Metabolomics analysis of Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) (part I)

ABSTRACT: Friedreich’s Ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal neurodegenerative disease caused by the deficiency of protein frataxin. Frataxin functions in the assembly of iron-sulfur clusters that are important for iron homeostasis and metabolic functions. To identify metabolic features that can be used for potential biomarkers in FRDA plasma, we performed a targeted multi-omics (metabolomics, lipidomics, and proteomics) analysis using discovery-validation cohort design. Muti-omics analysis revealed that FRDA patients had dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism, phospholipid metabolism, citric acid cycle, amino acid metabolism, and apolipoprotein metabolism. Sphingolipid dysfunctions were revealed by decreased very long chain ceramides but unchanged long chain ceramides in FRDA plasma, which resulted in the increased ratio of long chain ceramides to very long chain ceramides. Decreased very long chain ceramides distinguished FRDA patients from healthy controls and showed good predictive capacities with AUC values from 0.75 to 0.85. Furthermore, by performing lipidomic and stable isotope tracing experiment in induced pluripotent stem cell differentiated cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs, we demonstrated that frataxin deficiency affected ceramide synthase (CerS2), and preferentially enriched long chain ceramides and depleted very long chain ceramides. Moreover, ceramide metabolism was differentially regulated in a tissue-specific manner. Finally, machine learning model increased the prediction of FRDA using the combination of three metabolites (AUC > 0.9). In conclusion, decreased very long chain ceramides are potential biomarkers and therapeutic target in FRDA patients.

ORGANISM(S): Human Homo Sapiens

TISSUE(S): Blood

DISEASE(S): Friedreichs Ataxia

SUBMITTER: Dezhen Wang  

PROVIDER: ST002244 | MetabolomicsWorkbench | Fri Jul 29 00:00:00 BST 2022

REPOSITORIES: MetabolomicsWorkbench