Distinct Early Molecular Responses to Mutations Causing vLINCL and JNCL Presage ATP Synthase Subunit C Accumulation in Cerebellar Cells

Variant late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (vLINCL), caused by CLN6 mutation, and juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL), caused by CLN3 mutation, share clinical and pathological features, including lysosomal accumulation of mitochondrial ATP synthase subunit c, but the unrelated CLN6 and CLN3 genes may initiate disease via similar or distinct cellular processes. To gain insight into the NCL pathways, we established murine wild-type and CbCln6nclf/nclf cerebellar cells and compared them to wild-type and CbCln3Δex7/8/Δex7/8 cerebellar cells. CbCln6nclf/nclf cells and CbCln3Δex7/8/Δex7/8 cells both displayed abnormally elongated mitochondria and reduced cellular ATP levels and, as cells aged to confluence, exhibited accumulation of subunit c protein in Lamp 1-positive organelles. However, at sub-confluence, endoplasmic reticulum PDI immunostain was decreased only in CbCln6nclf/nclf cells, while fluid-phase endocytosis and LysoTracker® labeled vesicles were decreased in both CbCln6nclf/nclf and CbCln3Δex7/8/Δex7/8 cells, though only the latter cells exhibited abnormal vesicle subcellular distribution. Furthermore, unbiased gene expression analyses revealed only partial overlap in the cerebellar cell genes and pathways that were altered by the Cln3Δex7/8 and Cln6nclf mutations. Thus, these data support the hypothesis that CLN6 and CLN3 mutations trigger distinct processes that converge on a shared pathway, which is responsible for proper subunit c protein turnover and neuronal cell survival

Neurodegeneration and Epilepsy in a Zebrafish Model of CLN3 Disease (Batten Disease)

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses are a group of lysosomal storage disorders that comprise the most common, genetically heterogeneous, fatal neurodegenerative disorders of children. They are characterised by childhood onset, visual failure, epileptic seizures, psychomotor retardation and dementia. CLN3 disease, also known as Batten disease, is caused by autosomal recessive mutations in the CLN3 gene, 80–85% of which are a ~1 kb deletion. Currently no treatments exist, and after much suffering, the disease inevitably results in premature death. The aim of this study was to generate a zebrafish model of CLN3 disease using antisense morpholino injection, and characterise the pathological and functional consequences of Cln3 deficiency, thereby providing a tool for future drug discovery. The model was shown to faithfully recapitulate the pathological signs of CLN3 disease, including reduced survival, neuronal loss, retinopathy, axonopathy, loss of motor function, lysosomal storage of subunit c of mitochondrial ATP synthase, and epileptic seizures, albeit with an earlier onset and faster progression than the human disease. Our study provides proof of principle that the advantages of the zebrafish over other model systems can be utilised to further our understanding of the pathogenesis of CLN3 disease and accelerate drug discovery

Amyloid-β Inhibits No-cGMP Signaling in a CD36- and CD47-Dependent Manner

Amyloid-β interacts with two cell surface receptors, CD36 and CD47, through which the matricellular protein thrombospondin-1 inhibits soluble guanylate cyclase activation. Here we examine whether amyloid-β shares this inhibitory activity. Amyloid-β inhibited both drug and nitric oxide-mediated activation of soluble guanylate cyclase in several cell types. Known cGMP-dependent functional responses to nitric oxide in platelets and vascular smooth muscle cells were correspondingly inhibited by amyloid-β. Functional interaction of amyloid-β with the scavenger receptor CD36 was indicated by inhibition of free fatty acid uptake via this receptor. Both soluble oligomer and fibrillar forms of amyloid-β were active. In contrast, amyloid-β did not compete with the known ligand SIRPα for binding to CD47. However, both receptors were necessary for amyloid-β to inhibit cGMP accumulation. These data suggest that amyloid-β interaction with CD36 induces a CD47-dependent signal that inhibits soluble guanylate cyclase activation. Combined with the pleiotropic effects of inhibiting free fatty acid transport via CD36, these data provides a molecular mechanism through which amyloid-β can contribute to the nitric oxide signaling deficiencies associated with Alzheimer's disease

Apoptosis-like cell death in Leishmania donovani treated with KalsomeTM10, a new liposomal amphotericin B

The present study aimed to elucidate the cell death mechanism in Leishmania donovani upon treatment with KalsomeTM10, a new liposomal amphotericin B. Methodology/Principal findings We studied morphological alterations in promastigotes through phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy. Phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and disruption of mitochondrial integrity was determined by flow cytometry using annexinV-FITC, JC-1 and mitotraker, respectively. For analysing oxidative stress, generation of H2O2 (bioluminescence kit) and mitochondrial superoxide O2 − (mitosox) were measured. DNA fragmentation was evaluated using terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) and DNA laddering assay. We found that KalsomeTM10 is more effective then Ambisome against the promastigote as well as intracellular amastigote forms. The mechanistic study showed that KalsomeTM10 induced several morphological alterations in promastigotes typical of apoptosis. KalsomeTM10 treatment showed a dose- and time-dependent exposure of PS in promastigotes. Further,study on mitochondrial pathway revealed loss of mitochondrial membrane potential as well as disruption in mitochondrial integrity with depletion of intracellular pool of ATP. KalsomeTM10 treated promastigotes showed increased ROS production, diminished GSH levels and increased caspase-like activity. DNA fragmentation and cell cycle arrest was observed in KalsomeTM10 treated promastigotes. Apoptotic DNA fragmentation was also observed in KalsomeTM10 treated intracellular amastigotes. KalsomeTM10 induced generation of ROS and nitric oxide leads to the killing of the intracellular parasites. Moreover, endocytosis is indispensable for KalsomeTM10 mediated anti-leishmanial effect in host macrophag

Isolation of rafts from mouse brain tissue by a detergent-free method*

Membrane rafts are rich in cholesterol and sphingolipids and have specific proteins associated with them. Due to their small size, their identification and isolation have proved to be problematic. Their insolubility in nonionic detergents, such as Triton-X 100, at 4°C has been the most common means of isolation. However, detergent presence can produce artifacts or interfere with ganglioside distribution. The direction is therefore toward the use of detergent-free protocols. We report an optimized method of raft isolation from lipid-rich brain tissue using a detergent-free method. We compared this to Triton-X 100-based isolation along sucrose or Optiprep™ gradients using the following endpoints: low protein content, high cholesterol content, presence of Flotillin 1 (Flot1), and absence of transferrin receptor (TfR) proteins. These criteria were met in raft fractions isolated in a detergent-free buffer along a sucrose gradient of 5%/35%/42.5%. The use of optiprep gave less consistent results with respect to protein distribution. We demonstrate that clean raft fractions with minimal myelin contamination can be reproducibly obtained in the top three low-density fractions along a sucrose step gradient

The CLN3 gene is a novel molecular target for cancer drug discovery

Juvenile Batten disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by accelerated apoptotic death of photoreceptors and neurons attributable to defects in the CLN3 gene. CLN3 is antiapoptotic when overexpressed in NT2 neuronal precursor cells. CLN3 negatively modulates endogenous ceramide levels in NT2 cells and acts upstream of ceramide generation. Because defects in regulation of apoptosis are involved in the development of cancer, we evaluated the expression of CLN3 on both mRNA and protein levels in a variety of cancer cell lines and solid colon cancer tissue. We also observed the effect of the blocking of CLN3 protein expression on cancer cell growth, survival, ceramide production, and apoptosis by using an adenovirus-bearing antisense CLN3 construct. We show that CLN3 mRNA and protein are overexpressed in glioblastoma (U-373G and T98g), neuroblastoma (IMR-32 and SK-N-MC), prostate (Du145, PC-3, and LNCaP), ovarian (SK-OV-3, SW626, and PA-1), breast (BT-20, BT-549, and BT-474), and colon (SW1116, SW480, and HCT 116) cancer cell lines but not in pancreatic (CAPAN and As-PC-1) or lung (A-549 and NCI-H520) cancer cell lines. CLN3 is also up-regulated in mouse melanoma and breast carcinoma cancer cell lines. We found CLN3 expression is 22–330% higher than in corresponding normal colon control tissue in 8 of 10 solid colon tumors. An adenovirus-expressing antisense CLN3 (Ad-AS-CLN3) blocks CLN3 protein expression in DU-145, BT-20, SW1116, and T98g cancer cell lines as seen by Western blot. Blocking of CLN3 expression using Ad-AS-CLN3 inhibits growth and viability of cancer cells. It also causes elevation in endogenous ceramide production through de novo ceramide synthesis and results in increased apoptosis as shown by propidium iodide and JC-1 staining. This suggests that Ad-AS-CLN3 may be an option for therapy in some cancers. More importantly these results suggest that CLN3 is a novel molecular target for cancer drug discovery