SIL1 deficiency causes degenerative changes of peripheral nerves and neuromuscular junctions in fish, mice and human.

BACKGROUND: Marinesco-Sjögren Syndrome (MSS) is a rare neuromuscular condition caused by recessive mutations in the SIL1 gene resulting in the absence of functional SIL1 protein, a co-chaperone for the major ER chaperone, BiP. As BiP is decisive for proper protein processing, loss of SIL1 results in the accumulation of misshaped proteins. This accumulation likely damages and destroys cells in vulnerable tissues, leading to congenital cataracts, cerebellar ataxia, vacuolar myopathy and other MSS phenotypes. Whether the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is affected in MSS has not been conclusively shown. METHODS: To study PNS vulnerability in MSS, intramuscular nerves fibres from MSS patients and from SIL1-deficient mice (woozy) as well as sciatic nerves and neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) from these mice have been investigated via transmission electron microscopic and immunofluorescence studies accompanied by transcript studies and unbiased proteomic profiling. In addition, PNS and NMJ integrity were analyzed via immunofluorescence studies in an MSS-zebrafish model which has been generated for that purpose. RESULTS: Electron microscopy revealed morphological changes indicative of impaired autophagy and mitochondrial maintenance in distal axons and in Schwann cells. Moreover, changes of the morphology of NMJs as well as of transcripts encoding proteins important for NMJ function were detected in woozy mice. These findings were in line with a grossly abnormal structure of NMJs in SIL1-deficient zebrafish embryos. Proteome profiling of sciatic nerve specimens from woozy mice revealed altered levels of proteins implicated in neuronal maintenance suggesting the activation of compensatory mechanisms. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our combined data expand the spectrum of tissues affected by SIL1-loss and suggest that impaired neuromuscular transmission might be part of MSS pathophysiology

Multifocal demyelinating motor neuropathy and hamartoma syndrome associated with a de novo PTEN mutation.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a patient with a multifocal demyelinating motor neuropathy with onset in childhood and a mutation in phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a tumor suppressor gene associated with inherited tumor susceptibility conditions, macrocephaly, autism, ataxia, tremor, and epilepsy. Functional implications of this protein have been investigated in Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases. METHODS: We performed whole-exome sequencing in the patient's genomic DNA validated by Sanger sequencing. Immunoblotting, in vitro enzymatic assay, and label-free shotgun proteomic profiling were performed in the patient's fibroblasts. RESULTS: The predominant clinical presentation of the patient was a childhood onset, asymmetric progressive multifocal motor neuropathy. In addition, he presented with macrocephaly, autism spectrum disorder, and skin hamartomas, considered as clinical criteria for PTEN-related hamartoma tumor syndrome. Extensive tumor screening did not detect any malignancies. We detected a novel de novo heterozygous c.269T>C, p.(Phe90Ser) PTEN variant, which was absent in both parents. The pathogenicity of the variant is supported by altered expression of several PTEN-associated proteins involved in tumorigenesis. Moreover, fibroblasts showed a defect in catalytic activity of PTEN against the secondary substrate, phosphatidylinositol 3,4-trisphosphate. In support of our findings, focal hypermyelination leading to peripheral neuropathy has been reported in PTEN-deficient mice. CONCLUSION: We describe a novel phenotype, PTEN-associated multifocal demyelinating motor neuropathy with a skin hamartoma syndrome. A similar mechanism may potentially underlie other forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease with involvement of the phosphatidylinositol pathway

Molecular pathophysiology of human MICU1 deficiency.

Funder: Ministerium für Innovation, Wissenschaft und Forschung des Landes Nordrhein‐Westfalen; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100009591Funder: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002347AIMS: MICU1 encodes the gatekeeper of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter, MICU1 and biallelic loss-of-function mutations cause a complex, neuromuscular disorder in children. Although the role of the protein is well understood, the precise molecular pathophysiology leading to this neuropaediatric phenotype has not been fully elucidated. Here we aimed to obtain novel insights into MICU1 pathophysiology. METHODS: Molecular genetic studies along with proteomic profiling, electron-, light- and Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy and immuno-based studies of protein abundances and Ca2+ transport studies were employed to examine the pathophysiology of MICU1 deficiency in humans. RESULTS: We describe two patients carrying MICU1 mutations, two nonsense (c.52C>T; p.(Arg18*) and c.553C>T; p.(Arg185*)) and an intragenic exon 2-deletion presenting with ataxia, developmental delay and early onset myopathy, clinodactyly, attention deficits, insomnia and impaired cognitive pain perception. Muscle biopsies revealed signs of dystrophy and neurogenic atrophy, severe mitochondrial perturbations, altered Golgi structure, vacuoles and altered lipid homeostasis. Comparative mitochondrial Ca2+ transport and proteomic studies on lymphoblastoid cells revealed that the [Ca2+ ] threshold and the cooperative activation of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake were lost in MICU1-deficient cells and that 39 proteins were altered in abundance. Several of those proteins are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and/or perturbed Ca2+ homeostasis, also impacting on regular cytoskeleton (affecting Spectrin) and Golgi architecture, as well as cellular survival mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings (i) link dysregulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake with muscle pathology (including perturbed lipid homeostasis and ER-Golgi morphology), (ii) support the concept of a functional interplay of ER-Golgi and mitochondria in lipid homeostasis and (iii) reveal the vulnerability of the cellular proteome as part of the MICU1-related pathophysiology

Neuromuscular Junction Changes in a Mouse Model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 4C.

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) appears to be a site of pathology in a number of peripheral nerve diseases. Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) 4C is an autosomal recessive, early onset, demyelinating neuropathy. Numerous mutations in the SH3TC2 gene have been shown to underlie the condition often associated with scoliosis, foot deformities, and reduced nerve conduction velocities. Mice with exon 1 of the Sh3tc2 gene knocked out demonstrate many of the features seen in patients. To determine if NMJ pathology is contributory to the pathomechanisms of CMT4C we examined NMJs in the gastrocnemius muscle of SH3TC2-deficient mice. In addition, we performed proteomic assessment of the sciatic nerve to identify protein factors contributing to the NMJ alterations and the survival of demyelinated axons. Morphological and gene expression analysis of NMJs revealed a lack of continuity between the pre- and post-synaptic apparatus, increases in post-synaptic fragmentation and dispersal, and an increase in expression of the gamma subunit of the acetylcholine receptor. There were no changes in axonal width or the number of axonal inputs to the NMJ. Proteome investigations of the sciatic nerve revealed altered expression of extracellular matrix proteins important for NMJ integrity. Together these observations suggest that CMT4C pathology includes a compromised NMJ even in the absence of changes to the innervating axon

Characterization of Naïve and Vitamin C-Treated Mouse Schwann Cell Line MSC80: Induction of the Antioxidative Thioredoxin Related Transmembrane Protein 1

Schwann cells (SCs) are essential in the production of the axon-wrapping myelin sheath and provide trophic function and repair mechanisms in the peripheral nerves. Consequently, well-characterized SC in vitro models are needed to perform preclinical studies including the investigation of the complex biochemical adaptations occurring in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) under different (patho)physiological conditions. MSC80 cells represent a murine SC line used as an in vitro system for neuropathological studies. Here, we introduce the most abundant 9532 proteins identified via mass spectrometry-based protein analytics, and thus provide the most comprehensive SC protein catalogue published thus far. We cover proteins causative for inherited neuropathies and demonstrate that in addition to cytoplasmic, nuclear and mitochondrial proteins and others belonging to the protein processing machinery are very well covered. Moreover, we address the suitability of MSC80 to examine the molecular effect of a drug-treatment by analyzing the proteomic signature of Vitamin C-treated cells. Proteomic findings, immunocytochemistry, immunoblotting and functional experiments support the concept of a beneficial role of Vitamin C on oxidative stress and identified TMX1 as an oxidative stress protective factor, which might represent a promising avenue for therapeutic intervention of PNS-disorders with oxidative stress burden such as diabetic neuropathy