Brainstem phenotype of cathepsin A-related arteriopathy with strokes and leukoencephalopathy.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Hwang YT
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5499977 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BACKGROUND:KARS encodes lysyl- transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase, which catalyzes the aminoacylation of tRNA-Lys in the cytoplasm and mitochondria. Eleven families/sporadic patients and 16 different mutations in KARS have been reported to date. The associated clinical phenotype is heterogeneous ranging from early onset encephalopathy to isolated peripheral neuropathy or nonsyndromic hearing impairment. Recently additional presentations including leukoencephalopathy as predominant cerebral involvement or cardiomyopathy, isolated or associated with muscular and cerebral involvement, have been reported. A progressive Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord calcifications was previously described in a singleton patient and in two siblings, without the identification of the genetic cause. We reported here about a new severe phenotype associated with biallelic KARS mutations and sharing some common points with the other already reported phenotypes, but with a distinct clinical and neuroimaging picture. Review of KARS mutant patients published to date will be also discussed. RESULTS:Herein, we report the clinical, biochemical and molecular findings of 2 unreported Italian patients affected by developmental delay, acquired microcephaly, spastic tetraparesis, epilepsy, sensory-neural hypoacusia, visual impairment, microcytic hypochromic anaemia and signs of hepatic dysfunction. MRI pattern in our patients was characterized by progressive diffuse leukoencephalopathy and calcifications extending in cerebral, brainstem and cerebellar white matter, with spinal cord involvement. Genetic analysis performed on these 2 patients and in one subject previously described with similar MRI pattern revealed the presence of biallelic mutations in KARS in all 3 subjects. CONCLUSIONS:With our report we define the molecular basis of the previously described Leukoencephalopathy with Brainstem and Spinal cord Calcification widening the spectrum of KARS related disorders, particularly in childhood onset disease suggestive for mitochondrial impairment. The review of previous cases does not suggest a strict and univocal genotype/phenotype correlation for this highly heterogeneous entity. Moreover, our cases confirm the usefulness of search for common brain and spine MR imaging pattern and of broad genetic screening, in syndromes clinically resembling mitochondrial disorders in spite of normal biochemical assay.
| S-EPMC5883414 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Microglia are resident macrophages of the central nervous system, and their unique molecular signature is dependent upon CSF-1 signaling. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of CSF-1R in survival and development of microglia in animal models, but the findings are of uncertain relevance to understanding the influence of CSF-1R on microglia in humans. Hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids (HDLS) [also known as adult onset leukoencephalopathy with spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP)] is a neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting cerebral white matter, most often caused by mutations of CSF1R. Therefore, we hypothesized that the molecular profile of microglia may be affected in HDLS. Semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry and quantitative transcriptomic profiling revealed reduced expression of IBA-1 and P2RY12 in both white and gray matter microglia of HDLS. In contrast, there was increased expression of CD68 and CD163 in microglia in affected white matter. In addition, expression of selective and specific microglial markers, including P2RY12, CX3CR1 and CSF-1R, were reduced in affected white matter. These results suggest that microglia in white matter in HDLS lose their homeostatic phenotype. Supported by gene ontology analysis, it is likely that an inflammatory phenotype is a key pathogenic feature of microglia in vulnerable brain regions of HDLS. Our findings suggest a potential mechanism of disease pathogenesis by linking aberrant CSF-1 signaling to altered microglial phenotype. They also support the idea that HDLS may be a primary microgliopathy. We observed increased expression of CSF-2 in gray matter compared to affected white matter, which may contribute to selective vulnerability of white matter in HDLS. Our findings suggest that methods that restore the homeostatic phenotype of microglia might be considered treatment approaches in HDLS.
| S-EPMC7236286 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Migraine with aura is often the first manifestation of cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy syndrome (CADASIL), a disorder caused by NOTCH3 gene mutations expressed predominantly in vascular smooth muscle. Here, we report that cortical spreading depression (CSD), the electrophysiological substrate of migraine aura, is enhanced in mice expressing a vascular Notch 3 CADASIL mutation (R90C) or a Notch 3 knockout mutation. The phenotype was stronger in Notch 3 knockout mice, implicating both loss of function and neomorphic mutations in its pathogenesis. Our results link vascular smooth muscle Notch 3 mutations to enhanced spreading depression susceptibility, implicating the neurovascular unit in the development of migraine aura.
| S-EPMC3058390 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Notch signaling is essential for vascular physiology. Neomorphic heterozygous mutations in NOTCH3, one of the four human NOTCH receptors, cause cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). Hypomorphic heterozygous alleles have been occasionally described in association with a spectrum of cerebrovascular phenotypes overlapping CADASIL, but their pathogenic potential is unclear. We describe a patient with childhood-onset arteriopathy, cavitating leukoencephalopathy with cerebral white matter abnormalities presented as diffuse cavitations, multiple lacunar infarctions and disseminated microbleeds. We identified a novel homozygous c.C2898A (p.C966*) null mutation in NOTCH3 abolishing NOTCH3 expression and causing NOTCH3 signaling impairment. NOTCH3 targets acting in the regulation of arterial tone (KCNA5) or expressed in the vasculature (CDH6) were downregulated. Patient's vessels were characterized by smooth muscle degeneration as in CADASIL, but without deposition of granular osmiophilic material (GOM), the CADASIL hallmark. The heterozygous parents displayed similar but less dramatic trends in decrease in the expression of NOTCH3 and its targets, as well as in vessel degeneration. This study suggests a functional link between NOTCH3 deficiency and pathogenesis of vascular leukoencephalopathies.
| S-EPMC4459822 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cognitive impairment is an inevitable feature of cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), affecting executive function, attention and processing speed from an early stage. Impairment is associated with structural markers such as lacunes, but associations with functional connectivity have not yet been reported. Twenty-two adults with genetically-confirmed CADASIL (11 male; aged 49.8 ± 11.2 years) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest. Intrinsic attentional/executive networks were identified using group independent components analysis. A linear regression model tested voxel-wise associations between cognitive measures and component spatial maps, and Pearson correlations were performed with mean intra-component connectivity z-scores. Two frontoparietal components were associated with cognitive performance. Voxel-wise analyses showed an association between one component cluster and processing speed (left middle temporal gyrus; peak -48, -18, -14; ZE = 5.65, pFWE corr = 0.001). Mean connectivity in both components correlated with processing speed (r?=?0.45, p?=?0.043; r?=?0.56, p?=?0.008). Mean connectivity in one component correlated with faster Trailmaking B minus A time (r?=?-0.77, p?<?0.001) and better executive performance (r?=?0.56, p?=?0.011). This preliminary study provides evidence for associations between cognitive performance and attentional network connectivity in CADASIL. Functional connectivity may be a useful biomarker of cognitive performance in this population.
| S-EPMC4853844 | biostudies-other
Project description:Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), is a hereditary small-vessels angiopathy caused by mutations in the NOTCH 3 gene, located on chromosome 19, usually affecting middle-ages adults, whose clinical manifestations include migraine with aura, recurrent strokes, mood disorders, and cognitive impairment leading to dementia and disability. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the disease, focus on the corresponding therapeutic targets, and discuss the most promising treatment strategies currently under investigations. The hypothesis that CADASIL is an appropriate model to explore the pathogenesis of sporadic cerebral small vessel disease is also reviewed.
| S-EPMC7082755 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a major hereditary small vessel disease caused by mutations in NOTCH3. The variations in progression and severity among patients suggest that the CADASIL phenotype is modified by some genetic and environmental factors. Recent studies have shown the potential roles of gut microbiota in human diseases. We hypothesized that gut microbiota modifies the disease phenotype. We performed gut microbial meta 16S rRNA analysis of fecal samples from 15 CADASIL patients and 16 controls. The microbial α- and β-diversities and taxonomy were compared between CADASIL patients and controls and between CADASIL patients with and without an ischemic stroke history. No significant difference in α- or β-diversity was observed in either case-control or subgroup comparisons. In the taxonomic microbial analysis, there was a significant increase in abundance of 6 genera and significant decrease in 2 genera in CADASIL patients compared with controls. There was a significant decrease in abundance of 2 genera in CADASIL patients with compared with those without stroke. This is the first study on CADASIL focusing on gut microbiota. Our findings suggest that gut microbiota modifies the onset and progression of CADASIL.
| S-EPMC6877404 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Arteries in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) are susceptible to smooth muscle loss and fibrosis, but the molecular components underlying these dramatic vascular changes are not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution of collagen isoforms in the cerebral vessels of North American CADASIL patients with classical NOTCH3 mutations. Expression of types I-VI collagen in brains obtained at autopsy from six CADASIL patients with cysteine-altering mutations in NOTCH3 was compared to control brain expression. We identified a consistent increase of types I, III, IV, and VI collagen in CADASIL brains. Strong accumulation of types I, III, IV and VI collagen was noted in all calibers of vessels, including small and medium-sized leptomeningeal arteries, small penetrating white matter arteries, and capillaries. Within leptomeningeal arteries, where we could define the three tunicae of each vessel, we found distinct collagen subtype distribution patterns in CADASIL. Types I and III collagen were largely found in either adventitial/medial or transmural locations. Type IV collagen was strictly intimal/medial. Type VI collagen was adventitial or adventitial/medial. Within the thickened penetrating arteries of CADASIL patients, all four collagens extended through most of the arterial wall. We observed increased staining of capillaries in CADASIL for types I, IV, and VI collagen. In conclusion, brain vascular collagen subtypes are increased in CADASIL in multiple layers of all sizes of arteries, with disease-specific changes most prominent in the tunica media and thickened small penetrating vessels. In diseased arteries, types I, III, and VI collagen spreads from an external location (adventitia) into the vascular media, while type IV collagen accumulates in an internal pattern (intima and media). These observations are consistent with a pathological role for collagen accumulation in the vascular media in CADASIL.
| S-EPMC3370335 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Several inherited human diseases have been linked to mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (mtARSs). Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL) is a leukodystrophy caused by mutations in the DARS2 gene which encodes mitochondrial aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. As mitochondrial ARSs are key components of the mitochondrial translation apparatus, we investigated the effects of DARS2 mutations on mitochondrial functions and mitochondrial morphology in an LBSL patient. In fibroblasts from the patient with LBSL, biosynthesis of respiratory chain complex proteins encoded by mitochondrial DNA was decreased, while those encoded by nuclear DNA were not. Cellular oxygen consumption rates and respiratory control ratio were decreased in the LBSL patient; in addition, fragmentation of mitochondria was increased, while their tubular elongation and interconnectivity were decreased. Taken together, these findings suggest that DARS2 mutations impair translations of mitochondrial DNA-encoded respiratory chain complex proteins, consequently causing dysfunction of cellular respiration and impediment of mitochondrial dynamics, which highlights the role of mtARSs in the maintenance of normal mitochondrial bioenergetics and dynamics.
| S-EPMC6822708 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND This study aimed to identify NOTCH3 mutations and describe the genetic and clinical features and magnetic resonance imaging results in 11 unrelated patients with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) from Henan province in China. MATERIAL AND METHODS NOTCH3 was directly sequenced in 11 unrelated patients of Chinese descent. The clinical presentations and magnetic resonance imaging features were retrospectively analyzed in the 11 index patients with a definite diagnosis. RESULTS Seven different mutations were identified in 11 unrelated patients, including 4 novel mutations (p.P167S, p.P652S, p.C709R, and p.R1100H) in China and 3 reported mutations (p.C117R, p.R578C, and p.R607C). Four novel mutations (p.P167S, p.P652S, p.C709R, and p.R1100H) were predicted to be probably pathogenic using an online pathogenicity prediction program through comprehensive analysis. Clinical presentations in symptomatic patients included stroke, cognitive decline, psychiatric disturbances, and migraine. Multiple lacunars infarcts and leukoaraiosis were detected on MRI in most symptomatic patients, while white-matter lesions were identified in the temporal pole or the external capsule in all affected patients. CONCLUSIONS The mutation spectrum of CADASIL patients from Henan province in China displayed some differences from that of those reported previously. DNA sequencing was used to diagnose all 11 patients as having CADASIL, and we found 4 novel mutations. The present results further contribute to the enrichment of NOTCH3 mutation databases.
| S-EPMC6778411 | biostudies-literature