Bioenergetic status modulates motor neuron vulnerability and pathogenesis in a zebrafish model of spinal muscular atrophy

Degeneration and loss of lower motor neurons is the major pathological hallmark of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), resulting from low levels of ubiquitously-expressed survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. One remarkable, yet unresolved, feature of SMA is that not all motor neurons are equally affected, with some populations displaying a robust resistance to the disease. Here, we demonstrate that selective vulnerability of distinct motor neuron pools arises from fundamental modifications to their basal molecular profiles. Comparative gene expression profiling of motor neurons innervating the extensor digitorum longus (disease-resistant), gastrocnemius (intermediate vulnerability), and tibialis anterior (vulnerable) muscles in mice revealed that disease susceptibility correlates strongly with a modified bioenergetic profile. Targeting of identified bioenergetic pathways by enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis rescued motor axon defects in SMA zebrafish. Moreover, targeting of a single bioenergetic protein, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (Pgk1), was found to modulate motor neuron vulnerability in vivo. Knockdown of pgk1 alone was sufficient to partially mimic the SMA phenotype in wild-type zebrafish. Conversely, Pgk1 overexpression, or treatment with terazosin (an FDA-approved small molecule that binds and activates Pgk1), rescued motor axon phenotypes in SMA zebrafish. We conclude that global bioenergetics pathways can be therapeutically manipulated to ameliorate SMA motor neuron phenotypes in vivo

Advances, challenges and future directions for stem cell therapy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative condition where loss of motor neurons within the brain and spinal cord leads to muscle atrophy, weakness, paralysis and ultimately death within 3–5 years from onset of symptoms. The specific molecular mechanisms underlying the disease pathology are not fully understood and neuroprotective treatment options are minimally effective. In recent years, stem cell transplantation as a new therapy for ALS patients has been extensively investigated, becoming an intense and debated field of study. In several preclinical studies using the SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS, stem cells were demonstrated to be neuroprotective, effectively delayed disease onset and extended survival. Despite substantial improvements in stem cell technology and promising results in preclinical studies, several questions still remain unanswered, such as the identification of the most suitable and beneficial cell source, cell dose, route of delivery and therapeutic mechanisms. This review will cover publications in this field and comprehensively discuss advances, challenges and future direction regarding the therapeutic potential of stem cells in ALS, with a focus on mesenchymal stem cells. In summary, given their high proliferation activity, immunomodulation, multi-differentiation potential, and the capacity to secrete neuroprotective factors, adult mesenchymal stem cells represent a promising candidate for clinical translation. However, technical hurdles such as optimal dose, differentiation state, route of administration, and the underlying potential therapeutic mechanisms still need to be assessed

Runs of homozygosity and testicular cancer risk

Background: Testicular germ cell tumour (TGCT) is highly heritable but > 50% of the genetic risk remains unexplained. Epidemiological observation of greater relative risk to brothers of men with TGCT compared to sons has long alluded to recessively acting TGCT genetic susceptibility factors, but to date none have been reported. Runs of homozygosity (RoH) are a signature indicating underlying recessively acting alleles and have been associated with increased risk of other cancer types. / Objective: To examine whether RoH are associated with TGCT risk. / Methods: We performed a genome‐wide RoH analysis using GWAS data from 3206 TGCT cases and 7422 controls uniformly genotyped using the OncoArray platform. / Results: Global measures of homozygosity were not significantly different between cases and controls, and the frequency of individual consensus RoH was not significantly different between cases and controls, after correction for multiple testing. RoH at three regions, 11p13‐11p14.3, 5q14.1‐5q22.3 and 13q14.11‐13q.14.13, were, however, nominally statistically significant at p < 0.01. Intriguingly, RoH200 at 11p13‐11p14.3 encompasses Wilms tumour 1 (WT1), a recognized cancer susceptibility gene with roles in sex determination and developmental transcriptional regulation, processes repeatedly implicated in TGCT aetiology. / Discussion and conclusion: Overall, our data do not support a major role in the risk of TGCT for recessively acting alleles acting through homozygosity, as measured by RoH in outbred populations of cases and controls

Assimetria cerebral e lateralização da linguagem: déficits nucleares na esquizofrenia como indicadores da predisposição genética Asimetría cerebral y lateralización del lenguaje: déficits nucleares en la esquizofrenia como indicadores de predisposición genética Cerebral asymmetry and the lateralization of language: core deficits in schizophrenia as pointers to the genetic predisposition

OBJETIVO: Assimetria cerebral (o torque do frontal direito em relação ao occipital esquerdo) é a característica definidora do cérebro humano e, conforme proposto por Broca, o correlato neural putativo da linguagem. Se, conforme sugerido, a esquizofrenia é o preço que Homo sapiens precisa pagar pela linguagem, o torque, juntamente com seus correlatos funcionais, é de fundamental importância. São revisadas recentes evidências obtidas a partir de estudos anatômicos, funcionais e genéticos. ACHADOS RECENTES: Estudos de imagem, post mortem e anatômicos demonstram evidências de uma redução ou reversão de aspectos de assimetria, particularmente no córtex de associação occipitotemporoparietal. Em alguns estudos, há interação com o sexo. Há evidências de que uma alteração no lobo temporal esquerdo é, às vezes, progressiva. Estudos funcionais acrescentam credibilidade ao conceito de que a lateralização da linguagem é reduzida e, em alguns casos, revertida. RESUMO: A dimensão da assimetria se destaca como a variável que pode dar significância às observações entre campos de investigação e que proporciona uma solução para a base genética da psicose. Estudos de gêmeos monozigóticos discordantes têm apresentado fortes indicações de que a variação relevante é epigenética; isso é consistente com a possibilidade de que a variação seja relacionada a alterações estruturais recentes (a transposição duplicativa Xq21.3/Yp) dos cromossomos sexuais.<br>OBJETIVO: Asimetría cerebral (el torque del frontal derecho al occipital izquierdo) es la característica definidora del cerebro humano y, conforme al propuesto por Broca, el correlato neuronal putativo del lenguaje. Si, conforme a lo sugerido, la esquizofrenia es el precio que el Homo sapiens debe pagar por el lenguaje, el torque, juntamente con sus correlatos funcionales, es de importancia fundamental. Se revisan recientes evidencias obtenidas a partir de estudios anatómicos, funcionales y genéticos. HALLAZGOS RECIENTES: Estudios de imagen, post mortem y anatómicos, demuestran evidencias de una reducción o reversión de aspectos de asimetría, particularmente en la corteza de asociación occipito-temporo-parietal. En algunos estudios, hay interacción con el sexo. Hay evidencias de que una alteración en el lóbulo temporal izquierdo es, a veces, progresiva. Estudios funcionales agregan credibilidad al concepto de que la lateralización del lenguaje es reducida y, en algunos casos, revertida. RESUMEN: La dimensión de la asimetría se destaca como la variable que puede dar significación a las observaciones entre campos de investigación y que proporciona una solución para la base genética de la psicosis. Estudios de gemelos monocigóticos discordantes vienen presentando fuertes indicaciones de que la variación relevante es epigenética; ello es consistente con la posibilidad de que la variación esté relacionada a alteraciones estructurales recientes (la trasposición replicativa Xq21.3/Yp) de los cromosomas sexuales.<br>PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cerebral asymmetry (the torque from right frontal to left occipital) is the defining feature of the human brain, and as Broca proposed, the putative neural correlate of language. If as has been suggested schizophrenia is the price that Homo sapiens pays for language, the torque together with its functional correlates is of central significance. Recent evidence from anatomical, functional and genetic studies is reviewed. RECENT FINDINGS: Both post-mortem and anatomical imaging studies show evidence of a reduction or reversal of aspects of asymmetry particularly in the occipito-temporo-parietal association cortex. In some studies there is an interaction with sex. There is evidence that change in the left temporal lobe is sometimes progressive. Functional studies add substance to the concept that the lateralization of language is reduced and in some aspects reversed. SUMMARY: The dimension of asymmetry stands out as the variable that can make sense of observations across fields of investigation, and provides a key to the genetic basis of psychosis. Discordant monozygotic twin studies have indicated strongly that the relevant variation is epigenetic; this is consistent with the possibility that the variation is related to recent structural changes (the Xq21.3/Yp duplicative transposition) on the sex chromosomes

Adaptations in pre- and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor function and cocaine supersensitivity in serotonin transporter knockout rats

Rationale: While individual differences in vulnerability to psychostimulants have been largely attributed to dopaminergic neurotransmission, the role of serotonin is not fully understood. Objectives: To study the rewarding and motivational properties of cocaine in the serotonin transporter knockout (SERT−/−) rat and the involvement of compensatory changes in 5-HT1A receptor function are the objectives of the study. Materials and methods: The SERT−/− rat was tested for cocaine-induced locomotor activity, cocaine-induced conditioned place preference, and intravenous cocaine self-administration. In addition, the function and expression of 5-HT1A receptors was assessed using telemetry and autoradiography, respectively, and the effect of 5-HT1A receptor ligands on cocaine’s psychomotor effects were studied. Results: Cocaine-induced hyperactivity and conditioned place preference, as well as intravenous cocaine self-administration were enhanced in SERT−/− rats. Furthermore, SERT−/− rats displayed a reduced hypothermic response to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OHDPAT. S-15535, a selective somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptor agonist, reduced stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH) in wild-type controls (SERT+/+), while it increased SIH in SERT−/− rats. As 5-HT1A receptor binding was reduced in selective brain regions, these thermal responses may be indicative for desensitized 5-HT1A receptors. We further found that both 8-OHDPAT and S-15535 pretreatment increased low-dose cocaine-induced locomotor activity in SERT−/− rats, but not SERT+/+ rats. At a high cocaine dose, only SERT+/+ animals responded to 8-OHDPAT and S-15535. Conclusion: These data indicate that SERT−/−-associated 5-HT1A receptor adaptations facilitate low-dose cocaine effects and attenuate high-dose cocaine effects in cocaine supersensitive animals. The role of postsynaptic and somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptors is discussed.