Dataset Information

Loss of TDP-43 in astrocytes leads to motor deficits by triggering A1-like reactive phenotype and tri-glial dysfunctions

ABSTRACT: The majority of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have abnormal TDP-43 aggregates in the nucleus and/or cytosol of their surviving neurons and glia. Although accumulating evidence indicates that astroglial dysfunctions contribute to motor neuron degeneration in ALS, the normal physiological functions of TDP-43 in astrocytes are largely unknown and whether the loss of astroglial TDP-43 contributes to ALS remains to be clarified. Here, we showed that TDP-43 deleted astrocytes showed cell-autonomously enhanced GFAP immunoreactivity without affecting astrocyte or microglia proliferation. At the transcriptomic level, TDP-43 deleted astrocytes resemble the A1-reactive astrocytes and induce microglia to increase C1q expression. These astrocytic changes do not cause the loss of motor neurons in spinal cords or denervation at the neuromuscular junctions. In contrast, there was a selective reduction of mature oligodendrocytes, but not oligodendrocyte precursor cells, suggesting a tri-glial dysfunction mediated by TDP-43-deleted astrocytes. Mice with astroglial TDP-43 deletion developed motor, but not sensory, deficits. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TDP-43 is required to maintain the protective functions of astrocytes relevant to the development of motor deficits in mice.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE156542 | GEO | 2020/11/01

REPOSITORIES: GEO

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Aims: Loss of nuclear TDP-43 characterises sporadic and most familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). TDP-43 (encoded by TARDBP) has multiple roles in RNA processing. We aimed to determine whether 1) RNA splicing dysregulation is present in lower motor neurons in ALS and in a motor neuron-like cell model, and 2) TARDBP mutations (mtTARDBP) are associated with aberrant RNA splicing using patient-derived fibroblasts. Methods: Affymetrix exon arrays were used to study mRNA expression and splicing in lower motor neurons obtained by laser capture microdissection of autopsy tissue from individuals with sporadic ALS and TDP-43 proteinopathy. Findings were confirmed by qRT-PCR and in NSC34 motor neuronal cells following shRNA-mediated TDP-43 depletion. Exon arrays and immunohistochemistry were used to study mRNA splicing and TDP-43 expression in fibroblasts from patients with mtTARDBP-associated, sporadic and mutant SOD1-associated ALS. Results: We found altered expression of spliceosome components in motor neurons and widespread aberrations of mRNA splicing that specifically affected genes involved in ribonucleotide binding. This was confirmed in TDP-43 depleted NSC34 cells. Fibroblasts with mtTARDBP showed loss of nuclear TDP-43 protein and demonstrated similar changes in splicing and gene expression, that were not present in fibroblasts from patients with sporadic or SOD1-related ALS. Conclusion: Loss of nuclear TDP-43 is associated with RNA processing abnormalities in ALS motor neurons, patient-derived cells with mtTARDBP, and following artificial TDP-43 depletion, suggesting that splicing dysregulation directly contributes to disease pathogenesis. Key functional pathways affected include those central to RNA metabolism. RNA was extracted from lower motor neurons obtained by laser capture microdissection from autopsy material from neurologically healthy controls (n=6) and cases of sporadic ALS (n=3) and ALS due to C9ORF72 mutations (n=3).

Project description:Aims: Loss of nuclear TDP-43 characterises sporadic and most familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). TDP-43 (encoded by TARDBP) has multiple roles in RNA processing. We aimed to determine whether 1) RNA splicing dysregulation is present in lower motor neurons in ALS and in a motor neuron-like cell model, and 2) TARDBP mutations (mtTARDBP) are associated with aberrant RNA splicing using patient-derived fibroblasts. Methods: Affymetrix exon arrays were used to study mRNA expression and splicing in lower motor neurons obtained by laser capture microdissection of autopsy tissue from individuals with sporadic ALS and TDP-43 proteinopathy. Findings were confirmed by qRT-PCR and in NSC34 motor neuronal cells following shRNA-mediated TDP-43 depletion. Exon arrays and immunohistochemistry were used to study mRNA splicing and TDP-43 expression in fibroblasts from patients with mtTARDBP-associated, sporadic and mutant SOD1-associated ALS. Results: We found altered expression of spliceosome components in motor neurons and widespread aberrations of mRNA splicing that specifically affected genes involved in ribonucleotide binding. This was confirmed in TDP-43 depleted NSC34 cells. Fibroblasts with mtTARDBP showed loss of nuclear TDP-43 protein and demonstrated similar changes in splicing and gene expression, that were not present in fibroblasts from patients with sporadic or SOD1-related ALS. Conclusion: Loss of nuclear TDP-43 is associated with RNA processing abnormalities in ALS motor neurons, patient-derived cells with mtTARDBP, and following artificial TDP-43 depletion, suggesting that splicing dysregulation directly contributes to disease pathogenesis. Key functional pathways affected include those central to RNA metabolism. RNA was extracted from fibroblasts grown from neurologically healthy controls (n=6) and 3 groups of patients with ALS: 1) sporadic cases (n=6); 2) cases due to mutations of SOD1 (n=4); 3) cases due to mutations of TARDBP (n=3). The three ALS groups were compared to the controls.

Dataset Information

Loss of TDP-43 in astrocytes leads to motor deficits by triggering A1-like reactive phenotype and tri-glial dysfunctions

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure