| 21. |
- Brockmann, Sarah J., et al.
(author)
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CHCHD10 mutations p.R15L and p.G66V cause motoneuron disease by haploinsufficiency
- 2018
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In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press. - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 27:4, s. 706-715
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mutations in the mitochondrially located protein CHCHD10 cause motoneuron disease by an unknown mechanism. In this study, we investigate the mutations p. R15L and p. G66V in comparison to wild-type CHCHD10 and the non-pathogenic variant p. P34S in vitro, in patient cells as well as in the vertebrate in vivo model zebrafish. We demonstrate a reduction of CHCHD10 protein levels in p. R15L and p. G66V mutant patient cells to approximately 50%. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that expression of CHCHD10 p. R15L, but not of CHCHD10 p. G66V, is already abrogated at the mRNA level. Altered secondary structure and rapid protein degradation are observed with regard to the CHCHD10 p. G66V mutant. In contrast, no significant differences in expression, degradation rate or secondary structure of non-pathogenic CHCHD10 p. P34S are detected when compared with wild-type protein. Knockdown of CHCHD10 expression in zebrafish to about 50% causes motoneuron pathology, abnormal myofibrillar structure and motility deficits in vivo. Thus, our data show that the CHCHD10 mutations p. R15L and p. G66V cause motoneuron disease primarily based on haploinsufficiency of CHCHD10.
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| 22. |
- Ciećwierska, Katarzyna, et al.
(author)
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Quality of life and depression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – does the country of origin matter?
- 2023
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In: BMC Palliative Care. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1472-684X. ; 22:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Given the inevitable relentless progressing nature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), it is essential to identify factors influencing patients’ wellbeing. The study aimed to prospectively assess factors influencing the quality of life (QoL) and depression in ALS patients compared to healthy controls (HCs) from Poland, Germany and Sweden and their relationship to socio-demographic and clinical factors.Methods: 314 ALS patients (120 from Poland, 140 from Germany, 54 from Sweden) and 311 age-, sex- and education-level-matched HCs underwent standardized interviews for quality of life, depression, functional status and pain.Results: Patients from all three countries showed similar levels of functional impairment (ALSFRS-R). Overall, ALS patients assessed their quality of life as lower compared to HCs (p < 0.001 for the anamnestic comparative self-assessment (ACSA), p = 0.002 for the Schedule for the evaluation of the subjective quality of life - SEIQoL- direct weighting (SEIQoL-DW). Also, the German and Swedish patients, but not the Polish, reported higher depression levels than the corresponding HCs (p < 0.001). Analysis of ALS groups revealed that functional impairment was related to a lower quality of life (ACSA) and higher depression levels among German ALS patients. Longer time since diagnosis predicted lower depression and (in male subjects) higher quality of life.Conclusions: ALS patients assess their quality of life and mood lower than healthy individuals within the studied countries. The relationships between clinical and demographic factors are moderated by country of provenance, which bears implications for the design and interpretation of scientific and clinical studies, which should reflect the complexity and heterogeneity of mechanisms determining QoL.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Dorst, Johannes, et al.
(author)
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Metabolic alterations precede neurofilament changes in presymptomatic ALS gene carriers
- 2023
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In: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier. - 2352-3964. ; 90
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The emergence of potentially effective new therapies for genetic forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) necessitates the identification of biomarkers to facilitate early treatment, prior to the onset of motor symptoms. Here, we sought to investigate whether metabolic alterations are detectable in presymptomatic ALS gene mutation carriers, and whether such alterations precede neurofilament light chain (NfL) changes in serum.Methods: Between 02/2014 and 11/2021, we prospectively studied 60 presymptomatic ALS gene mutation carriers (40% male, age 48.7 ± 14.9; 28 C9orf72, 22 SOD1, 10 other) compared to 73 individuals from the same families (47% male, age 47.4 ± 12.9) without pathogenic mutations as controls. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and indirect calorimetry were performed, and Body Mass Index (BMI), Fat Mass (FM), Body Fat Percentage, Body Water (BW), Lean Body Mass (LBM), Extracellular Mass (ECM), Body Cell Mass (BCM), ECM/BCM ratio, Cells Percentage, Phase Angle, Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), Metabolic Ratio (MR), and NfL were measured. Participants and evaluators were blinded regarding gene carrier status.Findings: Presymptomatic ALS gene carriers showed reduced LBM (p = 0.02), BCM (p = 0.004), Cells Percentage (p = 0.04), BW (p = 0.02), Phase Angle (p = 0.04), and increased ECM/BCM ratio (p = 0.04), consistently indicating a loss of metabolically active body cells. While in C9orf72 mutation carriers all tissue masses were reduced, only metabolically active tissue was affected in SOD1 mutation carriers. Unexpectedly, RMR (p = 0.009) and MR (p = 0.01) were lower in presymptomatic ALS gene carriers compared to non-carriers. NfL serum levels were similar in mutation carriers and non-carriers (p = 0.60).Interpretation: The observed metabolic phenomena might reflect reduced physical activity and/or preemptive, insufficient compensatory mechanisms to prepare for the later hypermetabolic state. As pre-symptomatic biomarkers we propose ECM/BCM ratio and Phase Angle for SOD1, and a 4-compartment affection in BIA for C9orf72 mutation carriers.
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| 25. |
- Endo, Satoshi, et al.
(author)
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Instability of C154Y variant of aldo-keto reductase 1C3
- 2017
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In: Chemico-Biological Interactions. - : Elsevier. - 0009-2797 .- 1872-7786. ; 276, s. 194-202
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aldo-keto reductase (AKR) 1C3 is a cytosolic enzyme that metabolizes steroids, prostaglandins, toxic aldehydes and drugs. Recently, some nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms of AKR1C3 have been suggested to impact steroid and drug metabolism. In this study, we examined the effects of C154Y and L159V variants of AKR1C3 on stability and function of the enzyme. Both variants had been detected in patients with the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Recombinant wild-type (WT), C154Y and L159V enzymes were similar in specific activity, but C154Y displayed much lower thermostability than WT and L159V. C154Y was inactivated by 10-min incubation at >25 °C, and about 90% of its activity was lost at 40 °C. Differential scanning fluorimetry revealed that Tm (thermal denaturation midpoint) of C154Y was lower than that of WT. In order to study the cause of thermosensitivity of C154Y, we prepared C154F and C154S mutant AKR1C3s. Like C154Y, C154F was highly sensitive to thermal inactivation, whereas C154S showed almost the same thermostability as WT. The C154F and C154Y variants induced secondary and tertiary structural changes in AKR1C3 at 40 °C as reflected by their altered circular dichroism and 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate fluorescence characteristics. These results suggest that the replacement of C154 with a residue possessing a bulky aromatic side-chain impairs the folding of the α-helix containing C154 and its neighboring secondary structures, leading to low thermostability of AKR1C3. AKR1C3 metabolizes cytotoxic 4-oxo-2-nonenal into a less toxic metabolite, and overexpression of WT in HEK293 cells alleviated the 4-oxo-2-nonenal-induced cytotoxicity. In contrast, the overexpression of C154Y in the cells did not show such a significant protective effect, suggesting that C154Y is unstable in cells.
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| 26. |
- Eschbach, Judith, et al.
(author)
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PGC-1 is a male-specific disease modifier of human and experimental amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- 2013
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In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 22:17, s. 3477-3484
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating, adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder of the upper and lower motor systems. It leads to paresis, muscle wasting and inevitably to death, typically within 35 years. However, disease onset and survival vary considerably ranging in extreme cases from a few months to several decades. The genetic and environmental factors underlying this variability are of great interest as potential therapeutic targets. In ALS, men are affected more often and have an earlier age of onset than women. This gender difference is recapitulated in transgenic rodent models, but no underlying mechanism has been elucidated. Here we report that SNPs in the brain-specific promoter region of the transcriptional co-activator PGC-1, a master regulator of metabolism, modulate age of onset and survival in two large and independent ALS populations and this occurs in a strictly male-specific manner. In complementary animal studies, we show that deficiency of full-length (FL) Pgc-1 leads to a significantly earlier age of onset and a borderline shortened survival in male, but not in female ALS-transgenic mice. In the animal model, FL Pgc-1-loss is associated with reduced mRNA levels of the trophic factor Vegf-A in males, but not in females. In summary, we indentify PGC-1 as a novel and clinically relevant disease modifier of human and experimental ALS and report a sex-dependent effect of PGC-1 in this neurodegenerative disorder.
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
- Fahmy, Nagia, et al.
(author)
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A novel homozygous p.Ser69Pro SOD1 mutation causes severe young-onset ALS with decreased enzyme activity
- 2023
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In: Journal of Neurology. - : Springer. - 0340-5354 .- 1432-1459. ; 270, s. 1770-1773
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The dose–effect of various SOD1 mutations on SOD1 enzymatic activity offers valuable insights into ALS pathogenesis with possible therapeutic implications. Homozygous SOD1 mutations, yet scarce, are of special interest. We report a novel homozygous SOD1 mutation with decreased enzymatic activity and severe early onset ALS phenotype.Methods: Whole exome sequencing and targeted screening of commonly implicated genes were conducted. Repeat-primed PCR and fragment length analysis were used for C9orf72. Bi-directional Sanger sequencing was used for SOD1 and other genes. SOD1 activity was measured by direct spectrophotometry. Serum neurofilament light chain level was measured by the ELLA immunoassay system.Results: The homozygous patient for a novel SOD1 variant p.Ser69Pro showed poor SOD1 enzymatic activity (16% of controls) and an early onset ALS phenotype predominantly affecting lower motor neurons with rapid involvement of the trunk, upper limbs and bulbar muscles. The asymptomatic heterozygous relatives had at least 68% of normal enzyme activity. Level of serum neurofilament light chain was much higher (148 pg/ml) in the patient than the relatives who had normal levels (6–10 pg/ml).Conclusion: This novel mutation adds knowledge to the ALS genotype–phenotype spectrum and supports the strong dose–effect of SOD1 mutations associated with severely decreased enzymatic activity.
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| 29. |
- Felbecker, Ansgar, et al.
(author)
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Four familial ALS pedigrees discordant for two SOD1 mutations : are all SOD1 mutations pathogenic?
- 2010
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In: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. - : BMJ. - 0022-3050 .- 1468-330X. ; 81:5, s. 572-577
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: 153 mutations in the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene have been claimed to be associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in familial and sporadic ALS in an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive pattern with complete or reduced penetrance. The authors now report four ALS pedigrees from Finland, France, Germany and Sweden with either the D90A or E100K SOD1 mutations in some but not all affected members. After re-collecting DNA, the non-segregation of the SOD1 mutations with disease was confirmed by three independent laboratories using different PCR primers: while some of the affected patients carry SOD1 mutations, other affected family members have two wildtype/normal SOD1 genes. In addition, some unaffected members within the same families are carriers of SOD1 gene mutations. To exclude other known genetic causes, the authors ruled out mutations within the genes coding for VAPB, ANG, TDP43, FUS and DCTN1 in affected individuals in the four pedigrees. CONCLUSIONS: The authors find that the D90A and E100K SOD1 gene mutations found in some patients are not the exclusive cause of ALS in these pedigrees. Whether this is also the case for the other 151 SOD1 mutations reported in ALS pedigrees is unknown. The findings have consequences for genetic testing in clinical practice when diagnosing ALS and for genetic counselling in ALS. Some SOD1 mutations may be part of an oligo- or epigentic pattern of inheritance. Such a pattern of inheritance may model other oligo- or polygenetic traits responsible for other forms of ALS.
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| 30. |
- Finsel, Julia, et al.
(author)
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Determining impairment in the Swedish, Polish and German ECAS : the importance of adjusting for age and education
- 2023
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In: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2167-8421 .- 2167-9223. ; 24:5-6, s. 475-484
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Age and years of education are strong predictors of cognitive performance in several versions of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) and cutoffs for the Swedish and Polish versions are not established yet. Here we evaluated the performance of healthy subjects on the national versions of the Swedish and Polish ECAS and compared cognitive performance on three European translations of the ECAS.Methods: The ECAS performances of healthy subjects from Sweden (n = 111), Poland (n = 124) and Germany (n = 86) were compared. Based on the test results on the national versions of ECAS, age- and education-adjusted cutoffs were compared for the German, Swedish and Polish versions, respectively.Results: Age and years of education correlated with performance in the ECAS. Swedish subjects under the age of 60 years and Swedish subjects with low education level scored significantly higher in memory than the respective German and Polish subgroups. German and Polish subjects over 60 years of age performed significantly better in language than the respective Swedish subgroup. The Polish cohort in total had lower executive scores compared to the Swedish cohort, and lower than the German subjects in the higher education subgroup.Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of establishing age- and education-adjusted ECAS cutoffs not only in general, but also for seemingly similar populations of different origins. The results should be taken into account when comparing cognition data across patient populations including in drug trials where an ECAS test result is being used as an inclusion criterium or outcome measure.
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