Project description:G4C2 repeat expansions within the C9orf72 gene are the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The repeats undergo repeat-associated non-ATG translation to generate toxic dipeptide repeat proteins. Here, we show that insulin/Igf signalling is reduced in fly models of C9orf72 repeat expansion using RNA-sequencing of adult brain. We further demonstrate that activation of insulin/Igf signalling can mitigate multiple neurodegenerative phenotypes in flies expressing either expanded G4C2 repeats or the toxic dipeptide repeat protein poly-GR. Levels of poly-GR are reduced when components of the insulin/Igf signalling pathway are genetically activated in the diseased flies, suggesting a mechanism of rescue. Modulating insulin signalling in mammalian cells also lowers poly-GR levels. Remarkably, systemic injection of insulin improves the survival of flies expressing G4C2 repeats. Overall, our data suggest that modulation of insulin/Igf signalling could be an effective therapeutic approach against C9orf72 ALS/FTD.
Project description:Importance: An intronic hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in C9orf72 is the commonest monogenic cause of the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Predicting those who will develop neurodegeneration and its timing will be essential to initiating and assessing preventative therapy. This requires consideration of both compensatory, protective mechanisms and pathogenic events prior to overt neurodegeneration. Objective: To identify biochemical changes in individuals at higher risk of developing ALS or FTD via C9orf72 HRE heterozygosity. Design: Cross sectional observational study. Setting: Tertiary ALS or dementia referral centre. Participants: People with established ALS or FTD, either due to C9orf72 HRE or apparently sporadic cases; asymptomatic first-degree relatives of those with a known C9orf72 HRE; asymptomatic non-carrier controls. Exposure: C9orf72 HRE. Main outcomes: Relative abundance of 30 predefined cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of ALS and FTD comparing asymptomatic C9orf72 HRE carriers and age-matched non-carriers. Differential abundance of proteins quantified using data independent acquisition mass spectrometry and neurofilament light chain measured by electrochemiluminescent assay. Results: Data for 19 people with sporadic ALS, 10 people with C9orf72 ALS, 14 people with sporadic FTD, 10 people with C9orf72 FTD, 48 asymptomatic C9orf72 HRE carriers and 39 non-carrier controls were analysed. Ubiquitin carboxyl-hydrolase isozyme L1 levels were higher in asymptomatic C9orf72 HRE carriers compared with age-matched non-carriers (log2fold change 0.20, FDR-adjusted p-value = 0.034). Neurofilament light chain levels did not differ significantly between groups. Ubiquitin carboxyl-hydrolase isozyme L1 levels remained elevated after exclusion of those with high neurofilament light chain levels, after adjusting for NFL level and after adjusting for age. Conclusions and relevance: Elevated cerebrospinal fluid ubiquitin carboxyl-hydrolase isozyme L1 levels in C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion carriers occurs in the absence of elevation in neurofilament light chain, potentially reflecting mechanisms that precede the phase of neurodegeneration characterised by rapid neuronal loss. Such mechanisms may have either compensatory or pathogenic roles. Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isozyme L1 elevation brings forward the window on the changes associated with the C9orf72 HRE carrier state, with the potential to inform understanding penetrance and approaches to prevention.
Project description:The G4C2 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in C9orf72 is the commonest cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A number of different methods have been used in an attempt to generate isogenic control lines using CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 and NHEJ by deleting the repeat region without replacing it with the normal repeat size, but typically this strategy carries the risk of creating indels and genomic instability. In this study we demonstrate complete correction of an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line derived from a C9orf72-HR positive ALS patient using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and homology directed repair (HDR), resulting in replacement of the excised region with a donor template carrying the wild-type repeat size to maintain the genetic architecture of the locus. The isogenic correction of the C9orf72 HRE restored normal expression and methylation at the C9orf72 locus, reduced intron retention in the edited lines, and abolished pathological phenotypes associated with the C9orf72 HRE expansion in iPSC derived motor neurons (iPSMNs). RNA sequencing of the mutant line identified 2220 differentially expressed genes compared to its isogenic control. Enrichment analysis demonstrated an over-representation of ALS relevant pathways in the presence of the C9orf72 HRE, including calcium ion dependent exocytosis, synaptic transport and the KEGG ALS pathway, as well as new targets of potential relevance to ALS pathophysiology.Complete correction of the C9orf72 HRE in iPS MNs by CRISPR/Cas9 mediated HDR provides an ideal model to study the earliest effects of the hexanucleotide expansion on cellular homeostasis and the key pathways implicated in ALS pathophysiology.
Project description:Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene are the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (c9FTD/ALS). The nucleotide repeat expansions are translated into dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins, which are aggregation-prone and may contribute to neurodegeneration. We used the CRISPR-Cas9 system to perform genome-wide gene knockout screens for suppressors and enhancers of C9orf72 DPR toxicity in human cells. We validated hits by performing secondary CRISPR-Cas9 screens in primary mouse neurons. We uncovered potent modifiers of DPR toxicity whose gene products function in nucleocytoplasmic transport, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), proteasome, RNA processing pathways, and in chromatin modification. One modifier, TMX2, modulated the ER-stress signature elicited by C9orf72 DPRs in neurons, and improved survival of human induced motor neurons from C9orf72 ALS patients. Together, this work demonstrates the promise of CRISPR-Cas9 screens to define mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. This dataset contains the RNA-sequencing data used to support the conclusions from this study.
Project description:RNA sequencing analysis of human iPSC-derived neural stem cells generated from Control, C9ORF72 FTD/ALS, an isogenic control, and a C9ORF72 knockout line. The goal of this study is to determine the effects of the C9ORF72 repeat expansion on neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation.
Project description:Noncoding expansions of a hexanucleotide repeat (GGGGCC) in the C9orf72 gene are the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Here we report transgenic mice carrying a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) containing the full human C9orf72 gene with either a normal allele (15 repeats) or disease-associated expansion (~100â??1,000 repeats; C9-BACexp). C9-BACexp mice displayed pathologic features seen in C9orf72 expansion patients, including widespread RNA foci and repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translated dipeptides, which were suppressed by antisense oligonucleotides targeting human C9orf72. Nucleolin distribution was altered, supporting that either C9orf72 transcripts or RAN dipeptides promote nucleolar dysfunction. Despite early and widespread production of RNA foci and RAN dipeptides in C9-BACexp mice, behavioral abnormalities and neurodegeneration were not observed even at advanced ages, supporting the hypothesis that RNA foci and RAN dipeptides occur presymptomatically and are not sufficient to drive neurodegeneration in mice at levels seen in patients. To compare the RNA Seq profiles from the cortex and spinal cord of transgenic mice expressing unexpanded human C9orf72 (F08, n=4), expanded human C9orf72 (F112, n=3/4), and nontransgenic controls (n=4).
Project description:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative condition characterized by loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Expansions of a hexanucleotide repeat (GGGGCC) in the noncoding region of the C9ORF72 gene are the most common cause of the familial form of ALS (C9-ALS), as well as frontotemporal lobar degeneration and other neurological diseases. How the repeat expansion causes disease remains unclear, with both loss of function (haploinsufficiency) and gain of function (either toxic RNA or protein products) proposed. We report a cellular model of C9-ALS with motor neurons differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from ALS patients carrying the C9ORF72 repeat expansion. No significant loss of C9ORF72 expression was observed, and knockdown of the transcript was not toxic to cultured human motor neurons. Transcription of the repeat was increased, leading to accumulation of GGGGCC repeat–containing RNA foci selectively in C9-ALS iPSC-derived motor neurons. Repeat-containing RNA foci colocalized with hnRNPA1 and Pur-?, suggesting that they may be able to alter RNA metabolism. C9-ALS motor neurons showed altered expression of genes involved in membrane excitability including DPP6, and demonstrated a diminished capacity to fire continuous spikes upon depolarization compared to control motor neurons. Antisense oligonucleotides targeting the C9ORF72 transcript suppressed RNA foci formation and reversed gene expression alterations in C9-ALS motor neurons. These data show that patient-derived motor neurons can be used to delineate pathogenic events in ALS. Transcriptome profiling from iPSC derived motor neurons compared to controls
Project description:The expanded hexanucleotide GGGGCC repeat mutation in the C9orf72 gene is the main genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Under one disease mechanism, sense and antisense transcripts of the repeat are predicted to bind various RNA-binding proteins, compromise their function and cause cytotoxicity. Focusing on cytoplasmic interaction of the CCCCGG antisense repeat RNA this study identifies phenylalanine-tRNA synthetase (FARS) subunit alpha (FARSA) as the main interactor. The aminoacylation of tRNAPhe by FARS is inhibited by antisense RNA, leading to decreased levels of charged tRNAPhe. Remarkably, this is associated with global reduction of phenylalanine incorporation in the proteome and significant decrease in expression of phenylalanine-rich proteins in cellular models and patient tissues. In conclusion, this research reveals functional inhibition of FARSA in the presence of antisense RNA repeats. Compromised aminoacylation of tRNA could lead to impairments in protein synthesis and further contribute to C9orf72 mutation-associated pathology.