Project description:Myotonic Dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is an autosomal-dominant, multisystemic disease with a core manifestation of proximal muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, myotonia, and myalgia. The disease-causing CCTG tetranucleotide expansion within the CNBP gene on chromosome 3 leads to an RNA-dominated spliceopathy which is currently untreatable. Research exploring the pathophysiological mechanisms in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 resulted in new insights into disease mechanisms and identified mitochondrial dysfunction as promising therapeutic target. It remains unclear whether similar mechanisms underlie DM2 and, if so, whether these might also serve as potential therapeutic targets. In this cross-sectional study, we studied DM2 skeletal muscle biopsy specimens on proteomic, molecular, and morphological including ultrastructural levels in two separate patient cohorts consisting of 8 (explorative cohort) and 40 (confirmatory cohort) patients. Seven muscle biopsy specimens obtained from four female and three male DM2 patients underwent proteomic analysis. We performed immunoblotting of respiratory chain complexes, mitochondrial DNA copy number determination and long-range PCR (LR-PCR) to study mitochondrial deletions on six biopsies. Forty-eight biopsy samples were studied by light and electron microscopy. Proteomic analysis revealed a downregulation of essential mitochondrial proteins, namely of subunits of respiratory chain complexes I, III, and IV (e.g. mt-CO1, mt-ND1, mt-CYB, NDUFB6) and associated translation factors (TACO1). Light microscopy showed an age-inappropriate amount of COX-deficient fibers in most biopsy specimens. Electron microscopy revealed widespread ultrastructural mitochondrial abnormalities including dysmorphic mitochondria with paracrystalline inclusions. Immunoblotting and LR-PCR did not reveal significant differences between patients and controls, while mtDNA-copy number measurement revealed a reduction of mtDNA-copy numbers in the patient group compared to controls. This first multi-level study of DM2 unravels thus far undescribed functional and structural mitochondrial abnormalities. While the molecular link between the tetranucleotide expansion, and mitochondrial dysfunction needs to be further elucidated, these findings may provide an additional route for treatment strategies for DM2.

Project description:Primary mitochondrial respiratory chain (RC) diseases are heterogeneous in etiology and manifestations but collectively impair cellular energy metabolism. To identify a common cellular response to RC disease, systems biology level transcriptome investigations were performed in human RC disease skeletal muscle and fibroblasts. Global transcriptional and post-transcriptional dysregulation in a tissue-specific fashion was identified across diverse RC complex and genetic etiologies. RC disease muscle was characterized by decreased transcription of cytosolic ribosomal proteins to reduce energy-intensive anabolic processes, increased transcription of mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, shortened 5'-UTRs to improve translational efficiency, and stabilization of 3'-UTRs containing AU-rich elements. These same modifications in a reversed direction typified RC disease fibroblasts. RC disease also dysregulated transcriptional networks related to basic nutrient-sensing signaling pathways, which collectively mediate many aspects of tissue-specific cellular responses to primary RC disease. These findings support the utility of a systems biology approach to improve mechanistic understanding of mitochondrial RC disease. To identify a common cellular response to primary RC that might improve mechanistic understanding and lead to targeted therapies for human RC disease, we performed collective transcriptome profiling in skeletal muscle biopsy specimens and fibroblast cell lines (FCLs) of a diverse cohort of human mitochondrial disease subjects relative to controls. Systems biology investigations of common cellular responses to primary RC disease revealed a collective pattern of transcriptional, post-transcriptional and translational dysregulation occurring in a highly tissue-specific fashion. Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0ST microarray analysis was performed on 29 skeletal muscle samples and Fibroblast cell lines from mitochondrial disease patients and age- and gender-matched controls.

Project description:Septic patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) often develop multiple organ failure including persistent skeletal muscle dysfunction which results in the patientâs protracted recovery process. We have demonstrated that muscle mitochondrial enzyme activities are impaired in septic ICU patients resulting in decreased cellular energy which will interfere with muscle function and metabolism. Here we use detailed phenotyping and genomics to elucidate mechanisms leading to these impairments. Methodology/Principle Findings Utilising biopsy material from seventeen patients and ten age-matched controls we demonstrate that neither mitochondrial in vivo protein synthesis nor expression of mitochondrial genes are compromised. Indeed, there was partial activation of the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway involving NRF2?/GABP and its target genes TFAM, TFB1M and TFB2M yet clearly this failed to maintain mitochondrial function. We therefore utilised transcript profiling and pathway analysis of ICU patient skeletal muscle to generate insight into the molecular defects driving loss of muscle function and metabolic homeostasis. Gene ontology analysis of Affymetrix analysis demonstrated substantial loss of muscle specific genes, a global oxidative stress response related to most probably cytokine signalling, altered insulin related signalling and a substantial overlap between patients and muscle wasting/inflammatory animal models. MicroRNA 21 processing appeared defective suggesting that post-transcriptional protein synthesis regulation is altered by disruption of tissue microRNA expression. Finally, we were able to demonstrate that the phenotype of skeletal muscle in ICU patients is not merely one of inactivity, it appears to be an actively remodelling tissue, influenced by several mediators, all of which may be open to manipulation with the aim to improve clinical outcome. Conclusions/Significance This first combined protein and transcriptome based analysis of human skeletal muscle obtained from septic patients demonstrated that losses of mitochondria and muscle mass are accompanied by sustained protein synthesis (anabolic process) while dysregulation of transcription programmes appears to fail to compensate for increased damage and proteolysis. Our analysis identified both validated and novel clinically tractable targets to manipulate these failing processes and pursuit of these could lead to new potential treatments. Experiment Overall Design: 13 septic samples, 8 controls

Project description:Septic patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) often develop multiple organ failure including persistent skeletal muscle dysfunction which results in the patient’s protracted recovery process. We have demonstrated that muscle mitochondrial enzyme activities are impaired in septic ICU patients resulting in decreased cellular energy which will interfere with muscle function and metabolism. Here we use detailed phenotyping and genomics to elucidate mechanisms leading to these impairments. Methodology/Principle Findings Utilising biopsy material from seventeen patients and ten age-matched controls we demonstrate that neither mitochondrial in vivo protein synthesis nor expression of mitochondrial genes are compromised. Indeed, there was partial activation of the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway involving NRF2?/GABP and its target genes TFAM, TFB1M and TFB2M yet clearly this failed to maintain mitochondrial function. We therefore utilised transcript profiling and pathway analysis of ICU patient skeletal muscle to generate insight into the molecular defects driving loss of muscle function and metabolic homeostasis. Gene ontology analysis of Affymetrix analysis demonstrated substantial loss of muscle specific genes, a global oxidative stress response related to most probably cytokine signalling, altered insulin related signalling and a substantial overlap between patients and muscle wasting/inflammatory animal models. MicroRNA 21 processing appeared defective suggesting that post-transcriptional protein synthesis regulation is altered by disruption of tissue microRNA expression. Finally, we were able to demonstrate that the phenotype of skeletal muscle in ICU patients is not merely one of inactivity, it appears to be an actively remodelling tissue, influenced by several mediators, all of which may be open to manipulation with the aim to improve clinical outcome. Conclusions/Significance This first combined protein and transcriptome based analysis of human skeletal muscle obtained from septic patients demonstrated that losses of mitochondria and muscle mass are accompanied by sustained protein synthesis (anabolic process) while dysregulation of transcription programmes appears to fail to compensate for increased damage and proteolysis. Our analysis identified both validated and novel clinically tractable targets to manipulate these failing processes and pursuit of these could lead to new potential treatments. Keywords: Disease state analysis

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