技术资料

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an inherited neuromuscular disease primarily characterized by degeneration of spinal motor neurons,and caused by reduced levels of the SMN protein. Previous studies to understand the proteomic consequences of reduced SMN have mostly utilized patient fibroblasts and animal models. We have derived human motor neurons from type I SMA and healthy controls by creating their induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Quantitative mass spectrometry of these cells revealed increased expression of 63 proteins in control motor neurons compared to respective fibroblasts,whereas 30 proteins were increased in SMA motor neurons vs. their fibroblasts. Notably,UBA1 was significantly decreased in SMA motor neurons,supporting evidence for ubiquitin pathway defects. Subcellular distribution of UBA1 was predominantly cytoplasmic in SMA motor neurons in contrast to nuclear in control motor neurons; suggestive of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Many of the proteins that were decreased in SMA motor neurons,including beta III-tubulin and UCHL1,were associated with neurodevelopment and differentiation. These neuron-specific consequences of SMN depletion were not evident in fibroblasts,highlighting the importance of iPSC technology. The proteomic profiles identified here provide a useful resource to explore the molecular consequences of reduced SMN in motor neurons,and for the identification of novel biomarker and therapeutic targets for SMA. View Publication

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA,Kennedy's disease) is a motor neuron disease caused by polyglutamine repeat expansion in the androgen receptor. Although degeneration occurs in the spinal cord and muscle,the exact mechanism is not clear. Induced pluripotent stem cells from spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy patients provide a useful model for understanding the disease mechanism and designing effective therapy. Stem cells were generated from six patients and compared to control lines from three healthy individuals. Motor neurons from four patients were differentiated from stem cells and characterized to understand disease-relevant phenotypes. Stem cells created from patient fibroblasts express less androgen receptor than control cells,but show androgen-dependent stabilization and nuclear translocation. The expanded repeat in several stem cell clones was unstable,with either expansion or contraction. Patient stem cell clones produced a similar number of motor neurons compared to controls,with or without androgen treatment. The stem cell-derived motor neurons had immunoreactivity for HB9,Isl1,ChAT,and SMI-32,and those with the largest repeat expansions were found to have increased acetylated ??-tubulin and reduced HDAC6. Reduced HDAC6 was also found in motor neuron cultures from two other patients with shorter repeats. Evaluation of stably transfected mouse cells and SBMA spinal cord showed similar changes in acetylated ??-tubulin and HDAC6. Perinuclear lysosomal enrichment,an HDAC6 dependent process,was disrupted in motor neurons from two patients with the longest repeats. SBMA stem cells present new insights into the disease,and the observations of reduced androgen receptor levels,repeat instability,and reduced HDAC6 provide avenues for further investigation of the disease mechanism and development of effective therapy. ?? 2014. View Publication

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is a Calcium (Ca2+) influx pathway activated by depletion of intracellular stores that occurs in eukaryotic cells. In neurons,the presence and functions of SOCE are still in question. Here,we show evidences for the existence of SOCE in primary mouse cortical neurons. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Ca2+ depletion using thapsigargin (Tg) triggered a maintained cytosolic Ca2+ increase,which rapidly returned to basal level in the presence of the SOCE blockers 2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) and YM-58483. Neural SOCE is also engaged by activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) with (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) (agonist of group I mGluRs),being an essential mechanism to maintain the mGluR-driven Ca2+ signal. Activation of group I of mGluRs triggers long-term depression (LTD) in many brain regions,but the underlying mechanism and,specifically,the necessity of Ca2+ increase in the postsynaptic neuron is controversial. In primary cortical neurons,we now show that the inhibition of Ca2+ influx through SOCE impaired DHPG-LTD,pointing out a key function of calcium and SOCE in synaptic plasticity. View Publication