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Viral-mediated knockdown of Atxn2 attenuates TDP-43 pathology and muscle dysfunction in the PFN1C71G ALS mouse model

ABSTRACT: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive motor neuron loss and muscle atrophy. Hyperphosphorylated aggregation of the RNA-binding protein, TDP-43, in the motor cortex and spinal cord are defining molecular features of ALS, suggesting TDP-43 dysfunction underlies disease pathogenesis. This phenomenon, however, has been difficult to recapitulate endogenously in animal models, impeding characterization of TDP-43 pathobiology in neurodegeneration. In this study, we report age-dependent accumulation of TDP-43 pathology in the spinal cord and progressive muscle-related deficits in transgenic mice expressing the ALS-associated PFN1C71G mutant protein. We show that transgenic neuronal expression of PFN1C71G induces early hyperphosphorylation of endogenous TDP-43 in the spinal cord that augments over time, preceding accumulation of insoluble non-phosphorylated TDP-43 and the manifestation of muscle denervation and motor dysfunction. Sustained knockdown of Atxn2 in the central nervous system (CNS) in pre-symptomatic PFN1C71G mice by AAV-driven expression of an artificial microRNA (AAV-amiR-Atxn2) reduces aberrant TDP-43 in the spinal cord, while delaying neurodegeneration and improving muscle and motor function. RNA-sequencing analysis of spinal cord samples from PFN1C71G mice and ALS donors show shared patterns of transcriptional perturbation, including a pro-inflammatory gene signature that is attenuated by AAV-amiR-Atxn2. Notably, impaired regulation of the PFN1C71G skeletal muscle transcriptome exceeds that of the spinal cord and also improved by Atxn2 reduction in the CNS. Lastly, we find significant gene co-expression network homology between PFN1C71G mice and human ALS, with shared dysregulation of modules related to neuroinflammation and neuronal function and uncover novel hub genes that provide biological insight into ALS and potential drug targets that can be further investigated in this mouse model.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE297399 | GEO | 2025/05/17

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:During cell stress, the transcription and translation of immediate early genes are prioritized, while most other mRNAs are stored away in stress granules or degraded in P-bodies. TIA-1 is an mRNA binding protein that needs to translocate from the nucleus to seed the formation of stress granules in the cytoplasm. Since other stress granule components such as TDP-43, FUS, ATXN2, SMN, MAPT, HNRNPA2B1 and HNRNPA1 are crucial for the motor neuron diseases ALS / SMA and for the frontotemporal dementia FTD, here we studied mouse nervous tissue to identify mRNAs with selective dependence on Tia1 deletion. Transcriptome profiling with oligonucleotide microarrays in comparison of spinal cord and cerebellum, together with independent validation in quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and immunoblots demonstrated several strong and consistent dysregulations. In agreement with previously reported TIA1 knock-down effects, cell cycle and apoptosis regulators were affected markedly with expression changes up to 2-fold, exhibiting increased levels for Cdkn1a, Ccnf, and Tprkb versus decreased levels for Bid and Inca1 transcripts. Novel and surprisingly strong expression alterations were detected for fat storage and membrane trafficking factors, with prominent above 3-fold upregulations of Plin4, Wdfy1, Tbc1d24, and Pnpla2, versus a 0.5 -fold?? downregulation of Cntn4 transcript, encoding an axonal membrane adhesion factor with established haploinsufficiency. In comparison subtle effects on the RNA processing machinery included up to 1.2-fold upregulations of Dcp1b and Tial1. The effect on lipid dynamics factors is noteworthy, since also the gene deletion of Tardbp (encoding TDP-43) and Atxn2 led to fat metabolism phenotypes in mouse. In conclusion, genetic ablation of the stress granule nucleator TIA-1 has a novel major effect on mRNAs encoding lipid homeostasis factors in the brain. Factorial design comparing Tia1 knock-out mice with wild type littermates in four different tissues (midbrain, cerebellum, liver, spinal cord) and 2 different ages.

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Viral-mediated knockdown of Atxn2 attenuates TDP-43 pathology and muscle dysfunction in the PFN1C71G ALS mouse model

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