Project description:Gene expression profiling has been performed on motor cortex and spinal cord homogenates and of sporadic ALS cases and controls, to identify genes and pathways differentially expressed in ALS. More recent studies have combined the use of laser capture microdissection (LCM) with gene expression profiling to isolate the motor neurons from the surrounding cells, such as microglia and astrocytes, in order to determine those genes differentially expressed in the vulnerable cell population â i.e. motor neuron. The aim of this study was to determine the gene expression profiles from a small subset of cases which all carry mutations in the CHMP2B gene. These mutations have been found to be associated with the lower motor neuron dominant variant of ALS. Expression profiles from isolated motor neurons in CHMP2B-related ALS cases were compared to those from control motor neurons, in order to establish the pathways implicated in CHMP2B-related motor neuronal cell death.
Project description:Muscle and lower motor neuron diseases share a common denominator of perturbed muscle function, most often related to wasting and weakness of muscles. This leads to a number of challenges, such as restricted mobility and respiratory difficulties. Currently there is no cure for these diseases. The purpose of this review is to present research that examines the effects of exercise in muscle and lower motor neuron diseases. Evidence indicates that moderate intensity aerobic- and strength exercise is advantageous for patients with muscle diseases, without causing harmful exercise-induced muscle damage. On the contrary, motor neuron diseases show a rather blunted response from exercise training. High-intensity training is a modality that seems safe and a promising exercise method, which may circumvent neural fatigue and provide effect to patients with motor neuron disease. Although we have come far in changing the view on exercise therapy in neuromuscular diseases to a positive one, much knowledge is still needed on what dose of time, intensity and duration should be implemented for different disease and how we should provide exercise therapy to very weak, non-ambulatory and wheelchair bound patients.
Project description:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a common late-onset neurodegenerative disease, is associated with fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) in 3-10% of patients. A mutation in CHMP2B was recently identified in a Danish pedigree with autosomal dominant FTD. Subsequently, two unrelated patients with familial ALS, one of whom also showed features of FTD, were shown to carry missense mutations in CHMP2B. The initial aim of this study was to determine whether mutations in CHMP2B contribute more broadly to ALS pathogenesis.Sequencing of CHMP2B in 433 ALS cases from the North of England identified 4 cases carrying 3 missense mutations, including one novel mutation, p.Thr104Asn, none of which were present in 500 neurologically normal controls. Analysis of clinical and neuropathological data of these 4 cases showed a phenotype consistent with the lower motor neuron predominant (progressive muscular atrophy (PMA)) variant of ALS. Only one had a recognised family history of ALS and none had clinically apparent dementia. Microarray analysis of motor neurons from CHMP2B cases, compared to controls, showed a distinct gene expression signature with significant differential expression predicting disassembly of cell structure; increased calcium concentration in the ER lumen; decrease in the availability of ATP; down-regulation of the classical and p38 MAPK signalling pathways, reduction in autophagy initiation and a global repression of translation. Transfection of mutant CHMP2B into HEK-293 and COS-7 cells resulted in the formation of large cytoplasmic vacuoles, aberrant lysosomal localisation demonstrated by CD63 staining and impairment of autophagy indicated by increased levels of LC3-II protein. These changes were absent in control cells transfected with wild-type CHMP2B.We conclude that in a population drawn from North of England pathogenic CHMP2B mutations are found in approximately 1% of cases of ALS and 10% of those with lower motor neuron predominant ALS. We provide a body of evidence indicating the likely pathogenicity of the reported gene alterations. However, absolute confirmation of pathogenicity requires further evidence, including documentation of familial transmission in ALS pedigrees which might be most fruitfully explored in cases with a LMN predominant phenotype.
Project description:Gene expression profiling has been performed on motor cortex and spinal cord homogenates and of sporadic ALS cases and controls, to identify genes and pathways differentially expressed in ALS. More recent studies have combined the use of laser capture microdissection (LCM) with gene expression profiling to isolate the motor neurons from the surrounding cells, such as microglia and astrocytes, in order to determine those genes differentially expressed in the vulnerable cell population – i.e. motor neuron.
Project description:The PLEKHG5 gene encodes a protein that activates the nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling pathway. Mutations in this gene have been associated with distal spinal muscular atrophy IV and intermediate axonal neuropathy C, both with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Two families with low motor neuron disease (LMND) caused by mutations in PLEKHG5 have been reported to date. We present a third LMND family, the first nonconsanguineous, due to two not previously reported PLEKHG5 mutations. Our results confirm and extend previous findings linking PLEKHG5 mutations to lower motor neuron diseases.
Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate disease spread in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and determine the influence of lower (LMN) and upper motor neuron (UMN) involvement.MethodsWe assessed disease spread in ALS in 1376 consecutively studied patients, from five European centers, applying an agreed proforma to assess LMN and UMN signs. We defined the pattern of disease onset and progression from predominant UMN or lower motor neuron (LMN) dysfunction in bulbar, upper limbs, lower limbs, and thoracic regions Non-linear regression analysis was applied to fit the data to a model that described the relation between two random variables, graphically represented by an inverse exponential curve. We analyzed the probability, rate of spread, and both combined (area under the curve).ResultsWe found that progression was more likely and quicker to or from the region of onset to close spinal regions. When the disease had a limb onset, bulbar motor neurons were more resistant. Furthermore, in the same time frame more patients progressed from bulbar to lower limbs than vice-versa, whether predominantly UMN or LMN involvement. Patients with initial thoracic involvement had a higher probability for rapid change. The presence of predominant UMN signs was associated with a faster caudal progression.InterpretationContiguous progression was leading pattern, and predominant UMN involvement is important in shortening the time for cranial-caudal spread. Our results can best be fitted to a model of independent LMN and UMN degeneration, with regional progression of LMN degeneration mostly by contiguity. UMN lesion causes an acceleration of rostral-caudal LMN loss.
Project description:A crucial attribute in movement encoding is an adequate balance between suppression of unwanted muscles and activation of required ones. We studied movement encoding across the primary motor cortex (M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) by inspecting the positive and negative blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals in these regions. Using periodic and event-related experiments incorporating the bilateral/axial movements of 20 body parts, we report detailed mototopic imaging maps in M1 and SMA. These maps were obtained using phase-locked analysis. In addition to the positive BOLD, significant negative BOLD was detected in M1 but not in the SMA. The negative BOLD spatial pattern was neither located at the ipsilateral somatotopic location nor randomly distributed. Rather, it was organized somatotopically across the entire homunculus and inversely to the positive BOLD, creating a negative BOLD homunculus. The neuronal source of negative BOLD is unclear. M1 provides a unique system to test whether the origin of negative BOLD is neuronal, because different arteries supply blood to different regions in the homunculus, ruling out blood-stealing explanations. Finally, multivoxel pattern analysis showed that positive BOLD in M1 and SMA and negative BOLD in M1 contain somatotopic information, enabling prediction of the moving body part from inside and outside its somatotopic location. We suggest that the neuronal processes underlying negative BOLD participate in somatotopic encoding in M1 but not in the SMA. This dissociation may emerge because of differences in the activity of these motor areas associated with movement suppression.
Project description:Here we analyse transcriptome profiles from laser captured lower motor neurons between wild type, heterozygous and homozygous TDP-43 Q331K knockin mice
Project description:The aim of this study was to localize the anatomic distribution of upper motor neuron (UMN) loss through examining cortical thickness at the clinical onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and explore motor manifestation in functionally impaired body region attribute to impairment of lower motor neuron (LMN) or UMN or mixed LMN and UMN? The clinical features, cortical thickness of corresponding areas from different body regions in MRI and electromyography (EMG) data were collected from 108 classical ALS patients. The cortical thickness was thinner in ALS group than control group in bilateral head-face and upper-limb areas (p?<?0.05). In head-face area, the cortical thickness of bulbar-onset group was significantly lower than that of control groups (p?<?0.05). In upper-limb areas, the cortical thickness of cervical-onset group was significantly thinner than that of control group. Notably, the bulbar ALSFRS-R subscore was correlated with cortical thickness in bilateral head-face areas (p?<?0.05). The bulbar ALSFRS-R subscore of the positive LMN damage group was lower compared to that of the negative LMN damage group (P?<?0.001). The limb ALSFRS-R subscore correlated with compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes of median, ulnar, peroneal, and tibial nerves (P?<?0.001), but was not related to cortical thickness. In conclusion, the UMN degeneration in ALS was derived from focal initiation, bulbar- and cervical-onset may date from head-face and upper-limb areas in motor homunculus cortex, respectively. The bulbar dysfunction was resulted from the mixed UMN and LMN impairment, while limb dysfunction derived mostly from LMN loss.
Project description:To determine what kind of genes are involved in vocal learning ability, we performed microarray experiments using 3 vocal learning species (zebra finch, budgerigar, Anna's hummingbird) and 2 non-vocal learning species(ring dive, and Japanese quail) from the bird group. All of the animals are male adults. They were isolated over night and had 1hour light exposure at morning. Birds who did not sing were used in this experiment. We used 2-3 animals each species. We used the 12th motor neuron for both vocal learners and non-vocal learners. We used the Supra Spinal motor neuron (ssp) as control area for both groups.