Zhuang L, Peng F, Huang Y, Li W, Huang J, Chu Y, Ren P, Sun Y, Zhang Y, Xue E, Guo X, Shen X, Xue L. CHIP modulates APP-induced autophagy-dependent pathological symptoms in Drosophila. Aging Cell. 2019 Nov 28:e13070. PubMed PMID: 31777182.
Abstract: "Dysregulation of autophagy is associated with the neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet it remains controversial whether autophagy is a cause or consequence of AD. We have previously expressed the full-length human APP in Drosophila and established a fly AD model that exhibits multiple AD-like symptoms. Here we report that depletion of CHIP effectively palliated APP-induced pathological symptoms, including morphological, behavioral, and cognitive defects. Mechanistically, CHIP is required for APP-induced autophagy dysfunction, which promotes Aβ production via increased expression of BACE and Psn. Our findings suggest that aberrant autophagy is not only a consequence of abnormal APP activity, but also contributes to dysregulated APP metabolism and subsequent AD pathogenesis."
Monday, December 2, 2019
Drosophila model reveals mechanistic insights into the human disease-associated gene PNPLA6 and disease-associated variants
Sunderhaus ER, Law AD, Kretzschmar D. Disease-Associated PNPLA6 Mutations Maintain Partial Functions When Analyzed in Drosophila. Front Neurosci. 2019 Nov 6;13:1207. PMID:
31780887; PMCID: PMC6852622.
From the abstract: "Mutations in patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 6 (PNPLA6) have been linked with a number of inherited diseases with clinical symptoms that include spastic paraplegia, ataxia, and chorioretinal dystrophy. PNPLA6 is an evolutionary conserved protein whose ortholog in Drosophila is Swiss-Cheese (SWS). ... disease-causing point mutations are found in homozygous patients, with some localized in the phospholipase domain while others are in a region that contains several cNMP binding sites. To investigate how different mutations affect the function of PNPLA6 in an in vivo model, we expressed them in the Drosophila sws1 null mutant. Expressing wild-type PNPLA6 suppressed the locomotion and degenerative phenotypes in sws 1 and restored lipid levels, confirming that the human protein can replace fly SWS. In contrast, none of the mutant proteins restored lipid levels, although they suppressed the behavioral and degenerative phenotypes, at least in early stages. These results show that these mutant forms of PNPLA6 retain some biological function, indicating that disruption of lipid homeostasis is only part of the pathogenic mechanism. ..."
31780887; PMCID: PMC6852622.
From the abstract: "Mutations in patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 6 (PNPLA6) have been linked with a number of inherited diseases with clinical symptoms that include spastic paraplegia, ataxia, and chorioretinal dystrophy. PNPLA6 is an evolutionary conserved protein whose ortholog in Drosophila is Swiss-Cheese (SWS). ... disease-causing point mutations are found in homozygous patients, with some localized in the phospholipase domain while others are in a region that contains several cNMP binding sites. To investigate how different mutations affect the function of PNPLA6 in an in vivo model, we expressed them in the Drosophila sws1 null mutant. Expressing wild-type PNPLA6 suppressed the locomotion and degenerative phenotypes in sws 1 and restored lipid levels, confirming that the human protein can replace fly SWS. In contrast, none of the mutant proteins restored lipid levels, although they suppressed the behavioral and degenerative phenotypes, at least in early stages. These results show that these mutant forms of PNPLA6 retain some biological function, indicating that disruption of lipid homeostasis is only part of the pathogenic mechanism. ..."
Drosophila model of Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 3 used as part of an effort to identify drug targets for treatment of this ataxia
Ashraf NS, Sutton JR, Yang Y, Ranxhi B, Libohova K, Shaw ED, Barget AJ, Todi SV, Paulson HL, do Carmo Costa M. Druggable genome screen identifies new regulators of the abundance and toxicity of ATXN3, the Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 3 disease protein. Neurobiol Dis. 2019 Nov 26:104697. PMID: 31783119.
From the abstract: "Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 3 (SCA3, also known as Machado-Joseph disease) is a neurodegenerative disorder ... No preventive treatment is yet available for SCA3. ... Here, we sought to identify genes that modulate ATXN3 levels as potential therapeutic targets in this fatal disorder. We screened a collection of siRNAs targeting 2742 druggable human genes using a cell-based assay ... Among the 33 genes confirmed in secondary assays, 15 were validated in an independent cell model as modulators of pathogenic ATXN3 protein levels. Ten of these genes were then assessed in a Drosophila model of SCA3, and one was confirmed as a key modulator of physiological ATXN3 abundance in SCA3 neuronal progenitor cells. ... Among identified pathways highlighted by this screen, the FBXL3/SCF axis represents a novel molecular pathway that regulates physiological levels of ATXN3 protein."
From the abstract: "Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 3 (SCA3, also known as Machado-Joseph disease) is a neurodegenerative disorder ... No preventive treatment is yet available for SCA3. ... Here, we sought to identify genes that modulate ATXN3 levels as potential therapeutic targets in this fatal disorder. We screened a collection of siRNAs targeting 2742 druggable human genes using a cell-based assay ... Among the 33 genes confirmed in secondary assays, 15 were validated in an independent cell model as modulators of pathogenic ATXN3 protein levels. Ten of these genes were then assessed in a Drosophila model of SCA3, and one was confirmed as a key modulator of physiological ATXN3 abundance in SCA3 neuronal progenitor cells. ... Among identified pathways highlighted by this screen, the FBXL3/SCF axis represents a novel molecular pathway that regulates physiological levels of ATXN3 protein."
Review article highlights relevance of Drosophila for study of human disorders of glycosylation
Nishihara S. Functional analysis of glycosylation using Drosophila melanogaster. Glycoconj J. 2019 Nov 26. doi: 10.1007/s10719-019-09892-0. PMID: 31773367.
From the abstract: "The glycosylation of proteins and lipids has various essential roles in a diverse range of biological processes ... detailed studies with Drosophila mutants of glycosyltransferases, nucleotide sugar transporters, and glycosidases revealed novel functions of N-linked glycans, glycosaminoglycans, glycolipids, and O-linked glycans including mucin type O-glycan, O-Fuc, O-Man, and O-GlcNAc. As many of these functions are common between Drosophila and humans, these mutants represent good models for human disease. In this review, recent studies of glycan functions using Drosophila are summarized."
From the abstract: "The glycosylation of proteins and lipids has various essential roles in a diverse range of biological processes ... detailed studies with Drosophila mutants of glycosyltransferases, nucleotide sugar transporters, and glycosidases revealed novel functions of N-linked glycans, glycosaminoglycans, glycolipids, and O-linked glycans including mucin type O-glycan, O-Fuc, O-Man, and O-GlcNAc. As many of these functions are common between Drosophila and humans, these mutants represent good models for human disease. In this review, recent studies of glycan functions using Drosophila are summarized."
Drosophila study suggests additional molecular function for a gene related to a human disease gene associated with glycogen storage disorder type IV
Huynh N, Ou Q, Cox P, Lill R, King-Jones K. Glycogen branching enzyme controls cellular iron homeostasis via Iron Regulatory Protein 1 and mitoNEET. Nat Commun. 2019 Nov 29;10(1):5463. PMID: 31784520.
Abstract: "Iron Regulatory Protein 1 (IRP1) is a bifunctional cytosolic iron sensor. When iron levels are normal, IRP1 harbours an iron-sulphur cluster (holo-IRP1), an enzyme with aconitase activity. When iron levels fall, IRP1 loses the cluster (apo-IRP1) and binds to iron-responsive elements (IREs) in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encoding proteins involved in cellular iron uptake, distribution, and storage. Here we show that mutations in the Drosophila 1,4-Alpha-Glucan Branching Enzyme (AGBE) gene cause porphyria. AGBE was hitherto only linked to glycogen metabolism and a fatal human disorder known as glycogen storage disease type IV. AGBE binds specifically to holo-IRP1 and to mitoNEET, a protein capable of repairing IRP1 iron-sulphur clusters. This interaction ensures nuclear translocation of holo-IRP1 and downregulation of iron-dependent processes, demonstrating that holo-IRP1 functions not just as an aconitase, but throttles target gene expression in anticipation of declining iron requirements."
Abstract: "Iron Regulatory Protein 1 (IRP1) is a bifunctional cytosolic iron sensor. When iron levels are normal, IRP1 harbours an iron-sulphur cluster (holo-IRP1), an enzyme with aconitase activity. When iron levels fall, IRP1 loses the cluster (apo-IRP1) and binds to iron-responsive elements (IREs) in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encoding proteins involved in cellular iron uptake, distribution, and storage. Here we show that mutations in the Drosophila 1,4-Alpha-Glucan Branching Enzyme (AGBE) gene cause porphyria. AGBE was hitherto only linked to glycogen metabolism and a fatal human disorder known as glycogen storage disease type IV. AGBE binds specifically to holo-IRP1 and to mitoNEET, a protein capable of repairing IRP1 iron-sulphur clusters. This interaction ensures nuclear translocation of holo-IRP1 and downregulation of iron-dependent processes, demonstrating that holo-IRP1 functions not just as an aconitase, but throttles target gene expression in anticipation of declining iron requirements."
Monday, November 18, 2019
Drosophila study contributes to understanding molecular mechanisms related to Zika virus-associated microcephaly
Mutations in ANKLE2, a ZIKA Virus Target, Disrupt an Asymmetric Cell Division Pathway in Drosophila Neuroblasts to Cause Microcephaly
Nichole Link, Hyunglok Chung, Angad Jolly, Ghayda M. Mirzaa, James R. Lupski, Hugo J. Bellen
Published:November 14, 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2019.10.009
Summary: "The apical Par complex, which contains atypical protein kinase C (aPKC), Bazooka (Par-3), and Par-6, is required for establishing polarity during asymmetric division of neuroblasts in Drosophila, and its activity depends on L(2)gl. We show that loss of Ankle2, a protein associated with microcephaly in humans and known to interact with Zika protein NS4A, reduces brain volume in flies and impacts the function of the Par complex. Reducing Ankle2 levels disrupts endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and nuclear envelope morphology, releasing the kinase Ballchen-VRK1 into the cytosol. These defects are associated with reduced phosphorylation of aPKC, disruption of Par-complex localization, and spindle alignment defects. Importantly, removal of one copy of ballchen or l(2)gl suppresses Ankle2 mutant phenotypes and restores viability and brain size. Human mutational studies implicate the above-mentioned genes in microcephaly and motor neuron disease. We suggest that NS4A, ANKLE2, VRK1, and LLGL1 define a pathway impinging on asymmetric determinants of neural stem cell division."
Nichole Link, Hyunglok Chung, Angad Jolly, Ghayda M. Mirzaa, James R. Lupski, Hugo J. Bellen
Published:November 14, 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2019.10.009
Summary: "The apical Par complex, which contains atypical protein kinase C (aPKC), Bazooka (Par-3), and Par-6, is required for establishing polarity during asymmetric division of neuroblasts in Drosophila, and its activity depends on L(2)gl. We show that loss of Ankle2, a protein associated with microcephaly in humans and known to interact with Zika protein NS4A, reduces brain volume in flies and impacts the function of the Par complex. Reducing Ankle2 levels disrupts endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and nuclear envelope morphology, releasing the kinase Ballchen-VRK1 into the cytosol. These defects are associated with reduced phosphorylation of aPKC, disruption of Par-complex localization, and spindle alignment defects. Importantly, removal of one copy of ballchen or l(2)gl suppresses Ankle2 mutant phenotypes and restores viability and brain size. Human mutational studies implicate the above-mentioned genes in microcephaly and motor neuron disease. We suggest that NS4A, ANKLE2, VRK1, and LLGL1 define a pathway impinging on asymmetric determinants of neural stem cell division."
Fly studies contribute to understanding of novel monogenic cause of steroid-resistance nephrotic syndrome
Kampf LL, Schneider R, Gerstner L, Thünauer R, Chen M, Helmstädter M, Amar A, Onuchic-Whitford AC, Loza Munarriz R, Berdeli A, Müller D, Schrezenmeier E, Budde K, Mane S, Laricchia KM, Rehm HL, MacArthur DG, Lifton RP, Walz G, Römer W, Bergmann C, Hildebrandt F, Hermle T. TBC1D8B Mutations Implicate RAB11-Dependent Vesicular Trafficking in the Pathogenesis of Nephrotic Syndrome. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019 Nov 15. pii: ASN.2019040414. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2019040414. PMID: 31732614.
From the abstract: "Mutations in about 50 genes have been identified as monogenic causes of nephrotic syndrome, a frequent cause of CKD. ... We used whole-exome sequencing to identify novel monogenic causes of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). We analyzed the functional significance of an SRNS-associated gene in vitro and in podocyte-like Drosophila nephrocytes ..."
From the abstract: "Mutations in about 50 genes have been identified as monogenic causes of nephrotic syndrome, a frequent cause of CKD. ... We used whole-exome sequencing to identify novel monogenic causes of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). We analyzed the functional significance of an SRNS-associated gene in vitro and in podocyte-like Drosophila nephrocytes ..."
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