Moyamoya Disease Susceptibility Gene RNF213 Regulates Endothelial Barrier Function

Stroke ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Roy ◽  
Jay P. Ross ◽  
Rémy Pépin ◽  
Sergio Cortez Ghio ◽  
Alyssa Brodeur ◽  
...  

Background: Variants in the ring finger protein 213 ( RNF213 ) gene are known to be associated with increased predisposition to cerebrovascular diseases development. Genomic studies have identified RNF213 as a major risk factor of Moyamoya disease in East Asian descendants. However, little is known about the RNF213 (ring finger protein 213) biological functions or its associated pathogenic mechanisms underlying Moyamoya disease. Methods: To investigate RNF213 loss-of-function effect in endothelial cell, stable RNF213-deficient human cerebral endothelial cells were generated using the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology. Results: In vitro assays, using RNF213 knockout brain endothelial cells, showed clear morphological changes and increased blood-brain barrier permeability. Downregulation and delocalization of essential interendothelial junction proteins involved in the blood-brain barrier maintenance, such as PECAM-1 (platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1), was also observed. Brain endothelial RNF213-deficient cells also showed an abnormal potential to transmigration of leukocytes and secreted high amounts of proinflammatory cytokines. Conclusions: Taken together, these results indicate that RNF213 could be a key regulator of cerebral endothelium integrity, whose disruption could be an early pathological mechanism leading to Moyamoya disease. This study also further reinforces the importance of blood-brain barrier integrity in the development of Moyamoya disease and other RNF213-associated diseases.

Stroke ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong-Won Chung ◽  
Suk Jae Kim ◽  
Jaechun Hwang ◽  
Mi Ji Lee ◽  
Hanna Choe ◽  
...  

Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a unique cerebrovascular occlusive disease of unknown etiology. Ring finger protein 213 (RNF213) was identified as a susceptibility gene for MMD in East Asian. However, the pathogenesis of MMD is still unclear. Methods: We prospectively analyzed clinical data for 139 patients with MMD (108 definite MMD, 31 probable MMD) and 61 patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stroke (ICAS), and 68 healthy subjects. We compared the genetic (RNF213 variant) and protein biomarkers for caveolae (caveolin-1), angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and receptor [VEGFR2], and antagonizing cytokine [endostatin]) and endothelial dysfunction (asymmetric dimethylarginine [ADMA], nitric oxide and its metabolites [nitrite and nitrate]), between patients with MMD and ICAS. We then performed the path analysis to evaluate whether a certain protein biomarker mediates the association the genetic and MMD. Results: Caveolin-1 level was decreased in patients with MMD and this level was markedly decreased in RNF213 variant carriers. Circulating factor such as VEGF and receptor were not different among the groups. Markers for endothelial dysfunction were significantly higher in patients with ICAS, but normal in MMD. The path analysis showed that the presence of the RNF213 variant was associated with caveolin-1 level that led to MMD. The level of combined marker of MMD (caveolin-1) and ICAS (ADMA, marker for endothelial dysfunction) predicted MMD with a good sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions: Our results indicate that MMD is primarily caveolae disorder, dysregulation of endothelial vesicular trafficking and signal transduction, but not related to endothelial dysfunction or dysregulation of circulating cytokines.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 999-1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oh Young Bang ◽  
Jong-Won Chung ◽  
Suk Jae Kim ◽  
Mi Jeong Oh ◽  
Soo Yoon Kim ◽  
...  

Background Moyamoya disease is a unique cerebrovascular occlusive disease of unknown etiology. Ring finger protein 213 ( RNF213) was identified as a susceptibility gene for Moyamoya disease in East Asian countries. However, the pathogenesis of Moyamoya disease remains unclear. Methods We prospectively analyzed clinical data for 139 patients with Moyamoya disease (108 bilateral Moyamoya disease, 31 unilateral Moyamoya disease), 61 patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stroke, and 68 healthy subjects. We compared the genetic ( RNF213 variant) and protein biomarkers for caveolae (caveolin-1), angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and receptor (VEGFR2), and antagonizing cytokine (endostatin)) and endothelial dysfunction (asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and nitric oxide and its metabolites (nitrite and nitrate)) between patients with Moyamoya disease and intracranial atherosclerotic stroke. We then performed path analysis to evaluate whether a certain protein biomarker mediates the association between genes and Moyamoya disease. Results Caveolin-1 level was decreased in patients with Moyamoya disease and markedly decreased in RNF213 variant carriers. Circulating factors such as VEGF and VEGFR2 did not differ among the groups. Markers for endothelial dysfunction were significantly higher in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stroke but normal in those with Moyamoya disease. Path analysis showed that the presence of the RNF213 variant was associated with caveolin-1 levels that could lead to Moyamoya disease. The level of combined marker of Moyamoya disease (caveolin-1) and intracranial atherosclerotic stroke (ADMA, an endothelial dysfunction marker) predicted Moyamoya disease with good sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion Our results suggest that Moyamoya disease is a caveolae disorder but is not related to endothelial dysfunction or dysregulation of circulating cytokines.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi275-vi276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelie Vezina ◽  
Sadhana Jackson

Abstract BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) patient survival and therapy response is greatly hindered by the presence of invasive glioma stem cells (GSC) and the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which limits effective drug delivery. WNT/beta-catenin signaling is important in the development and maintenance of the BBB by mediating transcription of growth factors, multidrug resistance proteins, and junctional proteins. In WNT-subtype medulloblastoma, activating mutations of beta-catenin lead to reciprocal secretion of WNT antagonists such as WIF1 and DKK1 into the tumor microenvironment. These WNT antagonists can act upon the surrounding endothelium and induce a leaky BBB. Therefore, we hypothesize that pharmacological inhibition of WNT/beta-catenin signaling in brain endothelial cells will decrease BBB integrity, enabling enhanced paracellular drug delivery to infiltrative GSCs. METHODS We recapitulated the WNT-medulloblastoma phenotype in GBM by activating WNT/beta-catenin signaling in primary human GSCs, inducing secretion of downstream WNT antagonists. Conditioned-media (CM) from GSCs was then applied to human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) to indirectly inhibit WNT signaling. Additionally, we directly inhibited WNT/beta-catenin signaling in HBMECs with the small molecule inhibitor ICG-001. Endothelial cell-cell interaction was measured by electrical impedance using the ACEA xCELLigence system. Fenestration and junctional expression were evaluated by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. RESULTS ICG-001 or WNT-GSC-CM, but not control GSC-CM, upregulated fenestration related protein, PLVAP, and downregulated junctional proteins claudin-5, ZO-1, and VE-Cadherin in HBMECs. Endothelial cell-cell interaction was transiently decreased by ICG-001 or WNT-GSC-CM. Pre-clinical studies are underway to evaluate the functional impact of WNT/beta-catenin inhibition on BBB integrity and permeability in rodent glioma models. Altogether, these results support targeting WNT/beta-catenin signaling in brain endothelial cells to enhance drug delivery to CNS tumors. CONCLUSION Modulation of intratumoral Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, particularly in highly resistant GSCs, may enhance chemotherapy drug delivery, potentially expanding the drug portfolio and improving the prognosis of GBM.


2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (9) ◽  
pp. 3555-3566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Iovino ◽  
Grietje Molema ◽  
Jetta J. E. Bijlsma

ABSTRACTThe Gram-positive bacteriumStreptococcus pneumoniaeis the main causative agent of bacterial meningitis.S. pneumoniaeis thought to invade the central nervous system via the bloodstream by crossing the vascular endothelium of the blood-brain barrier. The exact mechanism by which pneumococci cross endothelial cell barriers before meningitis develops is unknown. Here, we investigated the role of PECAM-1/CD31, one of the major endothelial cell adhesion molecules, inS. pneumoniaeadhesion to vascular endothelium of the blood-brain barrier. Mice were intravenously infected with pneumococci and sacrificed at various time points to represent stages preceding meningitis. Immunofluorescent analysis of brain tissue of infected mice showed that pneumococci colocalized with PECAM-1. In human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) incubated withS. pneumoniae, we observed a clear colocalization between PECAM-1 and pneumococci. Blocking of PECAM-1 reduced the adhesion ofS. pneumoniaeto endothelial cellsin vitro, implying that PECAM-1 is involved in pneumococcal adhesion to the cells. Furthermore, using endothelial cell protein lysates, we demonstrated thatS. pneumoniaephysically binds to PECAM-1. Moreover, bothin vitroandin vivoPECAM-1 colocalizes with theS. pneumoniaeadhesion receptor pIgR. Lastly, immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that PECAM-1 can physically interact with pIgR. In summary, we show for the first time that blood-borneS. pneumoniaecolocalizes with PECAM-1 expressed by brain microvascular endothelium and that, in addition, they colocalize with pIgR. We hypothesize that this interaction plays a role in pneumococcal binding to the blood-brain barrier vasculature prior to invasion into the brain.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4725
Author(s):  
Karina Vargas-Sanchez ◽  
Monica Losada-Barragán ◽  
Maria Mogilevskaya ◽  
Susana Novoa-Herrán ◽  
Yehidi Medina ◽  
...  

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by increased permeability of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) due to alterations in cellular and structural components of the neurovascular unit, particularly in association with neuroinflammation. A previous screening study of peptide ligands to identify molecular alterations of the BBB in neuroinflammation by phage-display, revealed that phage clone 88 presented specific binding affinity to endothelial cells under inflammatory conditions in vivo and in vitro. Here, we aimed to identify the possible target receptor of the peptide ligand 88 expressed under inflammatory conditions. A cross-link test between phage-peptide-88 with IL-1β-stimulated human hCMEC cells, followed by mass spectrometry analysis, was used to identify the target of peptide-88. We modeled the epitope–receptor molecular interaction between peptide-88 and its target by using docking simulations. Three proteins were selected as potential target candidates and tested in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with peptide-88: fibronectin, laminin subunit α5 and laminin subunit β-1. Among them, only laminin subunit β-1 presented measurable interaction with peptide-88. Peptide-88 showed specific interaction with laminin subunit β-1, highlighting its importance as a potential biomarker of the laminin changes that may occur at the BBB endothelial cells under pathological inflammation conditions.


2002 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 1134-1140 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Van Gelder ◽  
M. I. E. Huijskes-Heins ◽  
M. I. Cleton-Soeteman ◽  
J. P. Van Dijk ◽  
H. G. Van Eijk

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (7) ◽  
pp. 2007-2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard S. Beard ◽  
Jason J. Reynolds ◽  
Shawn E. Bearden

Abstract Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) increases permeability of the blood-brain barrier, but the mechanisms are undetermined. Homocysteine (Hcy) is an agonist of the neuronal N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr). We tested the hypothesis that HHcy disrupts the blood-brain barrier by an NMDAr-dependent mechanism in endothelium. In brain microvascular endothelial cells, there was no change in expression of the adherens junction protein VE-cadherin with Hcy treatment, but there was a significant decrease in the amount of β-catenin at the membrane. Moreover, Hcy caused nuclear translocation of β-catenin and attachment to the promoter for the tight junction protein claudin-5, with concomitant reduction in claudin-5 expression. Using a murine model of HHcy (cbs+/−), treatment for 2 weeks with an NMDAr antagonist (memantine) rescued cerebrovascular expression of claudin-5 and blood-brain barrier permeability to both exogenous sodium fluorescein and endogenous IgG. Memantine had no effect on these parameters in wild-type littermates. The same results were obtained using an in vitro model with brain microvascular endothelial cells. These data provide the first evidence that the NMDAr is required for Hcy-mediated increases in blood-brain barrier permeability. Modulating cerebral microvascular NMDAr activity may present a novel therapeutic target in diseases associated with opening of the blood-brain barrier in HHcy, such as stroke and dementia.


2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Stamatovic ◽  
Richard Keep ◽  
Anuska Andjelkovic

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