| 1. |
- Albrecht, Inka, et al.
(författare)
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Development of autoantibodies against muscle-specific FHL1 in severe inflammatory myopathies
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Investigation. - : AMER SOC CLINICAL INVESTIGATION INC. - 0021-9738 .- 1558-8238. ; 125:12, s. 4612-4624
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mutations of the gene encoding four-and-a-half LIM domain 1 (FHL1) are the causative factor of several X-linked hereditary myopathies that are collectively termed FHL1-related myopathies. These disorders are characterized by severe muscle dysfunction and damage. Here, we have shown that patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) develop autoimmunity to FHL1, which is a muscle-specific protein. Anti-FHL1 autoantibodies were detected in 25% of IIM patients, while patients with other autoimmune diseases or muscular dystrophies were largely anti-FHL1 negative. Anti-FHL1 reactivity was predictive for muscle atrophy, dysphagia, pronounced muscle fiber damage, and vasculitis. FHL1 showed an altered expression pattern, with focal accumulation in the muscle fibers of autoantibody-positive patients compared with a homogeneous expression in anti-FHL1-negative patients and healthy controls. We determined that FHL1 is a target of the cytotoxic protease granzyme B, indicating that the generation of FHL1 fragments may initiate FHL1 autoimmunity. Moreover, immunization of myositis-prone mice with FHL1 aggravated muscle weakness and increased mortality, suggesting a direct link between anti-FHL1 responses and muscle damage. Together, our findings provide evidence that FHL1 may be involved in the pathogenesis not only of genetic FHL1-related myopathies but also of autoimmune IIM. Importantly, these results indicate that anti-FHL1 autoantibodies in peripheral blood have promising potential as a biomarker to identify a subset of severe IIM.
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| 2. |
- Baranowska, Izabella, et al.
(författare)
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Sensory ataxic neuropathy in golden retriever dogs is caused by a deletion in the mitochondrial tRNATyr gene
- 2009
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Ingår i: PLoS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 5:5, s. e1000499-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sensory ataxic neuropathy (SAN) is a recently identified neurological disorder in golden retrievers. Pedigree analysis revealed that all affected dogs belong to one maternal lineage, and a statistical analysis showed that the disorder has a mitochondrial origin. A one base pair deletion in the mitochondrial tRNA(Tyr) gene was identified at position 5304 in affected dogs after re-sequencing the complete mitochondrial genome of seven individuals. The deletion was not found among dogs representing 18 different breeds or in six wolves, ruling out this as a common polymorphism. The mutation could be traced back to a common ancestor of all affected dogs that lived in the 1970s. We used a quantitative oligonucleotide ligation assay to establish the degree of heteroplasmy in blood and tissue samples from affected dogs and controls. Affected dogs and their first to fourth degree relatives had 0-11% wild-type (wt) sequence, while more distant relatives ranged between 5% and 60% wt sequence and all unrelated golden retrievers had 100% wt sequence. Northern blot analysis showed that tRNA(Tyr) had a 10-fold lower steady-state level in affected dogs compared with controls. Four out of five affected dogs showed decreases in mitochondrial ATP production rates and respiratory chain enzyme activities together with morphological alterations in muscle tissue, resembling the changes reported in human mitochondrial pathology. Altogether, these results provide conclusive evidence that the deletion in the mitochondrial tRNA(Tyr) gene is the causative mutation for SAN.
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| 3. |
- Cselenyi, Zsolt, et al.
(författare)
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[C-11]PBB3 binding in A beta(-) or A beta(+) corticobasal syndrome
- 2023
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Ingår i: Synapse. - : Wiley. - 0887-4476 .- 1098-2396. ; 77:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is associated with 4-repeat tauopathy and/or Alzheimers disease pathologies. To examine tau and amyloid-beta (A beta) deposits in CBS patients using positron emission tomography (PET). Eight CBS patients and three healthy individuals lacking amyloid pathology underwent PET with [C-11]PBB3 for tau imaging, and [C-11]AZD2184 for A beta. Subcortical and cortical binding of [C-11]PBB3 was compared between A beta(-) and A beta(+) CBS patients and reference group. Postmortem analysis was done in one CBS patient. Three CBS patients were considered A beta(+). Total binding was higher in all patients compared to the reference group. Similar regional binding profiles of [C-11]PBB3 in A beta(+) and A beta(-) CBS patients were found. Elevated [C-11]PBB3 binding in pallidum was observed in all CBS patients. Cortical [C-11]PBB3 binding was higher in A beta(+) compared to A beta(-) patients. Postmortem analysis of a CBS patient revealed corticobasal degeneration neuropathology and [C-11]PBB3 autofluorescence in some tau-positive structures. [C-11]PBB3 is elevated in CBS patients with binding in relevant areas capturing some, but not all, 4-repeat tauopathy in CBS.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Ekhtiari Bidhendi, Elaheh, 1986-
(författare)
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SOD1 prions transmit templated aggregation and fatal ALS-like disease
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons. The resulting paresis begins focally, usually in one muscle, and spreads contiguously, leading to muscle wasting, progressive paralysis and eventually death. 90% of all ALS cases are sporadic, with no genetic background (sALS), while 10% are hereditary or familial (fALS). The first identified cause of ALS was mutations in the gene encoding the enzyme superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), which are found in 3-6% of the ALS patients. Mutations in SOD1 confer a cytotoxic gain of function on the enzyme. Cytosolic inclusions containing aggregated SOD1 in motor neurons are a hallmark of ALS, both in patients and transgenic (Tg) mice carrying mutant human SOD1s (hSOD1). These inclusions have also been reported in sporadic and familial ALS cases without SOD1 mutations, suggesting a broader role of this protein in the ALS pathology. However, the mechanism of SOD1 misfolding and aggregation, and their contribution to the disease pathogenesis, is unclear.Our research group has recently identified two structurally different strains of hSOD1 aggregates (denoted A and B) in the central nervous system of Tg murine models expressing full-length hSOD1 variants.The aim of this thesis is to investigate if the SOD1 aggregation is a collateral byproduct in the process of the disease, or if it drives ALS pathogenesis. In addition, this work investigates the spreading characteristic of the disease in vivo.Human SOD1 A and B seeds were prepared from spinal cords of terminally ill hSOD1 Tg mice by ultracentrifugation through a density gradient. Minute amounts of the aggregate seeds were micro-inoculated into the lumbar spinal cord of asymptomatic recipient Tg mice, overexpressing G85R mutant hSOD1 (hSOD1G85R). Mice inoculated with A or B aggregates developed early-onset fatal ALS-like disease, becoming terminally ill around 100 days after inoculation. This is nearly 200 days earlier than hSOD1G85R Tg mice inoculated with a control preparation or non-inoculated mice. Concomitantly, exponentially growing templated hSOD1 aggregation developed in the recipient mice, spreading all along the neuraxis. The pathology provoked by the A and B strains differed in aggregation growth rates, disease progression rates, aggregate distribution along the neuraxis, rates of weight loss, end-stage amounts of aggregates, and histopathology.Next, we explored the existence of mutant hSOD1 aggregates with prion-like properties in the spinal cord of ALS patients. To this end, aggregate seeds were prepared from the spinal cord of the autopsy material of an ALS patient carrying the hSOD1G127X truncation mutation, as well as from mice transgenic for the same mutation. The aggregates showed a strain A-like core structure. Inoculation of both the murine and human derived seeds into the lumbar spinal cord of hSOD1 expressing mice efficiently transmitted strain A aggregation, propagating rostrally throughout the neuraxis and causing premature fatal ALS-like disease. The inoculation of human or murine control seeds had no effect. The potency of the ALS patient-derived seed was exceedingly high, and the disease was initiated under conditions plausible to exist also in the human motor system. These results demonstrate for the first time, the presence of hSOD1 aggregates with prion-like properties in human ALS.We extended the exploration of hSOD1 prion mechanisms by inoculating another recipient mouse line, with wild-type-like stability and essentially normal SOD activity. Mice that are hemizygous for the hSOD1D90A transgene insertion do not develop ALS pathology and have normal murine lifespans (>700 days). Homozygous mice develop ALS-like disease around 400 days-of-age. Interestingly, inoculations of both strain A and B seeds into the lumbar spinal cord of hemizygous hSOD1D90A mice induced progressive hSOD1 aggregations and premature fatal ALS-like disease after around 250 and 350 days, respectively. In contrast, hemizygous hSOD1D90A mice inoculated with a mouse control seed died from senescence-related causes at ages beyond 700 days.Altogether, data in this thesis shows that the hSOD1 aggregate strains are ALS transmitting prions, suggesting that prion-like growth and spread of hSOD1 aggregation is the core pathogenic mechanism of SOD1-induced ALS.
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| 6. |
- Engler, Henry, et al.
(författare)
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Imaging astrocytosis with PET in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease : case report with histopathological findings
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. - 1940-5901. ; 5:2, s. 201-207
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a previous study, patients with suspect Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease (CJD) have been examined with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) combining N-[11C-methyl]-L-deuterodeprenyl (DED) and [(18)F] 2- fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in an attempt to detect astrocytosis and neuronal dysfunction, two of the hallmarks in CJD. Increased DED uptake with pronounced hypometabolism matching the areas with high DED retention was found in the fronto-parieto-occipital areas and cerebellum of patients with confirmed CJD. However, the temporal lobes did not present such a pattern. In 6 of the 15 examined patients the autopsy was performed, but a strict comparison between the PET results and the histopathology could not be done. Recently, one patient with suspect CJD was examined with PET using DED and FDG. The results of the examinations in this patient showed a pattern similar to that found in the brain of the CJD patients from the first study. The patient died shortly after the examination and an autopsy could be performed. The autopsy showed neuronal death, astrocytosis and spongiform changes in the brain. The diagnosis of definite sporadic CJD was established by the Western blot analysis, confirming the presence of the prion resistant protein (PrPres). The PET data demonstrated high DED uptake and extreme low glucose uptake in the left brain hemisphere whereas the right side was less affected. The autopsy was performed allowing the comparison between high DED uptake and the histopathological findings of reactive astrocytosis revealed by immunostaining with antibodies against glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP). The results confirmed the presence of a pattern with high ratio DED/FDG, similar to that found in the previous study and revealing for the first time, a good correlation between high DED uptake and high density of reactive astrocytes as demonstrated by immunostaining.
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| 7. |
- Filograna, Roberta, et al.
(författare)
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PARKIN is not required to sustain OXPHOS function in adult mammalian tissues
- 2024
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Ingår i: npj Parkinson's Disease. - : Springer Nature. - 2373-8057. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Loss-of-function variants in the PRKN gene encoding the ubiquitin E3 ligase PARKIN cause autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). Extensive in vitro and in vivo studies have reported that PARKIN is involved in multiple pathways of mitochondrial quality control, including mitochondrial degradation and biogenesis. However, these findings are surrounded by substantial controversy due to conflicting experimental data. In addition, the existing PARKIN-deficient mouse models have failed to faithfully recapitulate PD phenotypes. Therefore, we have investigated the mitochondrial role of PARKIN during ageing and in response to stress by employing a series of conditional Parkin knockout mice. We report that PARKIN loss does not affect oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) levels in the brain, heart, and skeletal muscle of aged mice. We also demonstrate that PARKIN deficiency does not exacerbate the brain defects and the pro-inflammatory phenotype observed in mice carrying high levels of mtDNA mutations. To rule out compensatory mechanisms activated during embryonic development of Parkin-deficient mice, we generated a mouse model where loss of PARKIN was induced in adult dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Surprisingly, also these mice did not show motor impairment or neurodegeneration, and no major transcriptional changes were found in isolated midbrain DA neurons. Finally, we report a patient with compound heterozygous PRKN pathogenic variants that lacks PARKIN and has developed PD. The PARKIN deficiency did not impair OXPHOS activities or induce mitochondrial pathology in skeletal muscle from the patient. Altogether, our results argue that PARKIN is dispensable for OXPHOS function in adult mammalian tissues.
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| 8. |
- Frisk, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Early activating somatic PIK3CA mutations promote ectopic muscle development and upper limb overgrowth
- 2019
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Ingår i: Clinical Genetics. - : WILEY. - 0009-9163 .- 1399-0004. ; 96:2, s. 118-125
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum is a group of rare genetic disorders with asymmetric overgrowth caused by somatic mosaic PIK3CA mutations. Here, we report clinical data and molecular findings from two patients with congenital muscular upper limb overgrowth and aberrant anatomy. During debulking surgery, numerous ectopic muscles were found in the upper limbs of the patients. DNA sequencing, followed by digital polymerase chain reaction, was performed on DNA extracted from biopsies from hypertrophic ectopic muscles and identified the somatic mosaic PIK3CA hotspot mutations c.3140A > G, p.(His1047Arg) and c.1624G > A, p.(Glu542Lys) in a male (patient 1) and a female (patient 2) patient, respectively. Patient 1 had four ectopic muscles and unilateral isolated muscular overgrowth while patient 2 had 13 ectopic muscles and bilateral isolated muscular overgrowth of both upper limbs, indicating that her mutation occurred at early pre-somitic mesoderm state. The finding of PIK3CA mutations in ectopic muscles highlights the importance of PIK3CA in cell fate in early human embryonic development. Moreover, our findings provide evidence that the disease phenotype depends on the timing of PIK3CA mutagenesis during embryogenesis and confirm the diagnostic entity PIK3CA-related muscular overgrowth with ectopic accessory muscles.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Kadir, Ahmadul, et al.
(författare)
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Positron emission tomography imaging and clinical progression in relation to molecular pathology in the first Pittsburgh Compound B positron emission tomography patient with Alzheimer’s disease
- 2011
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Ingår i: Brain. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-8950 .- 1460-2156. ; 134:1, s. 301-317
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The accumulation of β-amyloid in the brain is an early event in Alzheimer’s disease. This study presents the first patient with Alzheimer’s disease who underwent positron emission tomography imaging with the amyloid tracer, Pittsburgh Compound B to visualize fibrillar β-amyloid in the brain. Here we relate the clinical progression, amyloid and functional brain positron emission tomography imaging with molecular neuropathological alterations at autopsy to gain new insight into the relationship between β-amyloid accumulation, inflammatory processes and the cholinergic neurotransmitter system in Alzheimer’s disease brain. The patient underwent positron emission tomography studies with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose three times (at ages 53, 56 and 58 years) and twice with Pittsburgh Compound B (at ages 56 and 58 years), prior to death at 61 years of age. The patient showed a pronounced decline in cerebral glucose metabolism and cognition during disease progression, while Pittsburgh Compound B retention remained high and stable at follow-up. Neuropathological examination of the brain at autopsy confirmed the clinical diagnosis of pure Alzheimer’s disease. A comprehensive neuropathological investigation was performed in nine brain regions to measure the regional distribution of β-amyloid, neurofibrillary tangles and the levels of binding of 3H-nicotine and 125I-α-bungarotoxin to neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes, 3H-L-deprenyl to activated astrocytes and 3H-PK11195 to microglia, as well as butyrylcholinesterase activity. Regional in vivo 11C-Pittsburgh Compound B-positron emission tomography retention positively correlated with 3H-Pittsburgh Compound B binding, total insoluble β-amyloid, and β-amyloid plaque distribution, but not with the number of neurofibrillary tangles measured at autopsy. There was a negative correlation between regional fibrillar β-amyloid and levels of 3H-nicotine binding. In addition, a positive correlation was found between regional 11C-Pittsburgh Compound B positron emission tomography retention and 3H-Pittsburgh Compound B binding with the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactive cells, but not with 3H-L-deprenyl and 3H-PK-11195 binding. In summary, high 11C-Pittsburgh Compound B positron emission tomography retention significantly correlates with both fibrillar β-amyloid and losses of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes at autopsy, suggesting a closer involvement of β-amyloid pathology with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes than with inflammatory processes.
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