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A zebrafish model of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy recapitulates key disease features and demonstrates a developmental requirement for abcd1 in oligodendrocyte patterning and myelination.

ABSTRACT: X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a devastating inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by defects in the ABCD1 gene and affecting peripheral and central nervous system myelin. ABCD1 encodes a peroxisomal transmembrane protein required for very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) metabolism. We show that zebrafish (Danio rerio) Abcd1 is highly conserved at the amino acid level with human ABCD1, and during development is expressed in homologous regions including the central nervous system and adrenal glands. We used TALENs to generate five zebrafish abcd1 mutant allele lines introducing premature stop codons in exon 1, as well as obtained an abcd1 allele from the Zebrafish Mutation Project carrying a point mutation in a splice donor site. Similar to patients with ALD, zebrafish abcd1 mutants have elevated VLCFA levels. Interestingly, we found that CNS development of the abcd1 mutants is disrupted, with hypomyelination in the spinal cord, abnormal patterning and decreased numbers of oligodendrocytes, and increased cell death. By day of life five abcd1 mutants demonstrate impaired motor function, and overall survival to adulthood of heterozygous and homozygous mutants is decreased. Expression of human ABCD1 in oligodendrocytes rescued apoptosis in the abcd1 mutant. In summary, we have established a zebrafish model of ALD that recapitulates key features of human disease pathology and which reveals novel features of underlying disease pathogenesis.

SUBMITTER: Strachan LR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5886093 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A zebrafish model of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy recapitulates key disease features and demonstrates a developmental requirement for abcd1 in oligodendrocyte patterning and myelination.

Strachan Lauren R LR Stevenson Tamara J TJ Freshner Briana B Keefe Matthew D MD Miranda Bowles D D Bonkowsky Joshua L JL

Human molecular genetics 20170901 18

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a devastating inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by defects in the ABCD1 gene and affecting peripheral and central nervous system myelin. ABCD1 encodes a peroxisomal transmembrane protein required for very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) metabolism. We show that zebrafish (Danio rerio) Abcd1 is highly conserved at the amino acid level with human ABCD1, and during development is expressed in homologous regions including the central nervous system and a ...[more]

PMID: 28911205

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Project description:X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD), the most frequent, inherited peroxisomal disease, is caused by mutations in the ABCD1 gene encoding a peroxisomal lipid transporter importing very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) from the cytosol into peroxisomes for degradation via β-oxidation. ABCD1 deficiency results in accumulation of VLCFAs in tissues and body fluids of X-ALD patients with a wide range of phenotypic manifestations. The most severe variant, cerebral X-ALD (CALD) is characterized by progressive inflammation, loss of the myelin-producing oligodendrocytes and demyelination of the cerebral white matter. Whether the oligodendrocyte loss and demyelination in CALD are caused by a primary cell autonomous defect or injury to oligodendrocytes or by a secondary effect of the inflammatory reaction remains unresolved. To address the role of X-ALD oligodendrocytes in demyelinating pathophysiology, we combined the Abcd1 deficient X-ALD mouse model, in which VLCFAs accumulate without spontaneous demyelination, with the cuprizone model of toxic demyelination. In mice, the copper chelator cuprizone induces reproducible demyelination in the corpus callosum, followed by remyelination upon cuprizone removal. By immunohistochemical analyses of oligodendrocytes, myelin, axonal damage and microglia activation during de-and remyelination, we found that the mature oligodendrocytes of Abcd1 KO mice are more susceptible to cuprizone-induced cell death compared to WT mice in the early demyelinating phase. Furthermore, this effect was mirrored by a greater extent of acute axonal damage during demyelination in the KO mice. Abcd1 deficiency did not affect the function of microglia in either phase of the treatment. Also, the proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells and remyelination progressed at similar rates in both genotypes. Taken together, our findings point to an effect of Abcd1 deficiency on mature oligodendrocytes and the oligodendrocyte-axon unit, leading to increased vulnerability in the context of a demyelinating insult.

Project description:Oligodendrocyte myelination depends on actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. Neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein(N-Wasp) is an actin nucleation factor that promotes polymerization of branched actin filaments. N-Wasp activity is essential for myelin membrane wrapping by Schwann cells, but its role in oligodendrocytes and CNS myelination remains unknown. Here we report that oligodendrocytes-specific deletion of N-Wasp in mice of both sexes resulted in hypomyelination (i.e., reduced number of myelinated axons and thinner myelin profiles), as well as substantial focal hypermyelination reflected by the formation of remarkably long myelin outfolds. These myelin outfolds surrounded unmyelinated axons, neuronal cell bodies, and other myelin profiles. The latter configuration resulted in pseudo-multimyelin profiles that were often associated with axonal detachment and degeneration throughout the CNS, including in the optic nerve, corpus callosum, and the spinal cord. Furthermore, developmental analysis revealed that myelin abnormalities were already observed during the onset of myelination, suggesting that they are formed by aberrant and misguided elongation of the oligodendrocyte inner lip membrane. Our results demonstrate that N-Wasp is required for the formation of normal myelin in the CNS. They also reveal that N-Wasp plays a distinct role in oligodendrocytes compared with Schwann cells, highlighting a difference in the regulation of actin dynamics during CNS and PNS myelination.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Myelin is critical for the normal function of the nervous system by facilitating fast conduction of action potentials. During the process of myelination in the CNS, oligodendrocytes undergo extensive morphological changes that involve cellular process extension and retraction, axonal ensheathment, and myelin membrane wrapping. Here we present evidence that N-Wasp, a protein regulating actin filament assembly through Arp2/3 complex-dependent actin nucleation, plays a critical role in CNS myelination, and its absence leads to several myelin abnormalities. Our data provide an important step into the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying CNS myelination.

Dataset Information

A zebrafish model of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy recapitulates key disease features and demonstrates a developmental requirement for abcd1 in oligodendrocyte patterning and myelination.

Publications

A zebrafish model of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy recapitulates key disease features and demonstrates a developmental requirement for abcd1 in oligodendrocyte patterning and myelination.

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