Project description:Through splicing analysis of a publicly available RNA-Seq dataset, we discovered TDP-43 represses a cryptic exon splicing event in UNC13A, a gene that had been associated with FTD/ALS through GWA studies. To confirm the sequences of the cryptic exons, we used shRNA to reduce TDP-43 levels in iPSC-derived motor neurons (iPSC-MNs) and by amplicon sequencing the RT-PCR product, we observed the insertion in cells with TDP-43 depletion but not in control shRNA-treated cells. Through sequence alignment, we verified the sequences of the cryptic exons.
Project description:Maintaining cholesterol homeostasis is essential for health of all animal cells. Because of blood-brain barrier, de novo cholesetrol biosynthesis and intercellular cholesterol transport is thought to maintain cholesterol homeostasis within the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we showed that TDP-43, the pathological signature protein for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), regulates SREBF2-mediated cholesterol metabolism in the central nervous system (CNS). Unbiased transcriptomic analysis of mice with oligodendroglial TDP-43 deletion revealed a progressive and pathway-wide disruption in the cholesterol metabolism correlating with reduced myelination and cholesterol level. Molecularly, TDP-43 binds directly to mRNA of SREBF2, the master transcription regulator for cholesterol metabolism, and multiple mRNAs encoding proteins in the cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake, including HMGCR, HMGCS1, and LDLR. Depletion of TDP-43 leads to reduced SREBF2 and cholesterol level in vitro and in vivo. The cholesterol reduction can be rescued by reintroducing either the nuclear portion of SREBF2 or LDLR, the latter of which is the receptor for cholesterol-containing low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). Furthermore, LDLR are observed to co-aggregate with pathological TDP-43 in oligodendrocytes of FTD patients and motor neurons of sporadic ALS patients. Taken together, our data indicates that TDP-43 is required to maintain SREBF2-dependent cholesterol homeostasis in the CNS, and disturbance of cholesterol metabolism may be involved in ALS, FTD and TDP-43 proteinopathies-related disease.
Project description:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represent two ends of a disease spectrum with shared clinical, genetic and pathological features. These include near ubiquitous pathological inclusions of the RNA binding protein (RBP) TDP-43, and often the presence of a GGGGCC expansion in the C9ORF72 (C9) gene. Here we show unexpectedly that the signature of hnRNP H sequestration and altered splicing of target transcripts we identified in C9ALS patients (Conlon et al. 2016) also occurs in fully half of 50 post-mortem sporadic, non-C9 ALS/FTD post-mortem brains. Furthermore, and equally surprisingly, these “like-C9” brains also contained correspondingly high amounts of insoluble TDP-43, as well as several other disease-related RBPs, and this correlates with widespread global splicing defects. Finally, we show that the like-C9 sporadic patients, like actual C9ALS patients, were much more likely to have developed FTD. We propose that these unexpected links between C9 and sporadic ALS/FTD define a common mechanism in this disease spectrum.
Project description:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are associated with loss of nuclear TDP-43. Here we identify that TDP-43 regulates expression of the neuronal growth-associated factor stathmin-2. Lowered TDP-43 levels, which reduce its binding to sites within the first intron of stathmin-2 pre-mRNA, uncover a cryptic polyadenylation site whose utilization produces a truncated, non-functional mRNA. Reduced stathmin-2 expression is found in neurons trans-differentiated from patient fibroblasts expressing an ALS-causing TDP-43 mutation, in motor cortex and spinal motor neurons from sporadic ALS patients and familial ALS patients with expansion in C9orf72, and in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons depleted of TDP-43. Remarkably, while reduction in TDP-43 is shown to inhibit axonal regeneration of iPSC-derived motor neurons, rescue of stathmin-2 expression restores axonal regenerative capacity. Thus, premature polyadenylation-mediated reduction in stathmin-2 is a hallmark of ALS/FTD that functionally links reduced nuclear TDP-43 function to enhanced neuronal vulnerability.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE40649: Divergent roles of ALS-linked proteins FUS/TLS and TDP-43 intersect in processing long pre-mRNAs (microarray) GSE40651: Divergent roles of ALS-linked proteins FUS/TLS and TDP-43 intersect in processing long pre-mRNAs (CLIP-Seq) GSE40652: Divergent roles of ALS-linked proteins FUS/TLS and TDP-43 intersect in processing long pre-mRNAs (RNA-Seq) Refer to individual Series
Project description:ATAC-seq was utilized to profile the chromatin status in ALS/FTD patient cells carrying the hexanuleotide repeat expansion in C9orf72.
Project description:TDP-43 inclusions enriched in C-terminal terminal fragments of ~25 kDa ("TDP-25") are associated with neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we analyzed gain-of-function mechanisms of TDP-25 combining cryo-electron tomography, proteomics and functional assays. We show that TDP-25 inclusions are amorphous with gel-like properties. Inclusions sequester proteasomes adopting exclusively substrate-processing conformations. This leads to proteostasis impairment, further enhanced by pathogenic mutations. These findings bolster the importance of proteasome dysfunction in ALS/FTD.
Project description:N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal mRNA modification and regulates RNA metabolism. Repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD). Here, we showed that m6A is downregulated in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD patient-derived iPSC-differentiated neurons and postmortem brain tissues. The global m6A hypomethylation leads to transcriptome-wide mRNA stabilization and upregulated gene expression, especially ones involved in synaptic activity and neuronal functions. The m6A modification in the C9ORF72 intron sequence preceding the expanded repeats enhances RNA degradation via the nuclear reader YTHDC1. The m6A reduction leads to increased accumulation of repeat RNA and poly-dipeptides. Moreover, the antisense RNA can also be regulated by m6A. Elevating m6A level significantly reduces both sense and antisense repeat RNA and poly-dipeptides, rescues global mRNA homeostasis, and improves survival of C9ORF72-ALS/FTD patient neurons.