Defective Lamin A-Rb Signaling in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome and Reversal by Farnesyltransferase Inhibition

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare premature aging disorder caused by a de novo heterozygous point mutation G608G (GGC>GGT) within exon 11 of LMNA gene encoding A-type nuclear lamins. This mutation elicits an internal deletion of 50 amino acids in the carboxyl-terminus of prelamin A. The truncated protein, progerin, retains a farnesylated cysteine at its carboxyl terminus, a modification involved in HGPS pathogenesis. Inhibition of protein farnesylation has been shown to improve abnormal nuclear morphology and phenotype in cellular and animal models of HGPS. We analyzed global gene expression changes in fibroblasts from human subjects with HGPS and found that a lamin A-Rb signaling network is a major defective regulatory axis. Treatment of fibroblasts with a protein farnesyltransferase inhibitor reversed the gene expression defects. Our study identifies Rb as a key factor in HGPS pathogenesis and suggests that its modulation could ameliorate premature aging and possibly complications of physiological aging

Programme Dementia Prevention (pdp): A Nationwide Program for Personalized Prevention in Luxembourg.

peer reviewedBACKGROUND: With continuously aging societies, an increase in the number of people with cognitive decline is to be expected. Aside from the development of causative treatments, the successful implementation of prevention strategies is of utmost importance to reduce the high societal burden caused by neurodegenerative diseases leading to dementia among which the most common cause is Alzheimer's disease. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the Luxembourgish "programme dementia prevention (pdp)" is to prevent or at least delay dementia in an at-risk population through personalized multi-domain lifestyle interventions. The current work aims to provide a detailed overview of the methodology and presents initial results regarding the cohort characteristics and the implementation process. METHODS: In the frame of the pdp, an extensive neuropsychological evaluation and risk factor assessment are conducted for each participant. Based on the results, individualized multi-domain lifestyle interventions are suggested. RESULTS: A total number of 450 participants (Mean age = 69.5 years; SD = 10.8) have been screened at different recruitment sites throughout the country, among whom 425 participants (94.4%) met the selection criteria. CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence supporting the feasibility of implementing a nationwide dementia prevention program and achieving successful recruitment of the target population by establishing a network of different healthcare providers.3. Good health and well-bein

DATA-DRIVEN SUBTYPES OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE USING MACHINE LEARNING IN LUXEMBOURG PARKINSON STUDY

peer reviewedR-AGR-0592 - FNR - NCER-PD Phase II Coordination (01/06/2015 - 30/11/2023) - KRÜGER Rejko3. Good health and well-bein

Altered infective competence of the human gut microbiome in COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Infections with SARS-CoV-2 have a pronounced impact on the gastrointestinal tract and its resident microbiome. Clear differences between severe cases of infection and healthy individuals have been reported, including the loss of commensal taxa. We aimed to understand if microbiome alterations including functional shifts are unique to severe cases or a common effect of COVID-19. We used high-resolution systematic multi-omic analyses to profile the gut microbiome in asymptomatic-to-moderate COVID-19 individuals compared to a control group. RESULTS: We found a striking increase in the overall abundance and expression of both virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes in COVID-19. Importantly, these genes are encoded and expressed by commensal taxa from families such as Acidaminococcaceae and Erysipelatoclostridiaceae, which we found to be enriched in COVID-19-positive individuals. We also found an enrichment in the expression of a betaherpesvirus and rotavirus C genes in COVID-19-positive individuals compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses identified an altered and increased infective competence of the gut microbiome in COVID-19 patients. Video Abstract

Creation of a pandemic memory by tracing COVID-19 infections and immunity in Luxembourg (CON-VINCE).

peer reviewed[en] BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic swift implementation of research cohorts was key. While many studies focused exclusively on infected individuals, population based cohorts are essential for the follow-up of SARS-CoV-2 impact on public health. Here we present the CON-VINCE cohort, estimate the point and period prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, reflect on the spread within the Luxembourgish population, examine immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination, and ascertain the impact of the pandemic on population psychological wellbeing at a nationwide level. METHODS: A representative sample of the adult Luxembourgish population was enrolled. The cohort was followed-up for twelve months. SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR and serology were conducted at each sampling visit. The surveys included detailed epidemiological, clinical, socio-economic, and psychological data. RESULTS: One thousand eight hundred sixty-five individuals were followed over seven visits (April 2020-June 2021) with the final weighted period prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection of 15%. The participants had similar risks of being infected regardless of their gender, age, employment status and education level. Vaccination increased the chances of IgG-S positivity in infected individuals. Depression, anxiety, loneliness and stress levels increased at a point of study when there were strict containment measures, returning to baseline afterwards. CONCLUSION: The data collected in CON-VINCE study allowed obtaining insights into the infection spread in Luxembourg, immunity build-up and the impact of the pandemic on psychological wellbeing of the population. Moreover, the study holds great translational potential, as samples stored at the biobank, together with self-reported questionnaire information, can be exploited in further research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number: NCT04379297, 10 April 2020.3. Good health and well-bein

Constitutive activation of oncogenic PDGFRalpha-mutant proteins occurring in GIST patients induces receptor mislocalisation and alters PDGFRalpha signalling characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are mainly characterised by the presence of activating mutations in either of the two receptor tyrosine kinases c-KIT or platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFRalpha). Most mechanistic studies dealing with GIST mutations have focused on c-KIT and far less is known about the signalling characteristics of the mutated PDGFRalpha proteins. Here, we study the signalling capacities and corresponding transcriptional responses of the different PDGFRalpha proteins under comparable genomic conditions. RESULTS: We demonstrate that the constitutive signalling via the oncogenic PDGFRalpha mutants favours a mislocalisation of the receptors and that this modifies the signalling characteristics of the mutated receptors. We show that signalling via the oncogenic PDGFRalpha mutants is not solely characterised by a constitutive activation of the conventional PDGFRalpha signalling pathways. In contrast to wild-type PDGFRalpha signal transduction, the activation of STAT factors (STAT1, STAT3 and STAT5) is an integral part of signalling mediated via mutated PDGF-receptors. Furthermore, this unconventional STAT activation by mutated PDGFRalpha is already initiated in the endoplasmic reticulum whereas the conventional signalling pathways rather require cell surface expression of the receptor. Finally, we demonstrate that the activation of STAT factors also translates into a biologic response as highlighted by the induction of STAT target genes. CONCLUSION: We show that the overall oncogenic response is the result of different signatures emanating from different cellular compartments. Furthermore, STAT mediated responses are an integral part of mutated PDGFRalpha signalling

The oncogenic FIP1L1-PDGFRalpha fusion protein displays skewed signaling properties compared to its wild-type PDGFRalpha counterpart.

Aberrant activation of oncogenic kinases is frequently observed in human cancers, but the underlying mechanism and resulting effects on global signaling are incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that the oncogenic FIP1L1-PDGFRalpha kinase exhibits a significantly different signaling pattern compared to its PDGFRalpha wild type counterpart. Interestingly, the activation of primarily membrane-based signal transduction processes (such as PI3-kinase- and MAP-kinase- pathways) is remarkably shifted toward a prominent activation of STAT factors. This diverging signaling pattern compared to classical PDGF-receptor signaling is partially coupled to the aberrant cytoplasmic localization of the oncogene, since membrane targeting of FIP1L1-PDGFRalpha restores activation of MAPK- and PI3K-pathways. In stark contrast to the classical cytokine-induced STAT activation process, STAT activation by FIP1L1-PDGFRalpha does neither require Janus kinase activity nor Src kinase activity. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanism of STAT5 activation via FIP1L1-PDGFRalpha in more detail and found that STAT5 activation does not involve an SH2-domain-mediated binding mechanism. We thus demonstrate that STAT5 activation occurs via a non-canonical activation mechanism in which STAT5 may be subject to a direct phosphorylation by FIP1L1-PDGFRalpha

Sorption-desorption of atrazine and simazine by model soil colloidal components

Sorption-desorption of atrazine and simazine on montmorillonite, ferrihydrite, and humic acid was determined using the batch equilibration procedure. Sorption of atrazine and simazine was higher on humic acid than on montmorillonite. Ferrihydrite does not sorb triazine herbicides. Enhanced sorption of atrazine and simazine on montmorillonite was measured after increasing the surface acidity of the clay. Results indicate sorption of s-triazine herbicides on montmorillonite as protonated species must be preceded by sorption as molecular species on hydrophobic microsites of the clay unless the pH of the bulk solution is close to the pK(a) of the herbicide. In this latter case, cation exchange would be also operative. Sorption-desorption of atrazine and simazine was more hysteretic for humic acid than for montmorillonite, indicating that these herbicides desorb more difficultly from organic matter than from montmorillonite because of the contribution of hydrophobic interactions with humic acid. It is suggested that, besides organic matter, smectites of low charge density and high surface acidity should increase the retention of s-triazine herbicides in soils.Peer Reviewe