RESUMO
X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder that manifests as adult-onset dystonia combined with parkinsonism. A SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposon inserted in an intron of the TAF1 gene reduces its expression and alters splicing in XDP patient-derived cells. As a consequence, increased levels of the TAF1 intron retention transcript TAF1-32i can be found in XDP cells as compared to healthy controls. Here, we investigate the sequence of the deep intronic region included in this transcript and show that it is also present in cells from healthy individuals, albeit in lower amounts than in XDP cells, and that it undergoes degradation by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Furthermore, we investigate epigenetic marks (e.g., DNA methylation and histone modifications) present in this intronic region and the spanning sequence. Finally, we show that the SVA evinces regulatory potential, as demonstrated by its ability to repress the TAF1 promoter in vitro. Our results enable a better understanding of the disease mechanisms underlying XDP and transcriptional alterations caused by SVA retrotransposons.
Assuntos
Distúrbios Distônicos/genética , Doenças Genéticas Ligadas ao Cromossomo X/genética , Transtornos Parkinsonianos/genética , Retroelementos/genética , Transcrição Gênica/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Metilação de DNA/genética , Feminino , Histona Acetiltransferases/genética , Humanos , Íntrons/genética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas/genética , Elementos Nucleotídeos Curtos e Dispersos/genética , Fatores Associados à Proteína de Ligação a TATA/genética , Fator de Transcrição TFIID/genética , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is a rare movement disorder characterized by profound neurodegeneration in the basal ganglia. The molecular consequences and the bioenergetic state of affected individuals remain largely unexplored. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the bioenergetic state in male patients with XDP and female carriers using 31phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging and to correlate these findings with clinical manifestations. METHODS: We examined the levels of high-energy phosphorus-containing metabolites (HEP) in the basal ganglia and cerebellum of five male patients with XDP, 10 asymptomatic female heterozygous carriers, and 10 SVA-insertion-free controls. RESULTS: HEP levels were reduced in the basal ganglia of patients with XDP (PwXDP) compared to controls, but increased in the cerebellum of both male patients and female carriers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a potential compensatory mechanism in the cerebellum of female carriers regardless of sex. Our study highlights alterations in HEP levels in PwXDP patients and female carriers.