Mistranslation-associated perturbations of proteostasis do not promote accumulation of amyloid beta and plaque deposition in aged mouse brain.

A common perception in age-related neurodegenerative diseases posits that a decline in proteostasis is key to the accumulation of neuropathogenic proteins, such as amyloid beta (Aß), and the development of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). To experimentally challenge the role of protein homeostasis in the accumulation of Alzheimer's associated protein Aß and levels of associated Tau phosphorylation, we disturbed proteostasis in single APP knock-in mouse models of AD building upon Rps9 D95N, a recently identified mammalian ram mutation which confers heightened levels of error-prone translation together with an increased propensity for random protein aggregation and which is associated with accelerated aging. We crossed the Rps9 D95N mutation into knock-in mice expressing humanized Aß with different combinations of pathogenic mutations (wild-type, NL, NL-F, NL-G-F) causing a stepwise and quantifiable allele-dependent increase in the development of Aß accumulation, levels of phosphorylated Tau, and neuropathology. Surprisingly, the misfolding-prone environment of the Rps9 D95N ram mutation did not affect Aß accumulation and plaque formation, nor the level of phosphorylated Tau in any of the humanized APP knock-in lines. Our findings indicate that a misfolding-prone environment induced by error-prone translation with its inherent perturbations in protein homeostasis has little impact on the accumulation of pathogenic Aß, plaque formation and associated phosphorylated Tau.

The BRD4-NUT Fusion Alone Drives Malignant Transformation of NUT Carcinoma.

NUT carcinoma (NC) is an aggressive squamous carcinoma defined by the BRD4-NUT fusion oncoprotein. Routinely effective systemic treatments are unavailable for most NC patients. The lack of an adequate animal model precludes identifying and leveraging cell-extrinsic factors therapeutically in NC. Here, we created a genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) of NC that forms a Brd4::NUTM1 fusion gene upon tamoxifen induction of Sox2-driven Cre. The model displayed complete disease penetrance, with tumors arising from the squamous epithelium weeks after induction and all mice succumbing to the disease shortly thereafter. Closely resembling human NC (hNC), GEMM tumors (mNC) were poorly differentiated squamous carcinomas with high expression of MYC that metastasized to solid organs and regional lymph nodes. Two GEMM-derived cell lines were developed whose transcriptomic and epigenetic landscapes harbored key features of primary GEMM tumors. Importantly, GEMM tumor and cell line transcriptomes co-classified with those of human NC. BRD4-NUT also blocked differentiation and maintained the growth of mNC as in hNC. Mechanistically, GEMM primary tumors and cell lines formed large histone H3K27ac-enriched domains, termed megadomains, that were invariably associated with the expression of key NC-defining proto-oncogenes, Myc and Trp63. Small-molecule BET bromodomain inhibition (BETi) of mNC induced differentiation and growth arrest and prolonged survival of NC GEMMs, as it does in hNC models. Overall, tumor formation in the NC GEMM is definitive evidence that BRD4-NUT alone can potently drive the malignant transformation of squamous progenitor cells into NC. SIGNIFICANCE: The development of an immunocompetent model of NUT carcinoma that closely mimics the human disease provides a valuable global resource for mechanistic and preclinical studies to improve treatment of this incurable disease.

A molecular network for the transport of the TI-VAMP/VAMP7 vesicles from cell center to periphery.

The compartmental organization of eukaryotic cells is maintained dynamically by vesicular trafficking. SNARE proteins play a crucial role in intracellular membrane fusion and need to be targeted to their proper donor or acceptor membrane. The molecular mechanisms that allow for the secretory vesicles carrying the v-SNARE TI-VAMP/VAMP7 to leave the cell center, load onto microtubules, and reach the periphery to mediate exocytosis are largely unknown. Here, we show that the TI-VAMP/VAMP7 partner Varp, a Rab21 guanine nucleotide exchange factor, interacts with GolginA4 and the kinesin 1 Kif5A. Activated Rab21-GTP in turn binds to MACF1, an actin and microtubule regulator, which is itself a partner of GolginA4. These components are required for directed movement of TI-VAMP/VAMP7 vesicles from the cell center to the cell periphery. The molecular mechanisms uncovered here suggest an integrated view of the transport of vesicles carrying a specific v-SNARE toward the cell surface.

Role of Varp, a Rab21 exchange factor and TI-VAMP/VAMP7 partner, in neurite growth.

The vesicular soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) tetanus neurotoxin-insensitive vesicle-associated membrane protein (TI-VAMP/VAMP7) was previously shown to mediate an exocytic pathway involved in neurite growth, but its regulation is still largely unknown. Here we show that TI-VAMP interacts with the Vps9 domain and ankyrin-repeat-containing protein (Varp), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) of the small GTPase Rab21, through a specific domain herein called the interacting domain (ID). Varp, TI-VAMP and Rab21 co-localize in the perinuclear region of differentiating hippocampal neurons and transiently in transport vesicles in the shaft of neurites. Silencing the expression of Varp by RNA interference or expressing ID or a form of Varp deprived of its Vps9 domain impairs neurite growth. Furthermore, the mutant form of Rab21, defective in GTP hydrolysis, enhances neurite growth. We conclude that Varp is a positive regulator of neurite growth through both its GEF activity and its interaction with TI-VAMP.