Project description:We here longitudinally investigated how spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and nusinersen shaped local immune responses in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Project description:Study of gene expression profiles of muscular and neuronal mouse mutant of spinal muscular atrophy(SMA). Pre and post symptomatic stage disease have been analyzed.
Project description:In this study, label-free quantitative proteomic analysis was performed using the Smn 2B/- mouse model to identify and investigate significant changes in protein abundance that may be related to the pathogenesis and neurodegeneration oberved in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
Project description:<p>Beyond motor neuron degeneration, homozygous mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene cause multiorgan and metabolic defects in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). However, the precise biochemical features of these alterations and the age of onset in the brain and peripheral organs remain unclear. Using untargeted NMR-based metabolomics in SMA mice, we identify cerebral and hepatic abnormalities related to energy homeostasis pathways and amino acid metabolism, emerging already at postnatal day 3 (P3) in the liver. Through HPLC, we find that SMN deficiency induces a drop in cerebral norepinephrine levels in overt symptomatic SMA mice at P11, affecting the mRNA and protein expression of key genes regulating monoamine metabolism, including aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DβH) and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). In support of the translational value of our preclinical observations, we also discovered that SMN upregulation increases cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine concentration in Nusinersen-treated SMA1 patients. Our findings highlight a previously unrecognized harmful influence of low SMN levels on the expression of critical enzymes involved in monoamine metabolism, suggesting that SMN-inducing therapies may modulate catecholamine neurotransmission. These results may also be relevant for setting therapeutic approaches to counteract peripheral metabolic defects in SMA. </p>
Project description:Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive motor neuron disease and is the second most common genetic disorder leading to death in childhood. No effective therapy is currently available. It has been suggested that M-NM-2-lactam antibiotics such as ceftriaxone may offer neuroprotection in motoneuron disease. We investigated the therapeutic effect of ceftriaxone in a murine model of SMA. Microarray technology was used to assess the global gene expression profile of spinal cord obtained by ceftriaxone-treated and vehicle treated SMA mice. Comparative Gene Expression Analysis. The microarray data derived from three different groups: wildtype controls, transgenic SMA (vehicle treated) and ceftriaxone-treated SMA mice. Each population consists of four RNA profiling samples.
Project description:Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the absence of a functional Survival of Motor Neuron 1 gene (SMN1). The nearly identical paralog, SMN2, cannot compensate for the loss of SMN1 because exon 7 is aberrantly skipped from most SMN2 transcripts, a process mediated by synergistic activities of Sam68/KHDR1 and hnRNP A1. This results in the production of a truncated, non-functional protein that is rapidly degraded. Here we present several crystal structures of Sam68 RNA-binding domain (RBD). Sam68-RBD forms stable symmetric homodimers by antiparallel association of helices α3 from two monomers. However, the details of domain organization and the dimerization interface differ significantly from previously characterized homologs. We demonstrate that Sam68 and hnRNP A1 bind proximal but distinct motifs within the central region of SMN2(ex7). Our findings have important implications for the etiology of SMA and open new avenues for the design of novel therapeutics to treat splicing diseases.