RESUMO
Hexanucleotide repeat expansion in C9ORF72 (C9) is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). One of the proposed pathogenic mechanisms is the neurotoxicity arising from dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins produced by repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. Therefore, reducing DPR levels emerges as a potential therapeutic strategy for C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. We previously identified an RNA helicase, DEAD-box helicase 3 X-linked (DDX3X), modulates RAN translation. DDX3X overexpression decreases poly-GP accumulation in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-differentiated neurons (iPSNs) and reduces the glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. In this study, we examined the in vivo efficacy of DDX3X overexpression using a mouse model. We expressed exogenous DDX3X or GFP in the central nervous system (CNS) of the C9-500 ALS/FTD BAC transgenic or non-transgenic control mice using adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9). The DPR levels were significantly reduced in the brains of DDX3X-expressing C9-BAC mice compared to the GFP control even twelve months after virus delivery. Additionally, p62 aggregation was also decreased. No neuronal loss or neuroinflammatory response were detected in the DDX3X overexpressing C9-BAC mice. This work demonstrates that DDX3X overexpression effectively reduces DPR levels in vivo without provoking neuroinflammation or neurotoxicity, suggesting the potential of increasing DDX3X expression as a therapeutic strategy for C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.
Assuntos
Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica , Proteína C9orf72 , RNA Helicases DEAD-box , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Demência Frontotemporal , Camundongos Transgênicos , Animais , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/genética , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/metabolismo , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/patologia , Camundongos , RNA Helicases DEAD-box/genética , RNA Helicases DEAD-box/metabolismo , Proteína C9orf72/genética , Proteína C9orf72/metabolismo , Demência Frontotemporal/genética , Demência Frontotemporal/metabolismo , Demência Frontotemporal/patologia , Dipeptídeos/metabolismo , Humanos , Masculino , Expansão das Repetições de DNA/genéticaRESUMO
C9ORF72 hexanucleotide GGGGCC repeat expansion is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repeat-containing RNA mediates toxicity through nuclear granules and dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins produced by repeat-associated non-AUG translation. However, it remains unclear how the intron-localized repeats are exported and translated in the cytoplasm. We use single molecule imaging approach to examine the molecular identity and spatiotemporal dynamics of the repeat RNA. We demonstrate that the spliced intron with G-rich repeats is stabilized in a circular form due to defective lariat debranching. The spliced circular intron, instead of pre-mRNA, serves as the translation template. The NXF1-NXT1 pathway plays an important role in the nuclear export of the circular intron and modulates toxic DPR production. This study reveals an uncharacterized disease-causing RNA species mediated by repeat expansion and demonstrates the importance of RNA spatial localization to understand disease etiology.
Assuntos
Proteína C9orf72/genética , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Íntrons/genética , Biossíntese de Proteínas/genética , RNA/genética , Transporte Ativo do Núcleo Celular/genética , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/genética , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/metabolismo , Proteína C9orf72/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Núcleo Celular/genética , Expansão das Repetições de DNA/genética , Dipeptídeos/genética , Dipeptídeos/metabolismo , Demência Frontotemporal/genética , Demência Frontotemporal/metabolismo , Predisposição Genética para Doença/genética , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Microscopia de Fluorescência , Proteínas de Transporte Nucleocitoplasmático/genética , Proteínas de Transporte Nucleocitoplasmático/metabolismo , RNA/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/metabolismo , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Transdução de Sinais/genéticaRESUMO
Hexanucleotide repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the most frequent cause of both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here we demonstrate that the repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of (GGGGCC) n -containing RNAs into poly-dipeptides can initiate in vivo without a 5'-cap. The primary RNA substrate for RAN translation of C9ORF72 sense repeats is shown to be the spliced first intron, following its excision from the initial pre-mRNA and transport to the cytoplasm. Cap-independent RAN translation is shown to be upregulated by various stress stimuli through phosphorylation of the α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor-2 (eIF2α), the core event of an integrated stress response (ISR). Compounds inhibiting phospho-eIF2α-signaling pathways are shown to suppress RAN translation. Since the poly-dipeptides can themselves induce stress, these findings support a feedforward loop with initial repeat-mediated toxicity enhancing RAN translation and subsequent production of additional poly-dipeptides through ISR, thereby promoting progressive disease.