scholarly journals Mutation in ATG5 reduces autophagy and leads to ataxia with developmental delay

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myungjin Kim ◽  
Erin Sandford ◽  
Damian Gatica ◽  
Yu Qiu ◽  
Xu Liu ◽  
...  

Autophagy is required for the homeostasis of cellular material and is proposed to be involved in many aspects of health. Defects in the autophagy pathway have been observed in neurodegenerative disorders; however, no genetically-inherited pathogenic mutations in any of the core autophagy-related (ATG) genes have been reported in human patients to date. We identified a homozygous missense mutation, changing a conserved amino acid, in ATG5 in two siblings with congenital ataxia, mental retardation, and developmental delay. The subjects' cells display a decrease in autophagy flux and defects in conjugation of ATG12 to ATG5. The homologous mutation in yeast demonstrates a 30-50% reduction of induced autophagy. Flies in which Atg5 is substituted with the mutant human ATG5 exhibit severe movement disorder, in contrast to flies expressing the wild-type human protein. Our results demonstrate the critical role of autophagy in preventing neurological diseases and maintaining neuronal health.


2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen R Gonzalez ◽  
Babette Hammerling ◽  
Rita Hanna ◽  
Dieter A Kubli ◽  
Åsa B Gustafsson

Autophagy plays an important role in cellular quality control and is responsible for removing protein aggregates and dysfunctional organelles. BNIP3 is an atypical BH3-only protein which is known to cause mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in the myocardium. Interestingly, BNIP3 can also protect against cell death by promoting removal of dysfunctional mitochondria via autophagy (mitophagy). We have previously reported that BNIP3 is a potent inducer of mitophagy in cardiac myocytes and that BNIP3 contains an LC3 Interacting Region (LIR) that binds to LC3 on the autophagosome, tethering the mitochondrion to the autophagosome for engulfment. However, the molecular mechanism(s) underlying BNIP3-mediated mitophagy are still unclear. In this study, we discovered that BNIP3 can mediate mitochondrial clearance in cells even in the absence of a functional autophagy pathway. We found that overexpression of BNIP3 led to significant clearance of mitochondria in both wild type (WT) and autophagy deficient Atg5-/- MEFs. BNIP3 caused an increase in LC3II levels in WT MEFs, indicating increased formation of autophagosomes. In contrast, LC3II was undetectable in Atg5-/- MEFs. Furthermore, we found that BNIP3-mediated clearance in WT and Atg5-/- MEFs did not require the presence of Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase which plays a critical role in clearing dysfunctional mitochondria in cells. Also, overexpression of Parkin did not enhance BNIP3-mediated mitochondrial clearance. When investigating activation of alternative cellular degradation pathways, we found that BNIP3 induced activation of the endosomal-lysosomal pathway in both WT and Atg5-/- MEFs. Mutating the LC3 binding site in BNIP3 did not interfere with the activation of the endosomal pathway and clearance of mitochondria in Atg5-/- MEFs. Thus, these findings suggest that BNIP3 can promote clearance of mitochondria via multiple pathways in cells. The role of autophagy in removing mitochondria is already well established and we are currently exploring the roles of the endosomal and alternative autophagy pathways in BNIP3-mediated mitochondrial clearance in myocytes.



2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 955-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoung Sang Cho ◽  
Jang Ho Lee ◽  
Jeiwon Cho ◽  
Guang-Ho Cha ◽  
Gyun Jee Song

Background: Neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the development and progression of various neurological disorders. Therefore, various studies have focused on the development of neuroinflammation inhibitors as potential therapeutic tools. Recently, the involvement of autophagy in the regulation of neuroinflammation has drawn substantial scientific interest, and a growing number of studies support the role of impaired autophagy in the pathogenesis of common neurodegenerative disorders. Objective: The purpose of this article is to review recent research on the role of autophagy in controlling neuroinflammation. We focus on studies employing both mammalian cells and animal models to evaluate the ability of different autophagic modulators to regulate neuroinflammation. Methods: We have mostly reviewed recent studies reporting anti-neuroinflammatory properties of autophagy. We also briefly discussed a few studies showing that autophagy modulators activate neuroinflammation in certain conditions. Results: Recent studies report neuroprotective as well as anti-neuroinflammatory effects of autophagic modulators. We discuss the possible underlying mechanisms of action of these drugs and their potential limitations as therapeutic agents against neurological disorders. Conclusion: Autophagy activators are promising compounds for the treatment of neurological disorders involving neuroinflammation.



2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Song ◽  
Lijuan Cao ◽  
Rui Liu ◽  
Hui Ma ◽  
Yanan Li ◽  
...  

AbstractGlucocorticoids (GC) are widely used clinically, despite the presence of significant side effects, including glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP). While GC are believed to act directly on osteoblasts and osteoclasts to promote osteoporosis, the detailed underlying molecular mechanism of GC-induced osteoporosis is still not fully elucidated. Here, we show that lymphocytes play a pivotal role in regulating GC-induced osteoporosis. We show that GIOP could not be induced in SCID mice that lack T cells, but it could be re-established by adoptive transfer of splenic T cells from wild-type mice. As expected, T cells in the periphery are greatly reduced by GC; instead, they accumulate in the bone marrow where they are protected from GC-induced apoptosis. These bone marrow T cells in GC-treated mice express high steady-state levels of NF-κB receptor activator ligand (RANKL), which promotes the formation and maturation of osteoclasts and induces osteoporosis. Taken together, these findings reveal a critical role for T cells in GIOP.



2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (3) ◽  
pp. H337-H345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Gotha ◽  
Sang Yup Lim ◽  
Azriel B. Osherov ◽  
Rafael Wolff ◽  
Beiping Qiang ◽  
...  

Perlecan is a proteoglycan composed of a 470-kDa core protein linked to three heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycan chains. The intact proteoglycan inhibits the smooth muscle cell (SMC) response to vascular injury. Hspg2Δ3/Δ3 (MΔ3/Δ3) mice produce a mutant perlecan lacking the HS side chains. The objective of this study was to determine differences between these two types of perlecan in modifying SMC activities to the arterial injury response, in order to define the specific role of the HS side chains. In vitro proliferative and migratory activities were compared in SMC isolated from MΔ3/Δ3 and wild-type mice. Proliferation of MΔ3/Δ3 SMC was 1.5× greater than in wild type ( P < 0.001), increased by addition of growth factors, and showed a 42% greater migratory response than wild-type cells to PDGF-BB ( P < 0.001). In MΔ3/Δ3 SMC adhesion to fibronectin, and collagen types I and IV was significantly greater than wild type. Addition of DRL-12582, an inducer of perlecan expression, decreased proliferation and migratory response to PDGF-BB stimulation in wild-type SMC compared with MΔ3/Δ3. In an in vivo carotid artery wire injury model, the medial thickness, medial area/lumen ratio, and macrophage infiltration were significantly increased in the MΔ3/Δ3 mice, indicating a prominent role of the HS side chain in limiting vascular injury response. Mutant perlecan that lacks HS side chains had a marked reduction in the inhibition of in vitro SMC function and the in vivo arterial response to injury, indicating the critical role of HS side chains in perlecan function in the vessel wall.



2003 ◽  
Vol 197 (10) ◽  
pp. 1297-1302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Hegen ◽  
Linhong Sun ◽  
Naonori Uozumi ◽  
Kazuhiko Kume ◽  
Mary E. Goad ◽  
...  

Pathogenic mechanisms relevant to rheumatoid arthritis occur in the mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) releases arachidonic acid from cell membranes to initiate the production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These inflammatory mediators have been implicated in the development of CIA. To test the hypothesis that cPLA2α plays a key role in the development of CIA, we backcrossed cPLA2α-deficient mice on the DBA/1LacJ background that is susceptible to CIA. The disease severity scores and the incidence of disease were markedly reduced in cPLA2α-deficient mice compared with wild-type littermates. At completion of the study, &gt;90% of the wild-type mice had developed disease whereas none of the cPLA2α-deficient mice had more than one digit inflamed. Furthermore, visual disease scores correlated with severity of disease determined histologically. Pannus formation, articular fibrillation, and ankylosis were all dramatically reduced in the cPLA2α-deficient mice. Although the disease scores differed significantly between cPLA2α mutant and wild-type mice, anti-collagen antibody levels were similar in the wild-type mice and mutant littermates. These data demonstrate the critical role of cPLA2α in the pathogenesis of CIA.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoko Tanaka ◽  
Shinobu Hirai ◽  
Hiroyuki Manabe ◽  
Kentaro Endo ◽  
Hiroko Shimbo ◽  
...  

Aging involves a decline in physiology which is a natural event in all living organisms. An accumulation of DNA damage contributes to the progression of aging. DNA is continually damaged by exogenous sources and endogenous sources. If the DNA repair pathway operates normally, DNA damage is not life threatening. However, impairments of the DNA repair pathway may result in an accumulation of DNA damage, which has a harmful effect on health and causes an onset of pathology. RP58, a zinc-finger transcriptional repressor, plays a critical role in cerebral cortex formation. Recently, it has been reported that the expression level of RP58 decreases in the aged human cortex. Furthermore, the role of RP58 in DNA damage is inferred by the involvement of DNMT3, which acts as a co-repressor for RP58, in DNA damage. Therefore, RP58 may play a crucial role in the DNA damage associated with aging. In the present study, we investigated the role of RP58 in aging. We used RP58 hetero-knockout and wild-type mice in adolescence, adulthood, or old age. We performed immunohistochemistry to determine whether microglia and DNA damage markers responded to the decline in RP58 levels. Furthermore, we performed an object location test to measure cognitive function, which decline with age. We found that the wild-type mice showed an increase in single-stranded DNA and gamma-H2AX foci. These results indicate an increase in DNA damage or dysfunction of DNA repair mechanisms in the hippocampus as age-related changes. Furthermore, we found that, with advancing age, both the wild-type and hetero-knockout mice showed an impairment of spatial memory for the object and increase in reactive microglia in the hippocampus. However, the RP58 hetero-knockout mice showed these symptoms earlier than the wild-type mice did. These results suggest that a decline in RP58 level may lead to the progression of aging.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaimaa Kinane ◽  
Hugo Calligaro ◽  
Antonin Jandot ◽  
Christine Coutanson ◽  
Nasser Haddjeri ◽  
...  

AbstractDopamine (DA) plays a critical role in retinal physiology, including resetting of the retinal circadian clock that in turn regulates DA release. DA acts on major classes of retinal cells by reconfiguring electrical and chemical synapses. Although a bidirectional regulation between intrinsically photosensitive melanopsin ganglion cells (ipRGCs) and dopaminergic cells has been demonstrated during development and adulthood, DA involvement in the ontogeny of the retinal clock is still unknown.Using wild-typePer2Lucand melanopsin knockout (Opn4-/-::Per2Luc) mice at different postnatal stages, we found that the retina can generate self-sustained circadian rhythms from postnatal day 5 that emerge in the absence of external time cues in both genotypes. Intriguingly, DA lengthens the endogenous period only in wild-type retinas, suggesting that this desynchronizing effect requires melanopsin. Furthermore, blockade of cholinergic retinal waves in wild-type retinas induces a shortening of the period, similarly toOpn4-/-::Per2Lucexplants. Altogether, these data suggest that DA desynchronizes the retinal clock through a melanopsin-dependent regulation of acetylcholine retinal waves, thus offering a new role of melanopsin in setting the period of the retinal clock during development.



2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (23) ◽  
pp. 11055-11066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Öhagen ◽  
Dana Gabuzda

ABSTRACT The Vif protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is important for virion infectivity. Previous studies have shown thatvif-defective virions exhibit structural abnormalities in the virus core and are defective in the ability to complete proviral DNA synthesis in acutely infected cells. We developed novel assays to assess the relative stability of the core in HIV-1 virions. Using these assays, we examined the role of Vif in the stability of the HIV-1 core. The integrity of the core was examined following virion permeabilization or removal of the lipid envelope and treatment with various triggers, including S100 cytosol, deoxynucleoside triphosphates, detergents, NaCl, and buffers of different pH to mimic aspects of the uncoating and disassembly process which occurs after virus entry but preceding or during reverse transcription.vif mutant cores were more sensitive to disruption by all triggers tested than wild-type cores, as determined by endogenous reverse transcriptase (RT) assays, biochemical analyses, and electron microscopy. RT and the p7 nucleocapsid protein were released more readily from vif mutant virions than from wild-type virions, suggesting that the internal nucleocapsid is less stably packaged in the absence of Vif. Purified cores could be isolated from wild-type but not vif mutant virions by sedimentation through detergent-treated gradients. These results demonstrate that Vif increases the stability of virion cores. This may permit efficient viral DNA synthesis by preventing premature degradation or disassembly of viral nucleoprotein complexes during early events after virus entry.



Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 138 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Chen ◽  
Zhongjie SUN

Background and Objective: Klotho is an anti-aging gene which shortens lifespan when disrupted and extends lifespan when overexpressed. The objective of this study is to investigate whether autophagy plays a role in Klotho gene deficiency-induced arterial stiffening and hypertension. Methods and Results: Klotho mutant heterozygous (KL+/–) mice and age- and sex-matched wild-type (WT) mice were used. Pulse wave velocity (PWV), a direct measure of arterial stiffness, and blood pressure (BP) were increased significantly in KL+/– mice. The autophagy level, as measured by LC3II expression and autophagy flux, was increased in aortas of KL+/– mice, indicating that Klotho deficiency upregulated autophagy. Interestingly, chloroquine attenuated Klotho deficiency-induced increases in PWV and BP. Chloroquine abolished the upregulation of autophagic flux in KL+/– mice. Klotho deficiency-induced arterial stiffness was associated with accumulation of stiffer collagen and degeneration of compliant elastin which were accompanied by upregulation of MMP9, TGF-β1, TGF-β3, RUNX2 and ALP. These changes were effectively attenuated by chloroquine. Chloroquine also abolished the increase in scleraxis expression in aortas of Klotho +/– mice. In cultured mouse aortic smooth muscle cells, Klotho deficiency increased autophagy which led to upregulation of scleraxis, a key transcription factor of collagen synthesis. Klotho deficiency failed to upregulate scleraxis expression when autophagy was inhibited, suggesting that autophagy is a critical mediator of Klotho deficiency-induced upregulation of scleraxis. Conclusion: Suppression of autophagy by chloroquine attenuates Klotho gene deficiency-induced arterial stiffening and hypertension by abolishing upregulation of MMP9 and scleraxis. The enhanced autophagic activity plays a critical role in Klotho deficiency-induced arterial stiffening and hypertension.



2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (6) ◽  
pp. E973-E983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Hasib ◽  
Chandani K. Hennayake ◽  
Deanna P. Bracy ◽  
Aimée R. Bugler-Lamb ◽  
Louise Lantier ◽  
...  

Extracellular matrix hyaluronan is increased in skeletal muscle of high-fat-fed insulin-resistant mice, and reduction of hyaluronan by PEGPH20 hyaluronidase ameliorates diet-induced insulin resistance (IR). CD44, the main hyaluronan receptor, is positively correlated with type 2 diabetes. This study determines the role of CD44 in skeletal muscle IR. Global CD44-deficient ( cd44−/−) mice and wild-type littermates ( cd44+/+) were fed a chow diet or 60% high-fat diet for 16 wk. High-fat-fed cd44−/− mice were also treated with PEGPH20 to evaluate its CD44-dependent action. Insulin sensitivity was measured by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (ICv). High-fat feeding increased muscle CD44 protein expression. In the absence of differences in body weight and composition, despite lower clamp insulin during ICv, the cd44−/− mice had sustained glucose infusion rate (GIR) regardless of diet. High-fat diet-induced muscle IR as evidenced by decreased muscle glucose uptake (Rg) was exhibited in cd44+/+ mice but absent in cd44−/− mice. Moreover, gastrocnemius Rg remained unchanged between genotypes on chow diet but was increased in high-fat-fed cd44−/− compared with cd44+/+ when normalized to clamp insulin concentrations. Ameliorated muscle IR in high-fat-fed cd44−/− mice was associated with increased vascularization. In contrast to previously observed increases in wild-type mice, PEGPH20 treatment in high-fat-fed cd44−/− mice did not change GIR or muscle Rg during ICv, suggesting a CD44-dependent action. In conclusion, genetic CD44 deletion improves muscle IR, and the beneficial effects of PEGPH20 are CD44-dependent. These results suggest a critical role of CD44 in promoting hyaluronan-mediated muscle IR, therefore representing a potential therapeutic target for diabetes.



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