Mechanisms of demyelination and neurodegeneration in globoid cell leukodystrophy.

Globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD), also known as Krabbe disease, is a lysosomal storage disorder causing extensive demyelination in the central and peripheral nervous systems. GLD is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the lysosomal hydrolase, galactosylceramidase (GALC), which catabolizes the myelin sphingolipid galactosylceramide. The pathophysiology of GLD is complex and reflects the expression of GALC in a number of glial and neural cell types in both the central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS), as well as leukocytes and kidney in the periphery. Over the years, GLD has garnered a wide range of scientific and medical interests, especially as a model system to study gene therapy and novel preclinical therapeutic approaches to treat the spontaneous murine model for GLD. Here, we review recent findings in the field of Krabbe disease, with particular emphasis on novel aspects of GALC physiology, GLD pathophysiology, and therapeutic strategies.

Proteomic Analysis of Retinal Mitochondria-Associated ER Membranes Identified Novel Proteins of Retinal Degeneration in Long-Term Diabetes.

The mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane (MAM) is the physical contact site between the ER and the mitochondria and plays a vital role in the regulation of calcium signaling, bioenergetics, and inflammation. Disturbances in these processes and dysregulation of the ER and mitochondrial homeostasis contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, few studies have examined the impact of diabetes on the retinal MAM and its implication in DR pathogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the proteomic changes in retinal MAM from Long Evans rats with streptozotocin-induced long-term Type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, we performed in-depth bioinformatic analysis to identify key MAM proteins and pathways that are potentially implicated in retinal inflammation, angiogenesis, and neurodegeneration. A total of 2664 unique proteins were quantified using IonStar proteomics-pipeline in rat retinal MAM, among which 179 proteins showed significant changes in diabetes. Functional annotation revealed that the 179 proteins are involved in important biological processes such as cell survival, inflammatory response, and cellular maintenance, as well as multiple disease-relevant signaling pathways, e.g., integrin signaling, leukocyte extravasation, PPAR, PTEN, and RhoGDI signaling. Our study provides comprehensive information on MAM protein changes in diabetic retinas, which is helpful for understanding the mechanisms of metabolic dysfunction and retinal cell injury in DR.

Macrophages Expressing GALC Improve Peripheral Krabbe Disease by a Mechanism Independent of Cross-Correction.

Many therapies for lysosomal storage disorders rely on cross-correction of lysosomal enzymes. In globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD), mutations in GALC cause psychosine accumulation, inducing demyelination, a neuroinflammatory "globoid" reaction and neurodegeneration. The efficiency of GALC cross-correction in vivo, the role of the GALC substrate galactosylceramide, and the origin of psychosine are poorly understood. Using a novel GLD model, we show that cross-correction does not occur efficiently in vivo and that Galc-deficient Schwann cells autonomously produce psychosine. Furthermore, macrophages require GALC to degrade myelin, as Galc-deficient macrophages are transformed into globoid cells by exposure to galactosylceramide and produce a more severe GLD phenotype. Finally, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients reduces globoid cells in nerves, suggesting that the phagocytic response of healthy macrophages, rather than cross-correction, contributes to the therapeutic effect. Thus, GLD may be caused by at least two mechanisms: psychosine-induced demyelination and secondary neuroinflammation from galactosylceramide storage in macrophages.

p58IPK Is an Endogenous Neuroprotectant for Retinal Ganglion Cells.

p58IPK is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident chaperone playing a critical role in facilitating protein folding and protein homeostasis. Previously, we have demonstrated that p58IPK is expressed broadly in retinal neurons including retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and loss of p58IPK results in age-related RGC degeneration. In the present study, we investigate the role of p58IPK in neuroprotection by in vitro and in vivo studies using primary RGC culture and two well-established disease-relevant RGC injury models: retinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and microbead-induced ocular hypertension. Our results demonstrate that in both in vivo models, p58IPK -/- mice exhibit significantly increased RGC loss compared to wild type (WT) mice. In vitro, p58IPK-deficient RGCs show reduced viability and are more susceptible to cell death induced by the ER stress inducer tunicamycin (TM). Overexpression of p58IPK by adeno-associated virus (AAV) significantly diminishes TM-induced cell death in both WT and p58IPK -/- RGCs. Interestingly, we find that loss of p58IPK leads to reduced mRNA expression, but not the protein level, of mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF), a neurotrophic factor that resides in the ER. Treatment with recombinant MANF protein protects R28 retinal neural cells and mouse retinal explants from TM-induced cell death. Taken together, our study suggests that p58IPK functions as an endogenous neuroprotectant for RGCs. The mechanisms underlying p58IPK's neuroprotective action and the potential interactions between p58IPK and MANF warrant future investigation.