, we characterized and validated a model of pomt1 loss of function in the zebrafish showing that developmental defects found in individuals affected by dystroglycanopathies can be recapitulated in the fish. We also discovered that pomt1 mRNA provided by the mother in the oocyte supports dystroglycan glycosylation during the first few weeks of development. Muscle disease, retinal synapse formation deficits, and axon guidance defects can only be uncovered during the first week post fertilization by generating knock-out embryos from knock-out mothers. Conversely, maternal pomt1 from heterozygous mothers was sufficient to sustain muscle, eye, and brain development only leading to loss of photoreceptor synapses at 30 days post fertilization. Our findings show that it is important to define the contribution of maternal mRNA while developing zebrafish models of dystroglycanopathies and that offspring generated from heterozygous and knock-out mothers can be used to differentiate the role of dystroglycan glycosylation in tissue formation and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany F Karas
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
| | - Kristin R Terez
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
| | - Shorbon Mowla
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
| | - Namarata Battula
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
| | - Kyle P Flannery
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
| | - Brian M Gural
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
| | - Grace Aboussleman
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
| | - Numa Mubin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
| | - M Chiara Manzini
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
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18
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Rivera O, Sharma M, Dagar S, Shahani N, Ramĺrez-Jarquĺn UN, Crynen G, Karunadharma P, McManus F, Bonneil E, Pierre T, Subramaniam S. Rhes, a striatal enriched protein, regulates post-translational small-ubiquitin-like-modifier (SUMO) modification of nuclear proteins and alters gene expression. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:169. [PMID: 38589732 PMCID: PMC11001699 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05181-8] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Rhes (Ras homolog enriched in the striatum), a multifunctional protein that regulates striatal functions associated with motor behaviors and neurological diseases, can shuttle from cell to cell via the formation of tunneling-like nanotubes (TNTs). However, the mechanisms by which Rhes mediates diverse functions remain unclear. Rhes is a small GTPase family member which contains a unique C-terminal Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) E3-like domain that promotes SUMO post-translational modification of proteins (SUMOylation) by promoting "cross-SUMOylation" of the SUMO enzyme SUMO E1 (Aos1/Uba2) and SUMO E2 ligase (Ubc-9). Nevertheless, the identity of the SUMO substrates of Rhes remains largely unknown. Here, by combining high throughput interactome and SUMO proteomics, we report that Rhes regulates the SUMOylation of nuclear proteins that are involved in the regulation of gene expression. Rhes increased the SUMOylation of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and histone 2B, while decreasing SUMOylation of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M (HNRNPM), protein polybromo-1 (PBRM1) and E3 SUMO-protein ligase (PIASy). We also found that Rhes itself is SUMOylated at 6 different lysine residues (K32, K110, K114, K120, K124, and K245). Furthermore, Rhes regulated the expression of genes involved in cellular morphogenesis and differentiation in the striatum, in a SUMO-dependent manner. Our findings thus provide evidence for a previously undescribed role for Rhes in regulating the SUMOylation of nuclear targets and in orchestrating striatal gene expression via SUMOylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Rivera
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Manish Sharma
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Sunayana Dagar
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Neelam Shahani
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Uri Nimrod Ramĺrez-Jarquĺn
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
- National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez, Department of Pharmacology, Mexico, USA
| | - Gogce Crynen
- Bioinformatics and Statistics Core, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Pabalu Karunadharma
- Genomic Core, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Francis McManus
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Eric Bonneil
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Thibault Pierre
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Srinivasa Subramaniam
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA.
- The Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, 3009 SW Williston Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
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19
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Persky V, Abasilim C, Tsintsifas K, Day T, Sargis RM, Daviglus M, Cai J, Freels S, Kaplan R, Isasi CR, Pirzada A, Meyer ML, Talavera GA, Thyagarajan B, Agarwal S, Chavez N, Grieco A, Turyk ME. Thyroid Hormones and Diabetes in Euthyroid Hispanic/Latino Adults of Diverse Backgrounds: HCHS/SOL. J Endocr Soc 2024; 8:bvae039. [PMID: 38623380 PMCID: PMC11017329 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvae039] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Context Previous studies have demonstrated associations of endogenous thyroid hormones with diabetes; less is known about stages of diabetes development at which they are operative, mechanisms of associations, and the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. Objective This study examined associations of thyroid hormones with incident prediabetes and diabetes and with changes in glycemic traits in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), the largest cohort of Hispanic/Latino adults with diverse backgrounds in the United States. Methods The study includes 592 postmenopausal euthyroid women and 868 euthyroid men aged 45 to 74 years without diabetes at baseline participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Baseline hormones included thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), total triiodothyronine (T3), and indices calculated from thyroid hormones evaluating pituitary sensitivity to thyroid hormone. Transitions to diabetes and prediabetes, and changes in glycemic traits determined at the 6-year follow-up visit, were examined using multivariable Poisson and linear regressions. Results Among women, T3 (incident rate ratio [IRR] = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.22-2.24; P = .001) and TSH (IRR = 2.09; 95% CI, 1.01-4.33; P = .047) were positively, while FT4 (IRR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.39-0.88; P = .011) was inversely, associated with transition from prediabetes to diabetes. Among men, the T3/FT4 ratio was positively associated with transition from normoglycemia to prediabetes but not from prediabetes to diabetes. Indices measuring sensitivity of the pituitary to thyroid hormone suggested increased sensitivity in men who transitioned from prediabetes to diabetes. Conclusion Positive associations in women of T3 and TSH and inverse associations of FT4, as well as inverse associations of thyroid indices in men with transition from prediabetes to diabetes, but not from normoglycemia to diabetes, suggest decreased pituitary sensitivity to thyroid hormones in women and increased sensitivity in men later in the development of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Persky
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Chibuzor Abasilim
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Konstantina Tsintsifas
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Tessa Day
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Robert M Sargis
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago and Medical Service, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Martha Daviglus
- Institute for Minority Health Research, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Jianwen Cai
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sally Freels
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Robert Kaplan
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Carmen R Isasi
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Amber Pirzada
- Institute for Minority Health Research, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Michelle L Meyer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Gregory A Talavera
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Bharat Thyagarajan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA
| | - Shivani Agarwal
- Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Noel Chavez
- Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Arielle Grieco
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Mary E Turyk
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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20
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Chatanaka MK, Avery LM, Pasic MD, Sithravadivel S, Rotstein D, Demos C, Cohen R, Gorham T, Wang M, Stengelin M, Mathew A, Sigal G, Wohlstadter J, Prassas I, Diamandis EP. The relationship between serum astroglial and neuronal markers and AQP4 and MOG autoantibodies. Clin Proteomics 2024; 21:28. [PMID: 38580905 PMCID: PMC10998414 DOI: 10.1186/s12014-024-09466-9] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Certain demyelinating disorders, such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) exhibit serum autoantibodies against aquaporin-4 (αAQP4) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (αMOG). The variability of the autoantibody presentation warrants further research into subtyping each case. METHODS To elucidate the relationship between astroglial and neuronal protein concentrations in the peripheral circulation with occurrence of these autoantibodies, 86 serum samples were analyzed using immunoassays. The protein concentration of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NFL) and tau protein was measured in 3 groups of subcategories of suspected NMOSD: αAQP4 positive (n = 20), αMOG positive (n = 32) and αMOG/αAQP4 seronegative (n = 34). Kruskal-Wallis analysis, univariate predictor analysis, and multivariate logistic regression with ROC curves were performed. RESULTS GFAP and NFL concentrations were significantly elevated in the αAQP4 positive group (p = 0.003; p = 0.042, respectively), and tau was elevated in the αMOG/αAQP4 seronegative group (p < 0.001). A logistic regression model to classify serostatus was able to separate αAQP4 seropositivity using GFAP + tau, and αMOG seropositivity using tau. The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) were 0.77 and 0.72, respectively. Finally, a combined seropositivity versus negative status logistic regression model was generated, with AUC = 0.80. CONCLUSION The 3 markers can univariately and multivariately classify with moderate accuracy the samples with seropositivity and seronegativity for αAQP4 and αMOG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyo K Chatanaka
- Department of Laboratory and Medicine Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 60 Murray St. Box 32, Floor 6, Rm L6-201, Toronto, ON, M5T 3L9, Canada
- Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lisa M Avery
- Biostatistics Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Biostatistics, The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Maria D Pasic
- Department of Laboratory and Medicine Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 60 Murray St. Box 32, Floor 6, Rm L6-201, Toronto, ON, M5T 3L9, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, St. Joseph's Health Centre, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Shanthan Sithravadivel
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, St. Joseph's Health Centre, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anu Mathew
- Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Ioannis Prassas
- Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Eleftherios P Diamandis
- Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Lunenfeld- Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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21
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DeVault L, Mateusiak C, Palucki J, Brent M, Milbrandt J, DiAntonio A. The response of Dual-leucine zipper kinase (DLK) to nocodazole: Evidence for a homeostatic cytoskeletal repair mechanism. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300539. [PMID: 38574058 PMCID: PMC10994325 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic and pharmacological perturbation of the cytoskeleton enhances the regenerative potential of neurons. This response requires Dual-leucine Zipper Kinase (DLK), a neuronal stress sensor that is a central regulator of axon regeneration and degeneration. The damage and repair aspects of this response are reminiscent of other cellular homeostatic systems, suggesting that a cytoskeletal homeostatic response exists. In this study, we propose a framework for understanding DLK mediated neuronal cytoskeletal homeostasis. We demonstrate that low dose nocodazole treatment activates DLK signaling. Activation of DLK signaling results in a DLK-dependent transcriptional signature, which we identify through RNA-seq. This signature includes genes likely to attenuate DLK signaling while simultaneously inducing actin regulating genes. We identify alterations to the cytoskeleton including actin-based morphological changes to the axon. These results are consistent with the model that cytoskeletal disruption in the neuron induces a DLK-dependent homeostatic mechanism, which we term the Cytoskeletal Stress Response (CSR) pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura DeVault
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Chase Mateusiak
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - John Palucki
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Michael Brent
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Milbrandt
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Needleman Center for Neurometabolism and Axonal Therapeutics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Aaron DiAntonio
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Needleman Center for Neurometabolism and Axonal Therapeutics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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22
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Rao S, Sadybekov A, DeWitt DC, Lipka J, Katritch V, Herring BE. Detection of autism spectrum disorder-related pathogenic trio variants by a novel structure-based approach. Mol Autism 2024; 15:12. [PMID: 38566250 PMCID: PMC10988830 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00590-9] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glutamatergic synapse dysfunction is believed to underlie the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) in many individuals. However, identification of genetic markers that contribute to synaptic dysfunction in these individuals is notoriously difficult. Based on genomic analysis, structural modeling, and functional data, we recently established the involvement of the TRIO-RAC1 pathway in ASD and ID. Furthermore, we identified a pathological de novo missense mutation hotspot in TRIO's GEF1 domain. ASD/ID-related missense mutations within this domain compromise glutamatergic synapse function and likely contribute to the development of ASD/ID. The number of ASD/ID cases with mutations identified within TRIO's GEF1 domain is increasing. However, tools for accurately predicting whether such mutations are detrimental to protein function are lacking. METHODS Here we deployed advanced protein structural modeling techniques to predict potential de novo pathogenic and benign mutations within TRIO's GEF1 domain. Mutant TRIO-9 constructs were generated and expressed in CA1 pyramidal neurons of organotypic cultured hippocampal slices. AMPA receptor-mediated postsynaptic currents were examined in these neurons using dual whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology. We also validated these findings using orthogonal co-immunoprecipitation and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM-FRET) experiments to assay TRIO mutant overexpression effects on TRIO-RAC1 binding and on RAC1 activity in HEK293/T cells. RESULTS Missense mutations in TRIO's GEF1 domain that were predicted to disrupt TRIO-RAC1 binding or stability were tested experimentally and found to greatly impair TRIO-9's influence on glutamatergic synapse function. In contrast, missense mutations in TRIO's GEF1 domain that were predicted to have minimal effect on TRIO-RAC1 binding or stability did not impair TRIO-9's influence on glutamatergic synapse function in our experimental assays. In orthogonal assays, we find most of the mutations predicted to disrupt binding display loss of function but mutants predicted to disrupt stability do not reflect our results from neuronal electrophysiological data. LIMITATIONS We present a method to predict missense mutations in TRIO's GEF1 domain that may compromise TRIO function and test for effects in a limited number of assays. Possible limitations arising from the model systems employed here can be addressed in future studies. Our method does not provide evidence for whether these mutations confer ASD/ID risk or the likelihood that such mutations will result in the development of ASD/ID. CONCLUSIONS Here we show that a combination of structure-based computational predictions and experimental validation can be employed to reliably predict whether missense mutations in the human TRIO gene impede TRIO protein function and compromise TRIO's role in glutamatergic synapse regulation. With the growing accessibility of genome sequencing, the use of such tools in the accurate identification of pathological mutations will be instrumental in diagnostics of ASD/ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadhna Rao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Neurobiology Section, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Anastasiia Sadybekov
- Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - David C DeWitt
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Joanna Lipka
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Bruce E Herring
- Department of Biological Sciences, Neurobiology Section, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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23
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Strohm AO, Johnston C, Hernady E, Marples B, O'Banion MK, Majewska AK. Cranial irradiation disrupts homeostatic microglial dynamic behavior. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:82. [PMID: 38570852 PMCID: PMC10993621 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03073-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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cranial irradiation causes cognitive deficits that are in part mediated by microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain. Microglia are highly reactive, exhibiting changes in shape and morphology depending on the function they are performing. Additionally, microglia processes make dynamic, physical contacts with different components of their environment to monitor the functional state of the brain and promote plasticity. Though evidence suggests radiation perturbs homeostatic microglia functions, it is unknown how cranial irradiation impacts the dynamic behavior of microglia over time. Here, we paired in vivo two-photon microscopy with a transgenic mouse model that labels cortical microglia to follow these cells and determine how they change over time in cranial irradiated mice and their control littermates. We show that a single dose of 10 Gy cranial irradiation disrupts homeostatic cortical microglia dynamics during a 1-month time course. We found a lasting loss of microglial cells following cranial irradiation, coupled with a modest dysregulation of microglial soma displacement at earlier timepoints. The homogeneous distribution of microglia was maintained, suggesting microglia rearrange themselves to account for cell loss and maintain territorial organization following cranial irradiation. Furthermore, we found cranial irradiation reduced microglia coverage of the parenchyma and their surveillance capacity, without overtly changing morphology. Our results demonstrate that a single dose of radiation can induce changes in microglial behavior and function that could influence neurological health. These results set the foundation for future work examining how cranial irradiation impacts complex cellular dynamics in the brain which could contribute to the manifestation of cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra O Strohm
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Carl Johnston
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Eric Hernady
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Brian Marples
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - M Kerry O'Banion
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Ania K Majewska
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
- Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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24
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Dardas Z, Fatih JM, Jolly A, Dawood M, Du H, Grochowski CM, Jones EG, Jhangiani SN, Wehrens XHT, Liu P, Bi W, Boerwinkle E, Posey JE, Muzny DM, Gibbs RA, Lupski JR, Coban-Akdemir Z, Morris SA. NODAL variants are associated with a continuum of laterality defects from simple D-transposition of the great arteries to heterotaxy. Genome Med 2024; 16:53. [PMID: 38570875 PMCID: PMC10988827 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01312-9] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND NODAL signaling plays a critical role in embryonic patterning and heart development in vertebrates. Genetic variants resulting in perturbations of the TGF-β/NODAL signaling pathway have reproducibly been shown to cause laterality defects in humans. To further explore this association and improve genetic diagnosis, the study aims to identify and characterize a broader range of NODAL variants in a large number of individuals with laterality defects. METHODS We re-analyzed a cohort of 321 proband-only exomes of individuals with clinically diagnosed laterality congenital heart disease (CHD) using family-based, rare variant genomic analyses. To this cohort we added 12 affected subjects with known NODAL variants and CHD from institutional research and clinical cohorts to investigate an allelic series. For those with candidate contributory variants, variant allele confirmation and segregation analysis were studied by Sanger sequencing in available family members. Array comparative genomic hybridization and droplet digital PCR were utilized for copy number variants (CNV) validation and characterization. We performed Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)-based quantitative phenotypic analyses to dissect allele-specific phenotypic differences. RESULTS Missense, nonsense, splice site, indels, and/or structural variants of NODAL were identified as potential causes of heterotaxy and other laterality defects in 33 CHD cases. We describe a recurrent complex indel variant for which the nucleic acid secondary structure predictions implicate secondary structure mutagenesis as a possible mechanism for formation. We identified two CNV deletion alleles spanning NODAL in two unrelated CHD cases. Furthermore, 17 CHD individuals were found (16/17 with known Hispanic ancestry) to have the c.778G > A:p.G260R NODAL missense variant which we propose reclassification from variant of uncertain significance (VUS) to likely pathogenic. Quantitative HPO-based analyses of the observed clinical phenotype for all cases with p.G260R variation, including heterozygous, homozygous, and compound heterozygous cases, reveal clustering of individuals with biallelic variation. This finding provides evidence for a genotypic-phenotypic correlation and an allele-specific gene dosage model. CONCLUSION Our data further support a role for rare deleterious variants in NODAL as a cause for sporadic human laterality defects, expand the repertoire of observed anatomical complexity of potential cardiovascular anomalies, and implicate an allele specific gene dosage model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zain Dardas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jawid M Fatih
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Angad Jolly
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Moez Dawood
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Haowei Du
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Edward G Jones
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shalini N Jhangiani
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xander H T Wehrens
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Baylor Genetics, Houston, TX, 77021, USA
| | - Weimin Bi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Baylor Genetics, Houston, TX, 77021, USA
| | - Eric Boerwinkle
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Human Genetics Center, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jennifer E Posey
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zeynep Coban-Akdemir
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Human Genetics Center, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Shaine A Morris
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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25
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Liu JA, Bumgarner JR, Walker WH, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Chronic phase advances reduces recognition memory and increases vascular cognitive dementia-like impairments in aged mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7760. [PMID: 38565934 PMCID: PMC10987525 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57511-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Disrupted or atypical light-dark cycles disrupts synchronization of endogenous circadian clocks to the external environment; extensive circadian rhythm desynchrony promotes adverse health outcomes. Previous studies suggest that disrupted circadian rhythms promote neuroinflammation and neuronal damage post-ischemia in otherwise healthy mice, however, few studies to date have evaluated these health risks with aging. Because most strokes occur in aged individuals, we sought to identify whether, in addition to being a risk factor for poor ischemic outcome, circadian rhythm disruption can increase risk for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). We hypothesized that repeated 6 h phase advances (chronic jet lag; CJL) for 8 weeks alters cerebrovascular architecture leading to increased cognitive impairments in aged mice. Female CJL mice displayed impaired spatial processing during a spontaneous alternation task and reduced acquisition during auditory-cued associative learning. Male CJL mice displayed impaired retention of the auditory-cued associative learning task 24 h following acquisition. CJL increased vascular tortuosity in the isocortex, associated with increased risk for vascular disease. These results demonstrate that CJL increased sex-specific cognitive impairments coinciding with structural changes to vasculature in the brain. We highlight that CJL may accelerate aged-related functional decline and could be a crucial target against disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA.
| | - Jacob R Bumgarner
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
| | - William H Walker
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
- Department of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
| | | | - James C Walton
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
| | - A Courtney DeVries
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
- Department of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
- West Virginia University Cancer Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
| | - Randy J Nelson
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA
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Walsh DJ, Rees JR, Mehra S, Bourkas MEC, Kaczmarczyk L, Stuart E, Jackson WS, Watts JC, Supattapone S. Anti-prion drugs do not improve survival in novel knock-in models of inherited prion disease. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012087. [PMID: 38557815 PMCID: PMC10984475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases uniquely manifest in three distinct forms: inherited, sporadic, and infectious. Wild-type prions are responsible for the sporadic and infectious versions, while mutant prions cause inherited variants like fatal familial insomnia (FFI) and familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (fCJD). Although some drugs can prolong prion incubation times up to four-fold in rodent models of infectious prion diseases, no effective treatments for FFI and fCJD have been found. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of various anti-prion drugs on newly-developed knock-in mouse models for FFI and fCJD. These models express bank vole prion protein (PrP) with the pathogenic D178N and E200K mutations. We applied various drug regimens known to be highly effective against wild-type prions in vivo as well as a brain-penetrant compound that inhibits mutant PrPSc propagation in vitro. None of the regimens tested (Anle138b, IND24, Anle138b + IND24, cellulose ether, and PSCMA) significantly extended disease-free survival or prevented mutant PrPSc accumulation in either knock-in mouse model, despite their ability to induce strain adaptation of mutant prions. Our results show that anti-prion drugs originally developed to treat infectious prion diseases do not necessarily work for inherited prion diseases, and that the recombinant sPMCA is not a reliable platform for identifying compounds that target mutant prions. This work underscores the need to develop therapies and validate screening assays specifically for mutant prions, as well as anti-prion strategies that are not strain-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Walsh
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Judy R. Rees
- Department of Epidemiology Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
- Department of Community and Family Medicine Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Surabhi Mehra
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew E. C. Bourkas
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lech Kaczmarczyk
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Erica Stuart
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Walker S. Jackson
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Joel C. Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Surachai Supattapone
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
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Hochstrasser KJ, Rogers SC, Quyyumi A, Johnson D, Pak V, Shah AJ, Rye DB, Trotti LM. Restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movements of sleep, and subclinical cardiovascular disease. Sleep Biol Rhythms 2024; 22:259-267. [PMID: 38524158 PMCID: PMC10959898 DOI: 10.1007/s41105-023-00497-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS) have been variably implicated in risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but there is lack of consensus on these relationships. We sought to assess subclinical CVD measures and RLS/PLMS in a large cohort to further evaluate these associations. The Emory Center for Health Discovery and Well Being cohort is composed of employed adults, with subclinical CVD measures including endothelial function (flow-mediated vasodilation), microvascular function (reactive hyperemia index, RHI), arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity and augmentation index), and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). Participants were grouped based on presence (N = 50) or absence (N = 376) of RLS and subclinical CVD measures compared between groups. A subset of participants (n = 40) underwent ambulatory monitoring for PLMS and obstructive sleep apnea. PLMS association with subclinical CVD measures was assessed. RLS status was significantly associated with flow-mediated dilation in univariate analyses but not after controlling for potential confounders; RLS was not associated with other subclinical CVD measures. PLMS were significantly correlated with the RHI, augmentation index, and cIMT in univariate analyses; only the association between PLMS and cIMT remained significant (p = 0.04) after controlling for RLS status, age, apnea-hypopnea index, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. The observed association between higher PLMS and greater cIMT suggests that PLMS may be a marker of subclinical CVD. Further work is needed to determine the relationship between PLMS and CVD risk. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41105-023-00497-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J. Hochstrasser
- Department of Neurology, Emory Sleep Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA
| | - Steven C. Rogers
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
| | - Arshed Quyyumi
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
| | - Dayna Johnson
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Victoria Pak
- Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Atlanta, USA
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
| | - David B. Rye
- Department of Neurology, Emory Sleep Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA
| | - Lynn Marie Trotti
- Department of Neurology, Emory Sleep Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA
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Pan S, Bruun DA, Lein PJ, Chen CY. Cardiovascular responses of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats following acute organophosphate intoxication and post-exposure treatment with midazolam with or without allopregnanolone. Arch Toxicol 2024; 98:1177-1189. [PMID: 38305864 PMCID: PMC10944447 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03679-x] [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: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Recent experimental evidence suggests combined treatment with midazolam and allopregnanolone is more effective than midazolam alone in terminating seizures triggered by acute organophosphate (OP) intoxication. However, there are concerns that combined midazolam and allopregnanolone increases risk of adverse cardiovascular events. To address this, we used telemetry devices to record cardiovascular responses in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats acutely intoxicated with diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP). Animals were administered DFP (4 mg/kg, sc), followed immediately by atropine (2 mg/kg, i.m.) and 2-PAM (25 mg/kg, i.m.). At 40 min post-exposure, a subset of animals received midazolam (0.65 mg/kg, im); at 50 min, these rats received a second dose of midazolam or allopregnanolone (12 mg/kg, im). DFP significantly increased blood pressure by ~ 80 mmHg and pulse pressure by ~ 34 mmHg that peaked within 12 min. DFP also increased core temperature by ~ 3.5 °C and heart rate by ~ 250 bpm that peaked at ~ 2 h. Heart rate variability (HRV), an index of autonomic function, was reduced by ~ 80%. All acute (within 15 min of exposure) and two-thirds of delayed (hours after exposure) mortalities were associated with non-ventricular cardiac events within 10 min of cardiovascular collapse, suggesting that non-ventricular events should be closely monitored in OP-poisoned patients. Compared to rats that survived DFP intoxication without treatment, midazolam significantly improved recovery of cardiovascular parameters and HRV, an effect enhanced by allopregnanolone. These data demonstrate that midazolam improved recovery of cardiovascular and autonomic function and that the combination of midazolam and allopregnanolone may be a better therapeutic strategy than midazolam alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyue Pan
- Department of Pharmacology, Davis, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Donald A Bruun
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Pamela J Lein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Davis, School of Medicine, MIND Institute, University of California, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Chao-Yin Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Davis, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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Khan AF, Muhammad F, Mohammadi E, O'Neal C, Haynes G, Hameed S, Walker B, Rohan ML, Yabluchanskiy A, Smith ZA. Beyond the aging spine - a systematic review of functional changes in the human brain in cervical spondylotic myelopathy. GeroScience 2024; 46:1421-1450. [PMID: 37801201 PMCID: PMC10828266 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00954-8] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM) is a degenerative condition that leads to loss of cervical spinal cord integrity, typically affecting the aged population. Emerging fMRI-based evidence suggests that the brain is also affected by CSM. This systematic review aimed to understand the usefulness of brain fMRI in CSM. A comprehensive literature search was conducted until March 2023 according to PRISMA guidelines. The inclusion criteria included original research articles in English, primarily studying the human brain's functional changes in CSM using fMRI with at least 5 participants. The extracted data from each study included demographics, disease severity, MRI machine characteristics, affected brain areas, functional changes, and clinical utilities. A total of 30 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among the fMRI methods, resting-state fMRI was the most widely used experimental paradigm, followed by motor tasks. The brain areas associated with motor control were most affected in CSM, followed by the superior frontal gyrus and occipital cortex. Functional changes in the brain were correlated to clinical metrics showing clinical utility. However, the evidence that a specific fMRI metric correlating with a clinical metric was "very low" to "insufficient" due to a low number of studies and negative results. In conclusion, fMRI can potentially facilitate the diagnosis of CSM by quantitatively interrogating the functional changes of the brain, particularly areas of the brain associated with motor control. However, this field is in its early stages, and more studies are needed to establish the usefulness of brain fMRI in CSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Fahim Khan
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1000 N Lincoln Blvd, Suite 4000, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
| | - Fauziyya Muhammad
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1000 N Lincoln Blvd, Suite 4000, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Esmaeil Mohammadi
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1000 N Lincoln Blvd, Suite 4000, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Christen O'Neal
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1000 N Lincoln Blvd, Suite 4000, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Grace Haynes
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Sanaa Hameed
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1000 N Lincoln Blvd, Suite 4000, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Brynden Walker
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | | | - Andriy Yabluchanskiy
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1000 N Lincoln Blvd, Suite 4000, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Zachary Adam Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1000 N Lincoln Blvd, Suite 4000, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
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Gopalakrishnan B, Galili U, Dunbar A, Solorio L, Shi R, Li J. α-Gal Nanoparticles in CNS Trauma: I. In Vitro Activation of Microglia Towards a Pro-Healing State. Tissue Eng Regen Med 2024; 21:409-419. [PMID: 38099990 PMCID: PMC10987450 DOI: 10.1007/s13770-023-00613-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Macrophages and microglia play critical roles after spinal cord injury (SCI), with the pro-healing, anti-inflammatory (M2) subtype being implicated in tissue repair. We hypothesize that promoting this phenotype within the post-injured cord microenvironment may provide beneficial effects for mitigating tissue damage. As a proof of concept, we propose the use of nanoparticles incorporating the carbohydrate antigen, galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal epitope) as an immunomodulator to transition human microglia (HMC3) cells toward a pro-healing state. METHODS Quiescent HMC3 cells were acutely exposed to α-gal nanoparticles in the presence of human serum and subsequently characterized for changes in cell shape, expression of anti or pro-inflammatory markers, and secretion of phenotype-specific cytokines. RESULTS HMC3 cells treated with serum activated α-gal nanoparticles exhibited rapid enlargement and shape change in addition to expressing CD68. Moreover, these activated cells showed increased expression of anti-inflammatory markers like Arginase-1 and CD206 without increasing production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α or IL-6. CONCLUSION This study is the first to show that resting human microglia exposed to a complex of α-gal nanoparticles and anti-Gal (from human serum) can be activated and polarized toward a putative M2 state. The data suggests that α-gal nanoparticles may have therapeutic relevance to the CNS microenvironment, in both recruiting and polarizing macrophages/microglia at the application site. The immunomodulatory activity of these α-gal nanoparticles post-SCI is further described in the companion work (Part II).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavani Gopalakrishnan
- Center for Paralysis Research (VCPR), Purdue University, 408 S. University St, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Uri Galili
- Department of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - August Dunbar
- Center for Paralysis Research (VCPR), Purdue University, 408 S. University St, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Luis Solorio
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Riyi Shi
- Center for Paralysis Research (VCPR), Purdue University, 408 S. University St, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Jianming Li
- Center for Paralysis Research (VCPR), Purdue University, 408 S. University St, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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31
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Hunzinger KJ, Walter AE, Rosenthal KA, Windham BG, Palta P, Juraschek SP, Hicks CW, Gottesman RF, Schneider ALC. Associations Between Prior Head Injury, Physical Functioning, and Frailty in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glae032. [PMID: 38284926 PMCID: PMC10972581 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae032] [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: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Older adults have the highest rates of head injury and are at the greatest risk for subsequent dysfunction, yet research on subsequent physical decline is limited. We sought to examine cross-sectional and prospective associations of head injury with physical functioning and frailty among older adults. METHODS A total of 5 598 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study participants from Visit 5 (2011-13) underwent assessments of physical functioning (Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB], comprised of gait speed, chair stands, and balance) and frailty (defined using established criteria) were followed through Visit 7 (2018-19). Head injury was self-reported or based on ICD-9 codes. Adjusted linear and multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate associations. Prospective models incorporated inverse probability of attrition weights to account for death or attrition. RESULTS Participants were a mean age of 75 years, 58% were women, 22% were Black, and 27% had a prior head injury. Compared to individuals without head injury, individuals with head injury had worse physical functioning (SPPB total score, β-coefficient = -0.22, 95% CI: -0.35 to -0.09) and were more likely to be pre-frail (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.35) or frail (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.80) compared to robust. Prospectively, head injury was associated with a 0.02 m/s greater decline (95% CI: -0.04 to -0.01) in gait speed over a median of 5 years. Among baseline robust individuals (n = 1 847), head injury was associated with increased odds of becoming pre-frail (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.67) or frail (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.05 to 3.51) compared to robust. CONCLUSIONS Older adults with prior head injury had worse physical functioning and greater frailty at baseline and were more likely to become frail and walk slower over time, compared to individuals without head injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J Hunzinger
- Department of Exercise Science, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexa E Walter
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania-Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kimberly A Rosenthal
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | - B Gwen Windham
- Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia (MIND) Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Priya Palta
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephen P Juraschek
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Caitlin W Hicks
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rebecca F Gottesman
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrea L C Schneider
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania-Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania-Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Musubire A, Kagimu E, Mugabi T, Meya DB, Boulware DR, Bahr NC. Complex Decisions in HIV-Related Cryptococcosis: Addressing Second Episodes of Cryptococcal Meningitis. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2024; 21:75-85. [PMID: 38400871 PMCID: PMC11016006 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-024-00691-3] [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] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review highlights the difficulties in diagnosing and treating persons with a prior history of cryptococcal meningitis who improve but suffer from a recurrence of symptoms. This scenario is well known to those who frequently care for patients with cryptococcal meningitis but is not well understood. We highlight major gaps in knowledge. RECENT FINDINGS We recently summarized our experience with 28 persons with paradoxical immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) and 81 persons with microbiological relapse. CD4 count and cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count were higher in IRIS than relapse but neither was reliable enough to routinely differentiate these conditions. Second-episode cryptococcal meningitis remains a difficult clinical scenario as cryptococcal antigen, while excellent for initial diagnosis has no value in differentiating relapse of infection from other causes of recurrent symptoms. Updated research definitions are proposed and rapid, accurate diagnostic tests are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdu Musubire
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Enock Kagimu
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Timothy Mugabi
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David B Meya
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David R Boulware
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Nathan C Bahr
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, 66160 KS, USA.
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Bhuvanasundaram R, Washburn S, Krzyspiak J, Khodakhah K. Zona incerta modulation of the inferior olive and the pontine nuclei. Netw Neurosci 2024; 8:260-274. [PMID: 38562296 PMCID: PMC10927296 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The zona incerta (ZI) is a subthalamic structure that has been implicated in locomotion, fear, and anxiety. Recently interest has grown in its therapeutic efficacy in deep brain stimulation in movement disorders. This efficacy might be due to the ZI's functional projections to the other brain regions. Notwithstanding some evidence of anatomical connections between the ZI and the inferior olive (IO) and the pontine nuclei (PN), how the ZI modulates the neuronal activity in these regions remains to be determined. We first tested this by monitoring responses of single neurons in the PN and IO to optogenetic activation of channelrhodopsin-expressing ZI axons in wild-type mice, using an in vivo awake preparation. Stimulation of short, single pulses and trains of stimuli at 20 Hz elicited rapid responses in the majority of recorded cells in the PN and IO. Furthermore, the excitatory response of PN neurons scaled with the strength of ZI activation. Next, we used in vitro electrophysiology to study synaptic transmission at ZI-IO synapses. Optogenetic activation of ZI axons evoked a strong excitatory postsynaptic response in IO neurons, which remained robust with repeated stimulation at 20 Hz. Overall, our results demonstrate a functional connection within ZI-PN and ZI-IO pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samantha Washburn
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joanna Krzyspiak
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kamran Khodakhah
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Nester CO, Gao Q, Wang C, Katz MJ, Lipton RB, Verghese J, Rabin LA. "Cognitive" Criteria in Older Adults With Slow Gait Speed: Implications for Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glae038. [PMID: 38349795 PMCID: PMC10943500 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae038] [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: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) is a predementia condition that combines slow gait speed and subjective cognitive concerns (SCC). The SCC criterion is presently unstandardized, possibly limiting risk detection. We sought to (a) characterize SCC practices through MCR literature review; (b) investigate the ability of SCC in slow gait individuals in predicting the likelihood of cognitive impairment in a demographically diverse sample of community-dwelling, nondemented older adults. METHODS First, we comprehensively reviewed the MCR literature, extracting information regarding SCC measures, items, sources, and cognitive domain. Next, Einstein Aging Study (EAS) participants (N = 278, Mage = 77.22 ± 4.74, %female = 67, Meducation = 15 ± 3.61, %non-Hispanic White = 46.3) completed gait, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR), and SCC assessment at baseline and annual follow-up (Mfollow-up = 3.5). Forty-two participants met slow gait criteria at baseline. Generalized linear mixed-effects models examined baseline SCC to predict cognitive impairment on CDR over follow-up. RESULTS We reviewed all published MCR studies (N = 106) and documented ambiguity in SCC criteria, with a prevalent approach being use of a single self-reported memory item. In EAS, high SCC endorsement on a comprehensive, validated screen significantly affected the rate of cognitive impairment (CDR; βinteraction = 0.039, p = .018) in slow gait individuals. CONCLUSIONS An assessment approach that queries across numerous SCC domains was found to predict future decline in clinical dementia status in slow gait older adults. Current SCC practices in MCR, which tend to utilize a single-memory item, may not be the optimal approach. We discuss the implications of SCC criteria validation and standardization to enhance early dementia detection in MCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline O Nester
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Qi Gao
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Cuiling Wang
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Mindy J Katz
- The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Richard B Lipton
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Joe Verghese
- The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Laura A Rabin
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA
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35
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Muhammad F, Hameed S, Haynes G, Mohammadi E, Khan AF, Shakir H, Smith ZA. Degenerative cervical myelopathy: establishing severity thresholds for neuromotor dysfunction in the aging spine using the NIH Toolbox Assessment Scale. GeroScience 2024; 46:2197-2206. [PMID: 37880488 PMCID: PMC10828326 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00983-3] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of age-related non-traumatic spinal cord disorders resulting from chronic degeneration of the cervical spine. While traditional clinical assessments rely on patient-reported measures, this study used the NIH Toolbox Motor Battery (NIHTBm) as an objective, quantitative measure to determine DCM severity. The objective is to define NIHTBm cutoff values that can accurately classify the severity of DCM neuromotor dysfunction. A case-controlled pilot study of patients with DCM and age-matched controls. The focus was an in-depth quantitative motor assessment using the NIHTBm to understand the severity of neuromotor deficits due to degenerative spine disease. Motor assessments, dexterity, grip strength, balance, and gait speed were measured in 45 DCM patients and 37 age-matched healthy subjects (HC). Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis determined cutoff values for mild and moderate-to-severe myelopathy which were validated by comparing motor assessment scores with disability scores. The ROC curves identified thresholds for mild dexterity impairment (T-score range 38.4 - 33.5, AUC 0.77), moderate-to-severe dexterity impairment (< 33.5, AUC 0.70), mild grip strength impairment (47.4 - 32.0, AUC 0.80), moderate-to-severe grip strength impairment (< 32.0, AUC 0.75), mild balance impairment (36.4 - 33.0, AUC 0.61), and moderate-to-severe balance impairment (< 33.0, AUC 0.78). Mild gait speed impairment was defined as 0.78-0.6 m/sec (AUC 0.65), while moderate-to-severe gait speed impairment was < 0.6 m/sec (AUC 0.65). The NIHTB motor score cutoff points correlated negatively with the DCM neck disability index (NDI) and showed balance and dexterity measures as independent indicators of DCM dysfunction. The use of NIHTB allows for precise delineation of DCM severity by establishing cutoff values corresponding to mild and moderate-to-severe myelopathy. The use of NIHTB in DCM allows enhanced clinical precision, enabling clinicians to better pinpoint specific motor deficits in DCM and other neurological disorders with motor deficits, including stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Furthermore, the utility of objective assessment, NIHTB, allows us to gain a better understanding of the heterogeneity of DCM, which will enhance treatment strategies. This study serves as a foundation for future research to facilitate the discovery of innovative treatment strategies for DCM and other neurological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fauziyya Muhammad
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
| | - Sanaa Hameed
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Grace Haynes
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Esmaeil Mohammadi
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Ali F Khan
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Hakeem Shakir
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Zachary A Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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Hamilton HL, Kinscherf NA, Balmer G, Bresque M, Salamat SM, Vargas MR, Pehar M. FABP7 drives an inflammatory response in human astrocytes and is upregulated in Alzheimer's disease. GeroScience 2024; 46:1607-1625. [PMID: 37688656 PMCID: PMC10828232 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00916-0] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, is characterized by the accumulation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, extracellular amyloid plaques, and neuroinflammation. In partnership with microglial cells, astrocytes are key players in the regulation of neuroinflammation. Fatty acid binding protein 7 (FABP7) belongs to a family of conserved proteins that regulate lipid metabolism, energy homeostasis, and inflammation. FABP7 expression is largely restricted to astrocytes and radial glia-like cells in the adult central nervous system. We observed that treatment of primary hippocampal astrocyte cultures with amyloid β fragment 25-35 (Aβ25-35) induces FABP7 upregulation. In addition, FABP7 expression is upregulated in the brain of APP/PS1 mice, a widely used AD mouse model. Co-immunostaining with specific astrocyte markers revealed increased FABP7 expression in astrocytes. Moreover, astrocytes surrounding amyloid plaques displayed increased FABP7 staining when compared to non-plaque-associated astrocytes. A similar result was obtained in the brain of AD patients. Whole transcriptome RNA sequencing analysis of human astrocytes differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (i-astrocytes) overexpressing FABP7 identified 500 transcripts with at least a 2-fold change in expression. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis identified (i) positive regulation of cytokine production and (ii) inflammatory response as the top two statistically significant overrepresented biological processes. We confirmed that wild-type FABP7 overexpression induces an NF-κB-driven inflammatory response in human i-astrocytes. On the other hand, the expression of a ligand-binding impaired mutant FABP7 did not induce NF-κB activation. Together, our results suggest that the upregulation of FABP7 in astrocytes could contribute to the neuroinflammation observed in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haylee L Hamilton
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Avenue, CSC K6/447, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Noah A Kinscherf
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Avenue, CSC K6/447, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Garrett Balmer
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Mariana Bresque
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Shahriar M Salamat
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Marcelo R Vargas
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Mariana Pehar
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Avenue, CSC K6/447, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.
- Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.
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Dunham KE, Venton BJ. Electrochemical and biosensor techniques to monitor neurotransmitter changes with depression. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024; 416:2301-2318. [PMID: 38289354 PMCID: PMC10950978 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05136-9] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Depression is a common mental illness. However, its current treatments, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and micro-dosing ketamine, are extremely variable between patients and not well understood. Three neurotransmitters: serotonin, histamine, and glutamate, have been proposed to be key mediators of depression. This review focuses on analytical methods to quantify these neurotransmitters to better understand neurological mechanisms of depression and how they are altered during treatment. To quantitatively measure serotonin and histamine, electrochemical techniques such as chronoamperometry and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) have been improved to study how specific molecular targets, like transporters and receptors, change with antidepressants and inflammation. Specifically, these studies show that different SSRIs have unique effects on serotonin reuptake and release. Histamine is normally elevated during stress, and a new inflammation hypothesis of depression links histamine and cytokine release. Electrochemical measurements revealed that stress increases histamine, decreases serotonin, and leads to changes in cytokines, like interleukin-6. Biosensors can also measure non-electroactive neurotransmitters, including glutamate and cytokines. In particular, new genetic sensors have shown how glutamate changes with chronic stress, as well as with ketamine treatment. These techniques have been used to characterize how ketamine changes glutamate and serotonin, and to understand how it is different from SSRIs. This review briefly outlines how these electrochemical techniques work, but primarily highlights how they have been used to understand the mechanisms of depression. Future studies should explore multiplexing techniques and personalized medicine using biomarkers in order to investigate multi-analyte changes to antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Dunham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - B Jill Venton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
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Gopalakrishnan B, Galili U, Saenger M, Burket NJ, Koss W, Lokender MS, Wolfe KM, Husak SJ, Stark CJ, Solorio L, Cox A, Dunbar A, Shi R, Li J. α-Gal Nanoparticles in CNS Trauma: II. Immunomodulation Following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Improves Functional Outcomes. Tissue Eng Regen Med 2024; 21:437-453. [PMID: 38308742 PMCID: PMC10987462 DOI: 10.1007/s13770-023-00616-y] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous investigations have shown that local application of nanoparticles presenting the carbohydrate moiety galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal epitopes) enhance wound healing by activating the complement system and recruiting pro-healing macrophages to the injury site. Our companion in vitro paper suggest α-gal epitopes can similarly recruit and polarize human microglia toward a pro-healing phenotype. In this continuation study, we investigate the in vivo implications of α-gal nanoparticle administration directly to the injured spinal cord. METHODS α-Gal knock-out (KO) mice subjected to spinal cord crush were injected either with saline (control) or with α-gal nanoparticles immediately following injury. Animals were assessed longitudinally with neurobehavioral and histological endpoints. RESULTS Mice injected with α-gal nanoparticles showed increased recruitment of anti-inflammatory macrophages to the injection site in conjunction with increased production of anti-inflammatory markers and a reduction in apoptosis. Further, the treated group showed increased axonal infiltration into the lesion, a reduction in reactive astrocyte populations and increased angiogenesis. These results translated into improved sensorimotor metrics versus the control group. CONCLUSIONS Application of α-gal nanoparticles after spinal cord injury (SCI) induces a pro-healing inflammatory response resulting in neuroprotection, improved axonal ingrowth into the lesion and enhanced sensorimotor recovery. The data shows α-gal nanoparticles may be a promising avenue for further study in CNS trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavani Gopalakrishnan
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Uri Galili
- Department of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Megan Saenger
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Noah J Burket
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Wendy Koss
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Manjari S Lokender
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Kaitlyn M Wolfe
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Samantha J Husak
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Collin J Stark
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Luis Solorio
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Abigail Cox
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - August Dunbar
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Riyi Shi
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Jianming Li
- Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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Oostrom M, Muniak MA, Eichler West RM, Akers S, Pande P, Obiri M, Wang W, Bowyer K, Wu Z, Bramer LM, Mao T, Webb-Robertson BJM. Fine-tuning TrailMap: The utility of transfer learning to improve the performance of deep learning in axon segmentation of light-sheet microscopy images. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0293856. [PMID: 38551935 PMCID: PMC10980229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Light-sheet microscopy has made possible the 3D imaging of both fixed and live biological tissue, with samples as large as the entire mouse brain. However, segmentation and quantification of that data remains a time-consuming manual undertaking. Machine learning methods promise the possibility of automating this process. This study seeks to advance the performance of prior models through optimizing transfer learning. We fine-tuned the existing TrailMap model using expert-labeled data from noradrenergic axonal structures in the mouse brain. By changing the cross-entropy weights and using augmentation, we demonstrate a generally improved adjusted F1-score over using the originally trained TrailMap model within our test datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein Oostrom
- AI & Data Analytics Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Muniak
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
| | - Rogene M. Eichler West
- AI & Data Analytics Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States of America
| | - Sarah Akers
- AI & Data Analytics Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States of America
| | - Paritosh Pande
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States of America
| | - Moses Obiri
- AI & Data Analytics Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States of America
| | - Wei Wang
- Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Kasey Bowyer
- Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Zhuhao Wu
- Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Lisa M. Bramer
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States of America
| | - Tianyi Mao
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
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VonKaenel E, Feidler A, Lowery R, Andersh K, Love T, Majewska A, McCall MN. A model-based hierarchical Bayesian approach to Sholl analysis. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btae156. [PMID: 38514403 PMCID: PMC10985672 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btae156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Due to the link between microglial morphology and function, morphological changes in microglia are frequently used to identify pathological immune responses in the central nervous system. In the absence of pathology, microglia are responsible for maintaining homeostasis, and their morphology can be indicative of how the healthy brain behaves in the presence of external stimuli and genetic differences. Despite recent interest in high throughput methods for morphological analysis, Sholl analysis is still widely used for quantifying microglia morphology via imaging data. Often, the raw data are naturally hierarchical, minimally including many cells per image and many images per animal. However, existing methods for performing downstream inference on Sholl data rely on truncating this hierarchy so rudimentary statistical testing procedures can be used. RESULTS To fill this longstanding gap, we introduce a parametric hierarchical Bayesian model-based approach for analyzing Sholl data, so that inference can be performed without aggressive reduction of otherwise very rich data. We apply our model to real data and perform simulation studies comparing the proposed method with a popular alternative. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Software to reproduce the results presented in this article is available at: https://github.com/vonkaenelerik/hierarchical_sholl. An R package implementing the proposed models is available at: https://github.com/vonkaenelerik/ShollBayes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik VonKaenel
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - Alexis Feidler
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - Rebecca Lowery
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - Katherine Andersh
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - Tanzy Love
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - Ania Majewska
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - Matthew N McCall
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
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Merritt EF, Kochanowsky JA, Hervé P, Watson AA, Koshy AA. Toxoplasma type II effector GRA15 has limited influence in vivo. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300764. [PMID: 38551902 PMCID: PMC10980211 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that establishes a long-term infection in the brain of many warm-blooded hosts, including humans and rodents. Like all obligate intracellular microbes, Toxoplasma uses many effector proteins to manipulate the host cell to ensure parasite survival. While some of these effector proteins are universal to all Toxoplasma strains, some are polymorphic between Toxoplasma strains. One such polymorphic effector is GRA15. The gra15 allele carried by type II strains activates host NF-κB signaling, leading to the release of cytokines such as IL-12, TNF, and IL-1β from immune cells infected with type II parasites. Prior work also suggested that GRA15 promotes early host control of parasites in vivo, but the effect of GRA15 on parasite persistence in the brain and the peripheral immune response has not been well defined. For this reason, we sought to address this gap by generating a new IIΔgra15 strain and comparing outcomes at 3 weeks post infection between WT and IIΔgra15 infected mice. We found that the brain parasite burden and the number of macrophages/microglia and T cells in the brain did not differ between WT and IIΔgra15 infected mice. In addition, while IIΔgra15 infected mice had a lower number and frequency of splenic M1-like macrophages and frequency of PD-1+ CTLA-4+ CD4+ T cells and NK cells compared to WT infected mice, the IFN-γ+ CD4 and CD8 T cell populations were equivalent. In summary, our results suggest that in vivo GRA15 may have a subtle effect on the peripheral immune response, but this effect is not strong enough to alter brain parasite burden or parenchymal immune cell number at 3 weeks post infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily F. Merritt
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Joshua A. Kochanowsky
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Perrine Hervé
- Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, CNRS UMR 5234, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Alison A. Watson
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Anita A. Koshy
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
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Alvarez MR, Alkaissi H, Rieger AM, Esber GR, Acosta ME, Stephenson SI, Maurice AV, Valencia LMR, Roman CA, Alarcon JM. The immunomodulatory effect of oral NaHCO 3 is mediated by the splenic nerve: multivariate impact revealed by artificial neural networks. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:79. [PMID: 38549144 PMCID: PMC10976719 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03067-x] [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: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Stimulation of the inflammatory reflex (IR) is a promising strategy for treating systemic inflammatory disorders. Recent studies suggest oral sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) as a potential activator of the IR, offering a safe and cost-effective treatment approach. However, the mechanisms underlying NaHCO3-induced anti-inflammatory effects remain unclear. We investigated whether oral NaHCO3's immunomodulatory effects are mediated by the splenic nerve. Female rats received NaHCO3 or water (H2O) for four days, and splenic immune markers were assessed using flow cytometry. NaHCO3 led to a significant increase (p < 0.05, and/or partial eta squared > 0.06) in anti-inflammatory markers, including CD11bc + CD206 + (M2-like) macrophages, CD3 + CD4 + FoxP3 + cells (Tregs), and Tregs/M1-like ratio. Conversely, proinflammatory markers, such as CD11bc + CD38 + TNFα + (M1-like) macrophages, M1-like/M2-like ratio, and SSChigh/SSClow ratio of FSChighCD11bc + cells, decreased in the spleen following NaHCO3 administration. These effects were abolished in spleen-denervated rats, suggesting the necessity of the splenic nerve in mediating NaHCO3-induced immunomodulation. Artificial neural networks accurately classified NaHCO3 and H2O treatment in sham rats but failed in spleen-denervated rats, highlighting the splenic nerve's critical role. Additionally, spleen denervation independently influenced Tregs, M2-like macrophages, Tregs/M1-like ratio, and CD11bc + CD38 + cells, indicating distinct effects from both surgery and treatment. Principal component analysis (PCA) further supported the separate effects. Our findings suggest that the splenic nerve transmits oral NaHCO3-induced immunomodulatory changes to the spleen, emphasizing NaHCO3's potential as an IR activator with therapeutic implications for a wide spectrum of systemic inflammatory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Rodriguez Alvarez
- School of Graduate Studies & Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
- Department of Rheumatology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA.
| | - Hussam Alkaissi
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases, NIH/NIDDK, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aja M Rieger
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
| | - Guillem R Esber
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Manuel E Acosta
- Mathematics and Computer Sciences Department, Barry University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Stacy I Stephenson
- Division of Comparative Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Allison V Maurice
- Division of Comparative Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | | | - Christopher A Roman
- Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Juan Marcos Alarcon
- Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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Calliari A, Daughrity LM, Albagli EA, Castellanos Otero P, Yue M, Jansen-West K, Islam NN, Caulfield T, Rawlinson B, DeTure M, Cook C, Graff-Radford NR, Day GS, Boeve BF, Knopman DS, Petersen RC, Josephs KA, Oskarsson B, Gitler AD, Dickson DW, Gendron TF, Prudencio M, Ward ME, Zhang YJ, Petrucelli L. HDGFL2 cryptic proteins report presence of TDP-43 pathology in neurodegenerative diseases. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:29. [PMID: 38539264 PMCID: PMC10967196 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00718-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
This letter demonstrates the potential of novel cryptic proteins resulting from TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) dysfunction as markers of TDP-43 pathology in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Calliari
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Ellen A Albagli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Mei Yue
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Naeyma N Islam
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Michael DeTure
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Casey Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Gregory S Day
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Aaron D Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mercedes Prudencio
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Michael E Ward
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institute on Aging and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Yong-Jie Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.
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Wu Z, Kusick GF, Berns MMM, Raychaudhuri S, Itoh K, Walter AM, Chapman ER, Watanabe S. Synaptotagmin 7 docks synaptic vesicles to support facilitation and Doc2α-triggered asynchronous release. eLife 2024; 12:RP90632. [PMID: 38536730 PMCID: PMC10972563 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90632] [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] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of intense study, the molecular basis of asynchronous neurotransmitter release remains enigmatic. Synaptotagmin (syt) 7 and Doc2 have both been proposed as Ca2+ sensors that trigger this mode of exocytosis, but conflicting findings have led to controversy. Here, we demonstrate that at excitatory mouse hippocampal synapses, Doc2α is the major Ca2+ sensor for asynchronous release, while syt7 supports this process through activity-dependent docking of synaptic vesicles. In synapses lacking Doc2α, asynchronous release after single action potentials is strongly reduced, while deleting syt7 has no effect. However, in the absence of syt7, docked vesicles cannot be replenished on millisecond timescales. Consequently, both synchronous and asynchronous release depress from the second pulse onward during repetitive activity. By contrast, synapses lacking Doc2α have normal activity-dependent docking, but continue to exhibit decreased asynchronous release after multiple stimuli. Moreover, disruption of both Ca2+ sensors is non-additive. These findings result in a new model whereby syt7 drives activity-dependent docking, thus providing synaptic vesicles for synchronous (syt1) and asynchronous (Doc2 and other unidentified sensors) release during ongoing transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyong Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteMadisonUnited States
| | - Grant F Kusick
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University, School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Manon MM Berns
- Department of Neuroscience, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Sumana Raychaudhuri
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University, School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Kie Itoh
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University, School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Alexander M Walter
- Department of Neuroscience, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Molecular and Theoretical Neuroscience, Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP im CharitéCrossOverBerlinGermany
| | - Edwin R Chapman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteMadisonUnited States
| | - Shigeki Watanabe
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University, School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
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45
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Chan KL, Panatpur A, Messahel S, Dahshi H, Johnson T, Henning A, Ren J, Minassian BA. 1H and 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals potential pathogenic and biomarker metabolite alterations in Lafora disease. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae104. [PMID: 38585668 PMCID: PMC10998360 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Lafora disease is a fatal teenage-onset progressive myoclonus epilepsy and neurodegenerative disease associated with polyglucosan bodies. Polyglucosans are long-branched and as a result precipitation- and aggregation-prone glycogen. In mouse models, downregulation of glycogen synthase, the enzyme that elongates glycogen branches, prevents polyglucosan formation and rescues Lafora disease. Mouse work, however, has not yet revealed the mechanisms of polyglucosan generation, and few in vivo human studies have been performed. Here, non-invasive in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H and 31P) was applied to test scan feasibility and assess neurotransmitter balance and energy metabolism in Lafora disease towards a better understanding of pathogenesis. Macromolecule-suppressed gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-edited 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 and 7 tesla, respectively, were performed in 4 Lafora disease patients and a total of 21 healthy controls (12 for the 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and 9 for the 31PMRS). Spectra were processed using in-house software and fit to extract metabolite concentrations. From the 1H spectra, we found 33% lower GABA concentrations (P = 0.013), 34% higher glutamate + glutamine concentrations (P = 0.011) and 24% lower N-acetylaspartate concentrations (P = 0.0043) in Lafora disease patients compared with controls. From the 31P spectra, we found 34% higher phosphoethanolamine concentrations (P = 0.016), 23% lower nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide concentrations (P = 0.003), 50% higher uridine diphosphate glucose concentrations (P = 0.004) and 225% higher glucose 6-phosphate concentrations in Lafora disease patients versus controls (P = 0.004). Uridine diphosphate glucose is the substrate of glycogen synthase, and glucose 6-phosphate is its extremely potent allosteric activator. The observed elevated uridine diphosphate glucose and glucose 6-phosphate levels are expected to hyperactivate glycogen synthase and may underlie the generation of polyglucosans in Lafora disease. The increased glutamate + glutamine and reduced GABA indicate altered neurotransmission and energy metabolism, which may contribute to the disease's intractable epilepsy. These results suggest a possible basis of polyglucosan formation and potential contributions to the epilepsy of Lafora disease. If confirmed in larger human and animal model studies, measurements of the dysregulated metabolites by magnetic resonance spectroscopy could be developed into non-invasive biomarkers for clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L Chan
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Aparna Panatpur
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Souad Messahel
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Hamza Dahshi
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Talon Johnson
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Anke Henning
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jimin Ren
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Berge A Minassian
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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46
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Abstract
The vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) is a proton-dependent antiporter responsible for loading monoamine neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicles. Dysregulation of VMAT2 can lead to several neuropsychiatric disorders including Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Furthermore, drugs such as amphetamine and MDMA are known to act on VMAT2, exemplifying its role in the mechanisms of actions for drugs of abuse. Despite VMAT2's importance, there remains a critical lack of mechanistic understanding, largely driven by a lack of structural information. Here, we report a 3.1 Å resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of VMAT2 complexed with tetrabenazine (TBZ), a non-competitive inhibitor used in the treatment of Huntington's chorea. We find TBZ interacts with residues in a central binding site, locking VMAT2 in an occluded conformation and providing a mechanistic basis for non-competitive inhibition. We further identify residues critical for cytosolic and lumenal gating, including a cluster of hydrophobic residues which are involved in a lumenal gating strategy. Our structure also highlights three distinct polar networks that may determine VMAT2 conformational dynamics and play a role in proton transduction. The structure elucidates mechanisms of VMAT2 inhibition and transport, providing insights into VMAT2 architecture, function, and the design of small-molecule therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Dalton
- Department of Structural Biology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Mary Hongying Cheng
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, and Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, and Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Jonathan A Coleman
- Department of Structural Biology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
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Hendricks EL, Liebl FLW. The CHD family chromatin remodeling enzyme, Kismet, promotes both clathrin-mediated and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300255. [PMID: 38512854 PMCID: PMC10956772 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Chromodomain helicase DNA binding domain (CHD) proteins, including CHD7 and CHD8, remodel chromatin to enable transcriptional programs. Both proteins are important for proper neural development as heterozygous mutations in Chd7 and Chd8 are causative for CHARGE syndrome and correlated with autism spectrum disorders, respectively. Their roles in mature neurons are poorly understood despite influencing the expression of genes required for cell adhesion, neurotransmission, and synaptic plasticity. The Drosophila homolog of CHD7 and CHD8, Kismet (Kis), promotes neurotransmission, endocytosis, and larval locomotion. Endocytosis is essential in neurons for replenishing synaptic vesicles, maintaining protein localization, and preserving the size and composition of the presynaptic membrane. Several forms of endocytosis have been identified including clathrin-mediated endocytosis, which is coupled with neural activity and is the most prevalent form of synaptic endocytosis, and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis, which occurs during periods of intense stimulation. Kis modulates the expression of gene products involved in endocytosis including promoting shaggy/GSK3β expression while restricting PI3K92E. kis mutants electrophysiologically phenocopy a liquid facets mutant in response to paradigms that induce clathrin-mediated endocytosis and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis. Further, kis mutants do not show further reductions in endocytosis when activity-dependent bulk endocytosis or clathrin-mediated endocytosis are pharmacologically inhibited. We find that Kis is important in postsynaptic muscle for proper endocytosis but the ATPase domain of Kis is dispensable for endocytosis. Collectively, our data indicate that Kis promotes both clathrin-mediated endocytosis and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis possibly by promoting transcription of several endocytic genes and maintaining the size of the synaptic vesicle pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Hendricks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Faith L. W. Liebl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Illinois, United States of America
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48
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Sun MA, Yao H, Yang Q, Pirozzi CJ, Chandramohan V, Ashley DM, He Y. Gene expression analysis suggests immunosuppressive roles of endolysosomes in glioblastoma. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299820. [PMID: 38507437 PMCID: PMC10954093 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeting endolysosomes is a strategy extensively pursued for treating cancers, including glioblastomas (GBMs), on the basis that the intact function of these subcellular organelles is key to tumor cell autophagy and survival. Through gene expression analyses and cell type abundance estimation in GBMs, we showed that genes associated with the endolysosomal machinery are more prominently featured in non-tumor cells in GBMs than in tumor cells, and that tumor-associated macrophages represent the primary immune cell type that contributes to this trend. Further analyses found an enrichment of endolysosomal pathway genes in immunosuppressive (pro-tumorigenic) macrophages, such as M2-like macrophages or those associated with worse prognosis in glioma patients, but not in those linked to inflammation (anti-tumorigenic). Specifically, genes critical to the hydrolysis function of endolysosomes, including progranulin and cathepsins, were among the most positively correlated with immunosuppressive macrophages, and elevated expression of these genes is associated with worse patient survival in GBMs. Together, these results implicate the hydrolysis function of endolysosomes in shaping the immunosuppressive microenvironment of GBM. We propose that targeting endolysosomes, in addition to its detrimental effects on tumor cells, can be leveraged for modulating immunosuppression to render GBMs more amenable to immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Sun
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Pathology Graduate Program, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Haipei Yao
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Pathology Graduate Program, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Qing Yang
- Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Christopher J. Pirozzi
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - David M. Ashley
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Yiping He
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
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49
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Melton HJ, Zhang Z, Wu C. SUMMIT-FA: a new resource for improved transcriptome imputation using functional annotations. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:624-635. [PMID: 38129112 PMCID: PMC10954367 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad205] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) integrate gene expression prediction models and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify gene-trait associations. The power of TWAS is determined by the sample size of GWAS and the accuracy of the expression prediction model. Here, we present a new method, the Summary-level Unified Method for Modeling Integrated Transcriptome using Functional Annotations (SUMMIT-FA), which improves gene expression prediction accuracy by leveraging functional annotation resources and a large expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) summary-level dataset. We build gene expression prediction models in whole blood using SUMMIT-FA with the comprehensive functional database MACIE and eQTL summary-level data from the eQTLGen consortium. We apply these models to GWAS for 24 complex traits and show that SUMMIT-FA identifies significantly more gene-trait associations and improves predictive power for identifying "silver standard" genes compared to several benchmark methods. We further conduct a simulation study to demonstrate the effectiveness of SUMMIT-FA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter J Melton
- Department of Statistics, Florida State University, 214 Rogers Building, 117 N. Woodward Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States
| | - Zichen Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 7007 Bertner Avenue, Unit 1689, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Chong Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 7007 Bertner Avenue, Unit 1689, Houston, TX 77030, United States
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50
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Salaikumaran M, Gopal PP. Rational Design of TDP-43 Derived α-Helical Peptide Inhibitors: An In Silico Strategy to Prevent TDP-43 Aggregation in Neurodegenerative Disorders. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1096-1109. [PMID: 38466778 PMCID: PMC10959110 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00659] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
TDP-43, an essential RNA/DNA-binding protein, is central to the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Pathological mislocalization and aggregation of TDP-43 disrupt RNA splicing, mRNA stability, and mRNA transport, thereby impairing neuronal function and survival. The formation of amyloid-like TDP-43 filaments is largely facilitated by the destabilization of an α-helical segment within the disordered C-terminal region. In this study, we hypothesized that preventing the destabilization of the α-helical domain could potentially halt the growth of these pathological filaments. To explore this, we utilized a range of in silico techniques to design and evaluate peptide-based therapeutics that bind to pathological TDP-43 amyloid-like filament crystal structures and resist β sheet conversion. Our computational approaches, including biophysical and secondary structure property prediction, molecular docking, 3D structure prediction, and molecular dynamics simulations, were used to assess the structure, stability, and binding affinity of these peptides in relation to pathological TDP-43 filaments. The results of our in silico analyses identified a selection of promising peptides which displayed a stable α-helical structure, exhibited an increased number of intramolecular hydrogen bonds within the helical domain, and demonstrated high binding affinities for pathological TDP-43 amyloid-like filaments. Molecular dynamics simulations provided further support for the structural and thermodynamic stability of these peptides, as they exhibited lower root-mean-square deviation and more favorable free energy landscapes over 300 ns. These findings establish α-helical propensity peptides as potential lead molecules for the development of novel therapeutics against TDP-43 aggregation. This structure-based computational approach for the rational design of peptide inhibitors opens a new direction in the search for effective interventions for ALS, FTD, and other related neurodegenerative diseases. The peptides identified as the most promising candidates in this study are currently subject to further testing and validation through both in vitro and in vivo experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muthu
Raj Salaikumaran
- Department
of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Pallavi P. Gopal
- Department
of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Program
in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8055, United States
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