TDP-43 aggregation inside micronuclei reveals a potential mechanism for protein inclusion formation in ALS.

ABSTRACT: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating progressive neurodegenerative disease with no known etiology. The formation of pathological protein inclusions, including RNA-binding proteins such as TDP-43 and rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RGNEF) are a hallmark of ALS. Despite intensive research, the mechanisms behind protein aggregate formation in ALS remains unclear. We have investigated the role of metabolic stress in protein aggregate formation analyzing how it is relevant to the co-aggregation observed between RGNEF and TDP-43 in motor neurons of ALS patients. Metabolic stress was able to induce formation of micronuclei, small nuclear fragments, in cultured cells. Notably, we observed the formation TDP-43 protein inclusions within micronuclei that co-aggregate with RGNE

SUBMITTER: Droppelmann CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6934605 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature