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Kuijper EC, Overzier M, Suidgeest E, Dzyubachyk O, Maguin C, Pérot JB, Flament J, Ariyurek Y, Mei H, Buijsen RAM, van der Weerd L, van Roon-Mom W. Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated disruption of HTT caspase-6 cleavage site ameliorates the phenotype of YAC128 Huntington disease mice. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 190:106368. [PMID: 38040383 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In Huntington disease, cellular toxicity is particularly caused by toxic protein fragments generated from the mutant huntingtin (HTT) protein. By modifying the HTT protein, we aim to reduce proteolytic cleavage and ameliorate the consequences of mutant HTT without lowering total HTT levels. To that end, we use an antisense oligonucleotide (AON) that targets HTT pre-mRNA and induces partial skipping of exon 12, which contains the critical caspase-6 cleavage site. Here, we show that AON-treatment can partially restore the phenotype of YAC128 mice, a mouse model expressing the full-length human HTT gene including 128 CAG-repeats. Wild-type and YAC128 mice were treated intracerebroventricularly with AON12.1, scrambled AON or vehicle starting at 6 months of age and followed up to 12 months of age, when MRI was performed and mice were sacrificed. AON12.1 treatment induced around 40% exon skip and protein modification. The phenotype on body weight and activity, but not rotarod, was restored by AON treatment. Genes differentially expressed in YAC128 striatum changed toward wild-type levels and striatal volume was preserved upon AON12.1 treatment. However, scrambled AON also showed a restorative effect on gene expression and appeared to generally increase brain volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa C Kuijper
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands.
| | - Maurice Overzier
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Ernst Suidgeest
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Oleh Dzyubachyk
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Cécile Maguin
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pérot
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, France; Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, Sorbonne Université, France
| | - Julien Flament
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, France
| | - Yavuz Ariyurek
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Hailiang Mei
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald A M Buijsen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Louise van der Weerd
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
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Plácido E, Gomes Welter P, Wink A, Karasiak GD, Outeiro TF, Dafre AL, Gil-Mohapel J, Brocardo PS. Beyond Motor Deficits: Environmental Enrichment Mitigates Huntington's Disease Effects in YAC128 Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12607. [PMID: 37628801 PMCID: PMC10454852 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612607] [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: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder characterized by motor, psychiatric, cognitive, and peripheral symptoms without effective therapy. Evidence suggests that lifestyle factors can modulate disease onset and progression, and environmental enrichment (EE) has emerged as a potential approach to mitigate the progression and severity of neurodegenerative processes. Wild-type (WT) and yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) 128 mice were exposed to different EE conditions. Animals from cohort 1 were exposed to EE between postnatal days 21 and 60, and animals from cohort 2 were exposed to EE between postnatal days 60 and 120. Motor and non-motor behavioral tests were employed to evaluate the effects of EE on HD progression. Monoamine levels, hippocampal cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation, and dendritic arborization were also assessed. Here we show that EE had an antidepressant-like effect and slowed the progression of motor deficits in HD mice. It also reduced monoamine levels, which correlated with better motor performance, particularly in the striatum. EE also modulated neuronal differentiation in the YAC128 hippocampus. These results confirm that EE can impact behavior, hippocampal neuroplasticity, and monoamine levels in YAC128 mice, suggesting this could be a therapeutic strategy to modulate neuroplasticity deficits in HD. However, further research is needed to fully understand EE's mechanisms and long-term effects as an adjuvant therapy for this debilitating condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelini Plácido
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil (A.W.); (A.L.D.)
| | - Priscilla Gomes Welter
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil (A.W.); (A.L.D.)
| | - Ana Wink
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil (A.W.); (A.L.D.)
| | - Gabriela Duarte Karasiak
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil;
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany;
- Max Planck Institute for Natural Sciences, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), 18147 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alcir Luiz Dafre
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil (A.W.); (A.L.D.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil;
| | - Joana Gil-Mohapel
- Island Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia and Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Patricia S. Brocardo
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil (A.W.); (A.L.D.)
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
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Fienko S, Landles C, Sathasivam K, McAteer SJ, Milton RE, Osborne GF, Smith EJ, Jones ST, Bondulich MK, Danby ECE, Phillips J, Taxy BA, Kordasiewicz HB, Bates GP. Alternative processing of human HTT mRNA with implications for Huntington's disease therapeutics. Brain 2022; 145:4409-4424. [PMID: 35793238 PMCID: PMC9762945 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene (HTT) that is translated into a polyglutamine stretch in the huntingtin protein (HTT). We previously showed that HTT mRNA carrying an expanded CAG repeat was incompletely spliced to generate HTT1a, an exon 1 only transcript, which was translated to produce the highly aggregation-prone and pathogenic exon 1 HTT protein. This occurred in all knock-in mouse models of Huntington's disease and could be detected in patient cell lines and post-mortem brains. To extend these findings to a model system expressing human HTT, we took advantage of YAC128 mice that are transgenic for a yeast artificial chromosome carrying human HTT with an expanded CAG repeat. We discovered that the HTT1a transcript could be detected throughout the brains of YAC128 mice. We implemented RNAscope to visualize HTT transcripts at the single molecule level and found that full-length HTT and HTT1a were retained together in large nuclear RNA clusters, as well as being present as single transcripts in the cytoplasm. Homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence analysis demonstrated that the HTT1a transcript had been translated to produce the exon 1 HTT protein. The levels of exon 1 HTT in YAC128 mice, correlated with HTT aggregation, supportive of the hypothesis that exon 1 HTT initiates the aggregation process. Huntingtin-lowering strategies are a major focus of therapeutic development for Huntington's disease. These approaches often target full-length HTT alone and would not be expected to reduce pathogenic exon 1 HTT levels. We have established YAC128 mouse embryonic fibroblast lines and shown that, together with our QuantiGene multiplex assay, these provide an effective screening tool for agents that target HTT transcripts. The effects of current targeting strategies on nuclear RNA clusters are unknown, structures that may have a pathogenic role or alternatively could be protective by retaining HTT1a in the nucleus and preventing it from being translated. In light of recently halted antisense oligonucleotide trials, it is vital that agents targeting HTT1a are developed, and that the effects of HTT-lowering strategies on the subcellular levels of all HTT transcripts and their various HTT protein isoforms are understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Fienko
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Christian Landles
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Kirupa Sathasivam
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sean J McAteer
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rebecca E Milton
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Georgina F Osborne
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Edward J Smith
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Samuel T Jones
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Marie K Bondulich
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Emily C E Danby
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jemima Phillips
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Bridget A Taxy
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | - Gillian P Bates
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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Lopes C, Ferreira IL, Maranga C, Beatriz M, Mota SI, Sereno J, Castelhano J, Abrunhosa A, Oliveira F, De Rosa M, Hayden M, Laço MN, Januário C, Castelo Branco M, Rego AC. Mitochondrial and redox modifications in early stages of Huntington's disease. Redox Biol 2022; 56:102424. [PMID: 35988447 PMCID: PMC9420526 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficits in mitochondrial function and redox deregulation have been attributed to Huntington's disease (HD), a genetic neurodegenerative disorder largely affecting the striatum. However, whether these changes occur in early stages of the disease and can be detected in vivo is still unclear. In the present study, we analysed changes in mitochondrial function and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at early stages and with disease progression. Studies were performed in vivo in human brain by PET using [64Cu]-ATSM and ex vivo in human skin fibroblasts of premanifest and prodromal (Pre-M) and manifest HD carriers. In vivo brain [64Cu]-ATSM PET in YAC128 transgenic mouse and striatal and cortical isolated mitochondria were assessed at presymptomatic (3 month-old, mo) and symptomatic (6–12 mo) stages. Pre-M HD carriers exhibited enhanced whole-brain (with exception of caudate) [64Cu]-ATSM labelling, correlating with CAG repeat number. Fibroblasts from Pre-M showed enhanced basal and maximal respiration, proton leak and increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels, later progressing in manifest HD. Mitochondria from fibroblasts of Pre-M HD carriers also showed reduced circularity, while higher number of mitochondrial DNA copies correlated with maximal respiratory capacity. In vivo animal PET analysis showed increased accumulation of [64Cu]-ATSM in YAC128 mouse striatum. YAC128 mouse (at 3 months) striatal isolated mitochondria exhibited a rise in basal and maximal mitochondrial respiration and in ATP production, and increased complex II and III activities. YAC128 mouse striatal mitochondria also showed enhanced mitochondrial H2O2 levels and circularity, revealed by brain ultrastructure analysis, and defects in Ca2+ handling, supporting increased striatal susceptibility. Data demonstrate both human and mouse mitochondrial overactivity and altered morphology at early HD stages, facilitating redox unbalance, the latter progressing with manifest disease. Pre-manifest HD carriers and presymptomatic YAC128 mice show increased brain [64Cu]-ATSM labelling. Increased [64Cu]-ATSM brain retention correlates with raised ROS levels in human and mouse samples. Increased [64Cu]-ATSM correlates with enhanced mitochondrial activity and mtDNA copy number. Presymptomatic YAC128 mouse striatal mitochondria show altered morphology and Ca2+ handling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lopes
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; IIIUC-Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - I Luísa Ferreira
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; IIIUC-Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Carina Maranga
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Margarida Beatriz
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Sandra I Mota
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; IIIUC-Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - José Sereno
- ICNAS-Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - João Castelhano
- ICNAS-Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Antero Abrunhosa
- ICNAS-Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Francisco Oliveira
- ICNAS-Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Maura De Rosa
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Michael Hayden
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Mário N Laço
- FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Medical Genetics Unit, Pediatric Hospital of Coimbra, Coimbra University Hospital (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal.
| | | | - Miguel Castelo Branco
- ICNAS-Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Coimbra, Portugal; FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - A Cristina Rego
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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Kuijper EC, Toonen LJA, Overzier M, Tsonaka R, Hettne K, Roos M, van Roon-Mom WMC, Mina E. Huntington Disease Gene Expression Signatures in Blood Compared to Brain of YAC128 Mice as Candidates for Monitoring of Pathology. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:2532-2551. [PMID: 35091961 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02680-8] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
While the genetic cause of Huntington disease (HD) is known since 1993, still no cure exists. Therapeutic development would benefit from a method to monitor disease progression and treatment efficacy, ideally using blood biomarkers. Previously, HD-specific signatures were identified in human blood representing signatures in human brain, showing biomarker potential. Since drug candidates are generally first screened in rodent models, we aimed to identify HD signatures in blood and brain of YAC128 HD mice and compare these with previously identified human signatures. RNA sequencing was performed on blood withdrawn at two time points and four brain regions from YAC128 and control mice. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was used to identify clusters of co-expressed genes (modules) associated with the HD genotype. These HD-associated modules were annotated via text-mining to determine the biological processes they represented. Subsequently, the processes from mouse blood were compared with mouse brain, showing substantial overlap, including protein modification, cell cycle, RNA splicing, nuclear transport, and vesicle-mediated transport. Moreover, the disease-associated processes shared between mouse blood and brain were highly comparable to those previously identified in human blood and brain. In addition, we identified HD blood-specific pathology, confirming previous findings for peripheral pathology in blood. Finally, we identified hub genes for HD-associated blood modules and proposed a strategy for gene selection for development of a disease progression monitoring panel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa C Kuijper
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333, ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Lodewijk J A Toonen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333, ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maurice Overzier
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333, ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roula Tsonaka
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333, ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina Hettne
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333, ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marco Roos
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333, ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willeke M C van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333, ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eleni Mina
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333, ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Silva AC, Ferreira IL, Hayden MR, Ferreiro E, Rego AC. Characterization of subventricular zone-derived progenitor cells from mild and late symptomatic YAC128 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2017; 1864:34-44. [PMID: 28939435 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 09/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in the HTT gene, leading to expression of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) and selective striatal neuronal loss, frequently associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and decreased support of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). New neurons derived from the subventricular zone (SVZ) are apparently not able to rescue HD pathological features. Thus, we analyzed proliferation, migration and differentiation of adult SVZ-derived neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPC) from mild (6month-old (mo)) and late (10mo) symptomatic HD YAC128 mice expressing full-length (FL)-mHTT versus age-matched wild-type (WT) mice. SVZ cells derived from 6mo YAC128 mice exhibited higher migratory capacity and a higher number of MAP2+ and synaptophysin+cells, compared to WT cells; MAP2 labeling was enhanced after exposure to BDNF. However, BDNF-evoked neuronal differentiation was not observed in 10mo YAC128 SVZ-derived cells. Interestingly, 6mo YAC128 SVZ-derived cells showed increased intracellular Ca2+ levels in response to KCl, which was potentiated by BDNF, evidencing the presence of differentiated neurons. In contrast, KCl depolarization-induced intracellular Ca2+ increase in 10mo YAC128 SVZ-derived cells was shown to be increased only in BDNF-treated YAC128 SVZ-derived cells, suggestive of decreased differentiation capacity. In addition, BDNF-untreated NSPC from 10mo YAC128 mice exhibited lower mitochondrial membrane potential and increased mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation, in relation with NSPC from 6mo YAC128 mice. Data evidence age-dependent reduced migration and decreased acquisition of a neuronal phenotype, accompanied by decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in SVZ-derived cells from YAC128 mice through HD symptomatic phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Silva
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ildete L Ferreira
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Elisabete Ferreiro
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A Cristina Rego
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
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Ryskamp D, Wu J, Geva M, Kusko R, Grossman I, Hayden M, Bezprozvanny I. The sigma-1 receptor mediates the beneficial effects of pridopidine in a mouse model of Huntington disease. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 97:46-59. [PMID: 27818324 PMCID: PMC5214572 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [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: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The tri-nucleotide repeat expansion underlying Huntington disease (HD) results in corticostriatal synaptic dysfunction and subsequent neurodegeneration of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). HD is a devastating autosomal dominant disease with no disease-modifying treatments. Pridopidine, a postulated "dopamine stabilizer", has been shown to improve motor symptoms in clinical trials of HD. However, the target(s) and mechanism of action of pridopidine remain to be fully elucidated. As binding studies identified sigma-1 receptor (S1R) as a high-affinity receptor for pridopidine, we evaluated the relevance of S1R as a therapeutic target of pridopidine in HD. S1R is an endoplasmic reticulum - (ER) resident transmembrane protein and is regulated by ER calcium homeostasis, which is perturbed in HD. Consistent with ER calcium dysregulation, we observed striatal upregulation of S1R in aged YAC128 transgenic HD mice and HD patients. We previously demonstrated that dendritic MSN spines are lost in aged corticostriatal co-cultures from YAC128 mice. We report here that pridopidine and the chemically similar S1R agonist 3-PPP prevent MSN spine loss in aging YAC128 co-cultures. Spine protection was blocked by neuronal deletion of S1R. Pridopidine treatment suppressed supranormal ER Ca2+ release, restored ER calcium levels and reduced excessive store-operated calcium (SOC) entry in spines, which may account for its synaptoprotective effects. Normalization of ER Ca2+ levels by pridopidine was prevented by S1R deletion. To evaluate long-term effects of pridopidine, we analyzed expression profiles of calcium signaling genes. Pridopidine elevated striatal expression of calbindin and homer1a, whereas their striatal expression was reduced in aged Q175KI and YAC128 HD mouse models compared to WT. Pridopidine and 3-PPP are proposed to prevent calcium dysregulation and synaptic loss in a YAC128 corticostriatal co-culture model of HD. The actions of pridopidine were mediated by S1R and led to normalization of ER Ca2+ release, ER Ca2+ levels and spine SOC entry in YAC128 MSNs. This is a new potential mechanism of action for pridopidine, highlighting S1R as a potential target for HD therapy. Upregulation of striatal proteins that regulate calcium, including calbindin and homer1a, upon chronic therapy with pridopidine, may further contribute to long-term beneficial effects of pridopidine in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ryskamp
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Jun Wu
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Michal Geva
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, 5 Basel St., Petach Tikva 49131, Israel.
| | | | - Iris Grossman
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, 5 Basel St., Petach Tikva 49131, Israel.
| | - Michael Hayden
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, 5 Basel St., Petach Tikva 49131, Israel.
| | - Ilya Bezprozvanny
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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