RESUMO
Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome (KOS) is a recessive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability and lack of speech. KOS is caused by inactivating mutations in UBE3B, but the underlying biological mechanisms are completely unknown. We found that loss of Ube3b in mice resulted in growth retardation, decreased grip strength, and loss of vocalization. The brains of Ube3b-/- mice had hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, enlarged ventricles, and decreased thickness of the somatosensory cortex. Ube3b-/- cortical neurons had abnormal dendritic morphology and synapses. We identified 22 UBE3B interactors and found that branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) is an in vivo UBE3B substrate. Since BCKDK targets several metabolic pathways, we profiled plasma and cortical metabolomes from Ube3b-/- mice. Nucleotide metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were among the pathways perturbed. Substrate-induced mitochondrial respiration was reduced in skeletal muscle but not in liver of Ube3b-/- mice. To assess the relevance of these findings to humans, we identified three KOS patients who had compound heterozygous UBE3B mutations. We discovered changes in metabolites from similar pathways in plasma from these patients. Collectively, our results implicate a disease mechanism in KOS, suggest that it is a metabolic encephalomyopathy, and provide an entry to targeted therapies.
Assuntos
Anormalidades do Olho/genética , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Transtornos do Desenvolvimento da Linguagem/genética , Deformidades Congênitas dos Membros/genética , Microcefalia/genética , Proteínas Quinases/genética , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Animais , Encéfalo/fisiopatologia , Criança , Anormalidades do Olho/fisiopatologia , Fácies , Humanos , Deficiência Intelectual/fisiopatologia , Transtornos do Desenvolvimento da Linguagem/fisiopatologia , Deformidades Congênitas dos Membros/fisiopatologia , Masculino , Redes e Vias Metabólicas , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Microcefalia/fisiopatologia , Mutação , Fenótipo , Ubiquitina/genéticaRESUMO
The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is a highly conserved pathway that tightly regulates protein turnover in cells. This process is integral to neuronal development, differentiation, and function. Several members of the UPS are disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders, highlighting the importance of this pathway in brain development and function. In this review, we discuss some of these pathway members, the molecular processes they regulate, and the potential for targeting the UPS in an effort to develop therapeutic strategies in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.