scholarly journals Post-Translational Modifications Modulate Proteinopathies of TDP-43, FUS and hnRNP-A/B in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Farina ◽  
Francesca Esposito ◽  
Martina Battistoni ◽  
Giuseppe Biamonti ◽  
Sofia Francia
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Cajal Bodies ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
P Granules ◽  
Sequence Complexity ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Liquid Liquid Phase Separation

It has been shown that protein low-sequence complexity domains (LCDs) induce liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), which is responsible for the formation of membrane-less organelles including P-granules, stress granules and Cajal bodies. Proteins harbouring LCDs are widely represented among RNA binding proteins often mutated in ALS. Indeed, LCDs predispose proteins to a prion-like behaviour due to their tendency to form amyloid-like structures typical of proteinopathies. Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) can influence phase transition through two main events: i) destabilizing or augmenting multivalent interactions between phase-separating macromolecules; ii) recruiting or excluding other proteins and/or nucleic acids into/from the condensate. In this manuscript we summarize the existing evidence describing how PTM can modulate LLPS thus favouring or counteracting proteinopathies at the base of neurodegeneration in ALS.

scholarly journals RNA-Binding Proteins in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Neurodegeneration

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott E. Ugras ◽  
James Shorter
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disease ◽  
Rna Processing ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Inclusion Formation ◽  
Als Patients ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an adult onset neurodegenerative disease, which is universally fatal. While the causes of this devastating disease are poorly understood, recent advances have implicated RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that contain predicted prion domains as a major culprit. Specifically, mutations in the RBPs TDP-43 and FUS can cause ALS. Cytoplasmic mislocalization and inclusion formation are common pathological features of TDP-43 and FUS proteinopathies. Though these RBPs share striking pathological and structural similarities, considerable evidence suggests that the ALS-linked mutations in TDP-43 and FUS can cause disease by disparate mechanisms. In a recent study, Couthouis et al. screened for protein candidates that were also involved in RNA processing, contained a predicted prion domain, shared other phenotypic similarities with TDP-43 and FUS, and identified TAF15 as a putative ALS gene. Subsequent sequencing of ALS patients successfully identified ALS-linked mutations in TAF15 that were largely absent in control populations. This study underscores the important role that perturbations in RNA metabolism might play in neurodegeneration, and it raises the possibility that future studies will identify other RBPs with critical roles in neurodegenerative disease.

scholarly journals Loss of nucleoporin Nup50 is a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salim Megat ◽  
Natalia Mora ◽  
Jason Sanogo ◽  
Alberto Catanese ◽  
Najwa Ouali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

The genetic basis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is still incompletely understood. Using two independent genetic strategies, we show here that a large part of ALS heritability lies in genes expressed in inhibitory and excitatory neurons, especially at splicing sites regulated by a defined set of RNA binding proteins including TDP-43 and FUS. We conducted a transcriptome wide association study (TWAS) and identified 59 loci associated with ALS, including 14 previously identified genes, some of them not previously reaching significance in genome wide association studies. Among the 45 novel genes, several genes are involved in pathways known to be affected in ALS such as mitochondrial metabolism (including ATP5H, ATP5D, BCS1L), proteostasis (including COPS7A, G2E3, TMEM175, USP35) or gene expression and RNA metabolism (including ARID1B, ATXN3, PTBP2, TAF10). Interestingly, decreased expression of NUP50, a constrained gene encoding a nuclear pore basket protein, was associated with ALS in TWAS (Zscore = -4, FDR = 0.034). 11 potentially pathogenic variants (CADD score > 20) in 23 patients were identified in the NUP50 gene, most of them in the region of the protein mediating interaction with Importin alpha, and including 2 frameshift mutations. In cells from two patients carrying NUP50 variants, we showed decreased levels of NUP50 protein. Importantly, knocking down Nup50 led to increased neuronal death associated with p62 and nucleoporin inclusions in cultured neurons, and motor defects in Drosophila and zebrafish models. In all, our study identifies alterations in splicing in neurons as a critical pathogenic process in ALS, uncovers several new loci potentially contributing to ALS missing heritability, and provides genetic evidence linking nuclear pore defects to ALS.

scholarly journals MTHFSD and DDX58 are novel RNA-binding proteins abnormally regulated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Brain ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura MacNair ◽  
Shangxi Xiao ◽  
Denise Miletic ◽  
Mahdi Ghani ◽  
Jean-Pierre Julien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

scholarly journals Dysregulation of RNA-Binding Proteins in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Chao Xue ◽  
Chen Seng Ng ◽  
Pinhao Xiang ◽  
Huitao Liu ◽  
Kevin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

scholarly journals Revealing the Proteome of Motor Cortex Derived Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Human Postmortem Tissues

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1709
Author(s):  
Natasha Vassileff ◽  
Laura J. Vella ◽  
Harinda Rajapaksha ◽  
Mitch Shambrook ◽  
Amirmohammad Nasiri Kenari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the deposition of misfolded proteins in the motor cortex and motor neurons. Although a multitude of ALS-associated mutated proteins have been identified, several have been linked to small extracellular vesicles such as exosomes involved in cell−cell communication. This study aims to determine the proteome of extracellular vesicles isolated from the motor cortex of ALS subjects and to identify novel ALS-associated deregulated proteins. Motor cortex extracellular vesicles (MCEVs) were isolated from human postmortem ALS (n = 10) and neurological control (NC, n = 5) motor cortex brain tissues and the MCEVs protein content subsequently underwent mass spectrometry analysis, allowing for a panel of ALS-associated proteins to be identified. This panel consists of 16 statistically significant differentially packaged proteins identified in the ALS MCEVs. This includes several upregulated RNA-binding proteins which were determined through pathway analysis to be associated with stress granule dynamics. The identification of these RNA-binding proteins in the ALS MCEVs suggests there may be a relationship between ALS-associated stress granules and ALS MCEV packaging, highlighting a potential role for small extracellular vesicles such as exosomes in the pathogenesis of ALS and as potential peripheral biomarkers for ALS.

scholarly journals Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Molecular Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Strategies

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1012
Author(s):  
Xiaoming Yang ◽  
Yanan Ji ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Lilei Zhang ◽  
Zehao Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Iron Homeostasis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Neurofilament Light Chain ◽  
Neurofilament Light ◽  
New Genes ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with the progressive loss of motor neurons, leading to a fatal paralysis. According to whether there is a family history of ALS, ALS can be roughly divided into two types: familial and sporadic. Despite decades of research, the pathogenesis of ALS is still unelucidated. To this end, we review the recent progress of ALS pathogenesis, biomarkers, and treatment strategies, mainly discuss the roles of immune disorders, redox imbalance, autophagy dysfunction, and disordered iron homeostasis in the pathogenesis of ALS, and introduce the effects of RNA binding proteins, ALS-related genes, and non-coding RNA as biomarkers on ALS. In addition, we also mention other ALS biomarkers such as serum uric acid (UA), cardiolipin (CL), chitotriosidase (CHIT1), and neurofilament light chain (NFL). Finally, we discuss the drug therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and stem cell-exosomal therapy for ALS, attempting to find new therapeutic targets and strategies. A challenge is to study the various mechanisms of ALS as a syndrome. Biomarkers that have been widely explored are indispensable for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ALS. Moreover, the development of new genes and targets is an urgent task in this field.

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