A Natural mtDNA Polymorphism in Complex III Is a Modifier of Healthspan in Mice

In this study, we provide experimental evidence that a maternally inherited polymorphism in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (mt-Cytb; m.15124A>G, Ile-Val) in mitochondrial complex III resulted in middle-aged obesity and higher susceptibility to diet-induced obesity, as well as age-related inflammatory disease, e.g., ulcerative dermatitis, in mice. As a consequence of the gene variation, we observed alterations in body composition, metabolism and mitochondrial functions, i.e., increased mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate and higher levels of reactive oxygen species, as well as in the commensal bacterial composition in the gut, with higher abundance of Proteobacteria in mice carrying the variant. These observations are in line with the previously described links of the mitochondrial complex III gene with obesity and metabolic diseases in humans. Given that these functional changes by the G variant at m.15124 in the mt-Cytb are already present in young mice that were kept under normal condition, it is plausible that the m.15124A>G variant is a disease susceptibility modifier to the diseases induced by additional stressors, i.e., dietary and/or aging stress, and that the variant results in the higher incidence of clinical diseases presentation in C57BL/6J-mt129S1/SvlmJ than C57BL/6J mice. Thus, mtDNA variants could be potential biomarkers to evaluate the healthspan

Specific inhibition of complement activation significantly ameliorates autoimmune blistering disease in mice

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an antibody-mediated blistering skin disease associated with tissue-bound and circulating autoantibodies to type VII collagen (COL7). Transfer of antibodies against COL7 into mice results in a subepidermal blistering phenotype, strictly depending on the complement component C5. Further, activation predominantly by the alternative pathway is required to induce experimental EBA, as blistering was delayed and significantly ameliorated only in factor B−/− mice. However, C5 deficiency not only blocked the activation of terminal complement components and assembly of the membrane attack complex (MAC) but also eliminated the formation of C5a. Therefore, in the present study, we first aimed to elucidate which molecules downstream of C5 are relevant for blister formation in this EBA model and could be subsequently pharmaceutically targeted. For this purpose, we injected mice deficient in C5a receptor 1 (C5aR1) or C6 with antibodies to murine COL7. Importantly, C5ar1−/− mice were significantly protected from experimental EBA, demonstrating that C5a–C5aR1 interactions are critical intermediates linking pathogenic antibodies to tissue damage in this experimental model of EBA. By contrast, C6−/− mice developed widespread blistering disease, suggesting that MAC is dispensable for blister formation in this model. In further experiments, we tested the therapeutic potential of inhibitors of complement components which were identified to play a key role in this experimental model. Complement components C5, factor B (fB), and C5aR1 were specifically targeted using complement inhibitors both prophylactically and in mice that had already developed disease. All complement inhibitors led to a significant improvement of the blistering phenotype when injected shortly before anti-COL7 antibodies. To simulate a therapeutic intervention, anti-fB treatment was first administered in full-blown EBA (day 5) and induced significant amelioration only in the final phase of disease evolution, suggesting that early intervention in disease development may be necessary to achieve higher efficacy. Anti-C5 treatment in incipient EBA (day 2) significantly ameliorated disease during the whole experiment. This finding is therapeutically relevant, since the humanized anti-C5 antibody eculizumab is already successfully used in patients. In conclusion, in this study, we have identified promising candidate molecules for complement-directed therapeutic intervention in EBA and similar autoantibody-mediated diseases

A Mitochondrial Polymorphism Alters Immune Cell Metabolism and Protects Mice from Skin Inflammation

Several genetic variants in the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA), including ancient polymorphisms, are associated with chronic inflammatory conditions, but investigating the functional consequences of such mtDNA polymorphisms in humans is challenging due to the influence of many other polymorphisms in both mtDNA and the nuclear genome (nDNA). Here, using the conplastic mouse strain B6-mtFVB, we show that in mice, a maternally inherited natural mutation (m.7778G > T) in the mitochondrially encoded gene ATP synthase 8 (mt-Atp8) of complex V impacts on the cellular metabolic profile and effector functions of CD4+ T cells and induces mild changes in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complex activities. These changes culminated in significantly lower disease susceptibility in two models of inflammatory skin disease. Our findings provide experimental evidence that a natural variation in mtDNA influences chronic inflammatory conditions through alterations in cellular metabolism and the systemic metabolic profile without causing major dysfunction in the OXPHOS system

Inbred mouse strains reveal biomarkers that are pro-longevity, antilongevity or role switching.

Traditionally, biomarkers of aging are classified as either pro-longevity or antilongevity. Using longitudinal data sets from the large-scale inbred mouse strain study at the Jackson Laboratory Nathan Shock Center, we describe a protocol to identify two kinds of biomarkers: those with prognostic implication for lifespan and those with longitudinal evidence. Our protocol also identifies biomarkers for which, at first sight, there is conflicting evidence. Conflict resolution is possible by postulating a role switch. In these cases, high biomarker values are, for example, antilongevity in early life and pro-longevity in later life. Role-switching biomarkers correspond to features that must, for example, be minimized early, but maximized later, for optimal longevity. The clear-cut pro-longevity biomarkers we found reflect anti-inflammatory, anti-immunosenescent or anti-anaemic mechanisms, whereas clear-cut antilongevity biomarkers reflect inflammatory mechanisms. Many highly significant blood biomarkers relate to immune system features, indicating a shift from adaptive to innate processes, whereas most role-switching biomarkers relate to blood serum features and whole-body phenotypes. Our biomarker classification approach is applicable to any combination of longitudinal studies with life expectancy data, and it provides insights beyond a simplified scheme of biomarkers for long or short lifespan

Polymorphisms in the Mitochondrial Genome Are Associated With Bullous Pemphigoid in Germans

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most prevalent autoimmune skin blistering disease and is characterized by the generation of autoantibodies against the hemidesmosomal proteins BP180 (type XVII collagen) and BP230. Most intriguingly, BP is distinct from other autoimmune diseases because it predominantly affects elderly individuals above the age of 75 years, raising the question why autoantibodies and the clinical lesions of BP emerges mostly in this later stage of life, even in individuals harboring known putative BP-associated germline gene variants. The mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is a potential candidate to provide additional insights into the BP etiology; however, the mtDNA has not been extensively explored to date. Therefore, we sequenced the whole mtDNA of German BP patients (n = 180) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 188) using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, followed by the replication study using Sanger sequencing of an additional independent BP (n = 89) and control cohort (n = 104). While the BP and control groups showed comparable mitochondrial haplogroup distributions, the haplogroup T exhibited a tendency of higher frequency in BP patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases (ND) compared to BP patients without ND (50%; 3 in 6 BP with haplogroup T). A total of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mtDNA, namely, m.16263T>C, m.16051A>G, and m.16162A>G in the D-loop region of the mtDNA, and m.11914G>A in the mitochondrially encoded NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit 4 gene (MT-ND4), were found to be significantly associated with BP based on the meta-analysis of our NGS data and the Sanger sequencing data (p = 0.0017, p = 0.0129, p = 0.0076, and p = 0.0132, respectively, Peto's test). More specifically, the three SNPs in the D-loop region were negatively, and the SNP in the MT-ND4 gene was positively associated with BP. Our study is the first to interrogate the whole mtDNA in BP patients and controls and to implicate multiple novel mtDNA variants in disease susceptibility. Studies using larger cohorts and more diverse populations are warranted to explore the functional consequences of the mtDNA variants identified in this study on immune and skin cells to understand their contributions to BP pathology

Reduced Skin Blistering in Experimental Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita After Anti-TNF Treatment

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is a difficult-to-treat subepidermal autoimmune blistering skin disease (AIBD) with circulating and tissue-bound anti-type VII collagen antibodies. Different reports have indicated increased concentration of tumor necrosis factor a (TNF) in the serum and blister fluid of patients with subepidermal AIBD. Furthermore, successful anti-TNF treatment has been reported for individual patients with AIBD. Here we show that in mice, induction of experimental EBA by repeated injections of rabbit anti-mouse type VII collagen antibodies led to increased expression of TNF in skin, as determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry. To investigate whether the increased TNF expression is of functional relevance in experimental EBA, we inhibited TNF function using the soluble TNF receptor fusion protein etanercept (Enbrel) or a monoclonal antibody to murine TNF. Interestingly, mice that received either of these treatments showed significantly milder disease progression than controls. In addition, immunohistochemical staining demonstrated reduced numbers of macrophages in lesional skin in mice treated with TNF inhibitors compared with controls. Furthermore, etanercept treatment significantly reduced disease progression in immunization-induced EBA. In conclusion, increased expression of TNF in experimental EBA is of functional relevance, as both the prophylactic blockade of TNF and the therapeutic use of etanercept impaired induction and progression of experimental EBA. Thus, TNF is likely to serve as a new therapeutic target for EBA and AIBDs with a similar pathogenesis