Experimental Comparative Effects of Botulinum Toxin A between Subtypes A1 and A2 in Movement Disorders in Rats

In the present review, we describe here experimental comparative and beneficial effects of botulinum neurotoxin A (ANTX) between subtypes A1 and A2 in the pathology of movement disorders, particularly rat Parkinson’s disease model. We and other laboratories have shown the beneficial effects, and this novel strategy for intractable brain disorders might confer potent and safety therapy in bedside. First, we show the characteristics of ANTXs in the genetic aspects of these subtypes, and our intriguing findings of immunological profiles in the subtypes between A1NTX and A2NTX. Then, we state the distinct diffusion in the body between A1NTX and A2NTX. Importantly, we describe that the intra-brain treatment of small animals with A2NTX subtype results in improvements of pathologies more effectively and provides greater safety than those of A1NTX in a rat 6-OHDA Parkinson’s disease (PD) model. Finally, we represent that the different efficacies between ANTXs are likely due to each localization in the brain; A2NTX is strictly limited in the injected regions, while A1NTX diffused other brain regions. Thus, therapeutic avenue using A2NTX in incurable PD including other movement disorders could be a druggable target in the future

Genotyping and characterisation of the secretory lipolytic enzymes of Malassezia pachydermatis isolates collected from dogs

Introduction: Malassezia species are commensals of normal skin microbial flora of humans and animals. These may become pathogenic under certain conditions such as those associated with atopic dermatitis or otitis externa in dogs. Material and methods: Isolates of Malassezia pachydermatis were obtained from 27 dogs with healthy external ears and 32 dogs with otitis externa. Isolates were characterised on the basis of their first internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and internal spacer 1 (IGS1) sequences. Their extracellular lipase and phospholipase activity were also analysed. Three types of phospholipase inhibitor were used to identify the subclasses of phospholipase associated with otitis externa. Results: The clinical isolates were classified into three ITS and three IGS1 sequence types. No significant differences in pathogenicity were detected among the ITS or IGS1 genotypes, and all of the isolates exhibited similar levels of lipase activity. The isolates derived from the dogs with otitis externa showed significantly higher phospholipase activity than those obtained from the dogs with healthy external ears. A phospholipase D inhibitor reduced the phospholipase activity of the isolates obtained from the dogs with otitis externa. Conclusions: This study did not show any significant differences in pathogenicity among the ITS or IGS1 genotypes but does suggest that phospholipase D might be one of the virulence factors involved in the inflammation of the external ear caused by M. pachydermatis

Retrotransposon silencing by DNA methylation can drive mammalian genomic imprinting

Among mammals, only eutherians and marsupials are viviparous and have genomic imprinting that leads to parent-of-origin-specific differential gene expression. We used comparative analysis to investigate the origin of genomic imprinting in mammals. PEG10 (paternally expressed 10) is a retrotransposon-derived imprinted gene that has an essential role for the formation of the placenta of the mouse. Here, we show that an orthologue of PEG10 exists in another therian mammal, the marsupial tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), but not in a prototherian mammal, the egg-laying platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), suggesting its close relationship to the origin of placentation in therian mammals. We have discovered a hitherto missing link of the imprinting mechanism between eutherians and marsupials because tammar PEG10 is the first example of a differentially methylated region (DMR) associated with genomic imprinting in marsupials. Surprisingly, the marsupial DMR was strictly limited to the 5′ region of PEG10, unlike the eutherian DMR, which covers the promoter regions of both PEG10 and the adjacent imprinted gene SGCE. These results not only demonstrate a common origin of the DMR-associated imprinting mechanism in therian mammals but provide the first demonstration that DMR-associated genomic imprinting in eutherians can originate from the repression of exogenous DNA sequences and/or retrotransposons by DNA methylation

Characterization of the Monoclonal Antibody Response to Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A in the Complexed and Uncomplexed Forms

SUMMARY: Clostridium botulinum produces large complex toxins, which include botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) and auxiliary non-toxic proteins. We prepared monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from mice that were immunized several times with BoNT/A after basal immunization with toxoid. We then examined the reactivities of these mAbs to BoNT and toxoid and showed that some mAbs reacted to only BoNT. This result indicates that the antigenicity of BoNT/A partially disappeared with formalin treatment. Some mAbs that specifically recognized either BoNT/A1 or BoNT/A2 were considered useful as detection antibodies specific for the BoNT/A subtype. Results of a neutralizing test with mAbs against either BoNT/A1 or BoNT/A2 showed that neutralizing antibody recognition sites were present in the light chain, heavy chain (N-terminal half), and heavy chain (C-terminal half) domains. Investigation of the different binding capabilities of the mAbs to BoNT and the complex toxin by immunoprecipitation suggested that the light chain of BoNT is exposed at the molecular surface of the complex toxin since there was no difference in the binding of light chain-specific mAb to BoNT and the complex toxin. The heavy chain is related to BoNT binding to non-toxic components, because the reactivity of the heavy chain to some mAbs was influenced by non-toxic components

Botulinum neurotoxin A subtype 2 reduces pathological behaviors more effectively than subtype 1 in a rat Parkinson’s disease model

editorial reviewedRecent reports indicate that interruption of acetylcholine release by intrastriatal injection of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) in a rat Parkinson’s disease model reduces pathogenic behavior without adverse side effects such as memory dysfunction. Current knowledge suggests that BoNT/A subtype 1 (BoNT/A1) and BoNT/A subtype 2 (BoNT/A2) exert different effects. In the present study, we compared the effects of BoNT/A1 and BoNT/A2 on rotation behavior and in vivo cleavage of presynaptic protein SNAP-25 in a rat unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-induced Parkinson’s disease model. BoNT/A2 more effectively reduced pathogenic behavior by efficiently cleaving SNAP-25 in the striatum compared with that of BoNT/A1. Our results suggest that BoNT/A2 has greater clinical therapeutic value for treating subjects with Parkinson’s disease compared to that of BoNT/A1

A novel M cell–specific carbohydrate-targeted mucosal vaccine effectively induces antigen-specific immune responses

Mucosally ingested and inhaled antigens are taken up by membranous or microfold cells (M cells) in the follicle-associated epithelium of Peyer's patches or nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue. We established a novel M cell–specific monoclonal antibody (mAb NKM 16–2-4) as a carrier for M cell–targeted mucosal vaccine. mAb NKM 16–2-4 also reacted with the recently discovered villous M cells, but not with epithelial cells or goblet cells. Oral administration of tetanus toxoid (TT)– or botulinum toxoid (BT)–conjugated NKM 16–2-4, together with the mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin, induced high-level, antigen-specific serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G and mucosal IgA responses. In addition, an oral vaccine formulation of BT-conjugated NKM 16–2-4 induced protective immunity against lethal challenge with botulinum toxin. An epitope analysis of NKM 16–2-4 revealed specificity to an α(1,2)-fucose–containing carbohydrate moiety, and reactivity was enhanced under sialic acid–lacking conditions. This suggests that NKM 16–2-4 distinguishes α(1,2)-fucosylated M cells from goblet cells containing abundant sialic acids neighboring the α(1,2) fucose moiety and from non-α(1,2)-fucosylated epithelial cells. The use of NKM 16–2-4 to target vaccine antigens to the M cell–specific carbohydrate moiety is a new strategy for developing highly effective mucosal vaccines

健常人におけるA1型とA2型のボツリヌス神経毒素の電気生理学的検査による比較

Botulinum neurotoxin type A1 (BoNTs/A1) and type B (BoNT/B) have been used for treating hyperactive muscle contractions. In the present study, we compared the effect of botulinum neurotoxin subtype A2 (6.5 mouse LD50 units A2 neurotoxin, A2NTX) and onabotulinumtoxinA (10 mouse LD50 units BoNT/A1 product) by measuring the compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) before and after administration. In total, 8 healthy subjects were examined in the present study. A2NTX was injected into the extensor digitorum brevis (EDB) muscle, followed by onabotulinumtoxinA injection into the contralateral EDB muscle after 16 weeks. The CMAP amplitudes from the EDB, abductor hallucis (AH), and abductor digiti minimi pedis (ADM) muscles were measured after each BoNT injection on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56, 84, and 112 to assess the effect of the toxin. On day 14, both A2NTX and onabotulinumtoxinA produced an approximately 70% decline in EDB CMAP amplitude compared to the baseline values; significant reduction of the CMAP continued through day 112. The CMAP amplitudes from neighboring muscles (AH and ADM) remained intact throughout the study period, except for a slight but significant drop at day 28 after onabotulinumtoxinA injection compared to A2NTX. The current findings indicate that small doses (6.5 units and 10 units) of A2NTX and onabotulinumtoxinA have at least comparable onset and duration of action, although similar clinical effects were obtained with lower dose using A2NTX

Retrotransposon Silencing by DNA Methylation Can Drive Mammalian Genomic Imprinting

Among mammals, only eutherians and marsupials are viviparous and have genomic imprinting that leads to parent-of-origin-specific differential gene expression. We used comparative analysis to investigate the origin of genomic imprinting in mammals. PEG10 (paternally expressed 10) is a retrotransposon-derived imprinted gene that has an essential role for the formation of the placenta of the mouse. Here, we show that an orthologue of PEG10 exists in another therian mammal, the marsupial tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), but not in a prototherian mammal, the egg-laying platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), suggesting its close relationship to the origin of placentation in therian mammals. We have discovered a hitherto missing link of the imprinting mechanism between eutherians and marsupials because tammar PEG10 is the first example of a differentially methylated region (DMR) associated with genomic imprinting in marsupials. Surprisingly, the marsupial DMR was strictly limited to the 5′ region of PEG10, unlike the eutherian DMR, which covers the promoter regions of both PEG10 and the adjacent imprinted gene SGCE. These results not only demonstrate a common origin of the DMR-associated imprinting mechanism in therian mammals but provide the first demonstration that DMR-associated genomic imprinting in eutherians can originate from the repression of exogenous DNA sequences and/or retrotransposons by DNA methylation

Prenatal diagnosis of severe mitochondrial diseases caused by nuclear gene defects: a study in Japan

Prenatal diagnoses of mitochondrial diseases caused by defects in nuclear DNA (nDNA) or mitochondrial DNA have been reported in several countries except for Japan. The present study aimed to clarify the status of prenatal genetic diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases caused by nDNA defects in Japan. A comprehensive genomic analysis was performed to diagnose more than 400 patients, of which, 13 families (16 cases) had requested prenatal diagnoses. Eight cases diagnosed with wild type homozygous or heterozygous variants same as either of the heterozygous parents continued the pregnancy and delivered healthy babies. Another eight cases were diagnosed with homozygous, compound heterozygous, or hemizygous variants same as the proband. Of these, seven families chose to terminate the pregnancy, while one decided to continue the pregnancy. Neonatal- or infantile-onset mitochondrial diseases show severe phenotypes and lead to lethality. Therefore, such diseases could be candidates for prenatal diagnosis with careful genetic counseling, and prenatal testing could be a viable option for families