RNA-Targeted Dysregulation of Survival Factors in ALS: HuR to the Rescue

ALS 中生存因子的 RNA 靶向失调：HuR 来拯救

• 批准号: 8413600
• 负责人: PETER H KING
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: BIRMINGHAM VA MEDICAL CENTER
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8413600
• 关键词: 3' Untranslated Regions; Address; Affect; Affinity; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Animals; Antioxidants; Apoptosis; Area; Astrocytes; BCL2 gene; BIRC4 gene; Binding; Cancer Model; Cell Survival; Cell model; Cells; Cellular Stress; Cessation of life; Code; Complex; Cuprozinc Superoxide Dismutase; Degenerative Disorder; Disease; Elements; Enzymes; Event; Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Foundations; Functional disorder; Gene Expression; Genes; Genetic Translation; Growth; Growth Factor; Healthcare; Human Genetics; In Vitro; Incidence; Laboratories; Lead; Light; Link; Location; MDM2 gene; Maintenance; Messenger RNA; Mission; Molecular; Motor Neuron Disease; Motor Neurons; Muscle; Mutation; Neurodegenerative Disorders; Paralysed; Pathogenesis; Pathway interactions; Phenotype; Play; Polyribosomes; Population; Post-Transcriptional RNA Processing; Process; Production; Progressive Disease; Proteins; RNA; RNA Binding; RNA Degradation; RNA Stability; RNA-Binding Proteins; RNA-Protein Interaction; Regulation; Regulatory Element; Research; Role; Testing; Transcript; Transgenic Organisms; Translations; Up-Regulation; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; Veterans; War; Work; base; cytotoxic; effective therapy; gain of function; in vitro Model; in vivo; mRNA Stability; mitochondrial dysfunction; motor neuron degeneration; mouse model; mutant; novel; novel therapeutic intervention; protein TDP-43; superoxide dismutase 1

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative disease of motor neurons that inexorably leads to progressive weakness and death. The incidence of ALS is significantly increased among veterans of foreign wars, and thus it has a major impact on veteran health care. Sadly, the pathophysiology of this disease remains largely a mystery, and there are no effective treatments. In recent work from our laboratory, we have identified dysregulation of growth factor mRNA stability and translation as a novel mechanistic direction to understanding the basis for ALS. Mutations of Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD)1 that are associated with familial ALS gain a high RNA binding affinity for U- and AU-rich elements present in 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTR) of many critical growth and cytoprotective factors. Through an interaction with cellular RNA binding proteins (RBP), these elements govern stability and translation of the transcript and provide an important pathway for rapid upregulation of survival factors during cellular stress. The RBP, HuR, plays a major positive role in this molecular pathway by binding to these elements. We previously showed that mutant SOD1, through its gain of high RNA binding affinity, disrupts HuR stabilization and translation of vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA, a critical neuroprotective factor for motor neurons. We found that apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in cells expressing mutant SOD1 could be reversed by upregulating HuR. Based on this work, we hypothesize here that upregulation of HuR can rescue motor neuron degeneration induced by mutant SOD1 by reversing aberrant post-transcriptional processing of survival factor mRNAs in motor neurons directly or by enhanced VEGF production of surrounding astrocytes. We have the animal cellular models necessary to test this exciting possibility. This work has the real potential to establish a foundation for developing novel therapeutic approaches to this devastating disease. Specific Aims: 1. To determine whether HuR can rescue the cytotoxic phenotype of mutant SOD1 in motor neurons and astrocytes using in vitro and in vivo mouse models. 2. To determine the molecular impact of transgenic HuR expression in motor neurons and astrocytes with regard to posttranscriptional regulation and production of cytoprotective factors.

描述（由申请人提供）： 肌萎缩侧索硬化症 (ALS) 是一种运动神经元退行性疾病，会不可避免地导致进行性虚弱和死亡。 ALS的发病率在国外战争的退伍军人中显着增加，因此对退伍军人的医疗保健产生重大影响。遗憾的是，这种疾病的病理生理学在很大程度上仍然是个谜，并且没有有效的治疗方法。在我们实验室最近的工作中，我们发现生长因子 mRNA 稳定性和翻译失调是了解 ALS 基础的新机制方向。与家族性 ALS 相关的铜、锌超氧化物歧化酶 (SOD)1 突变可对许多关键生长和细胞保护因子的 5' 和 3' 非翻译区 (UTR) 中富含 U 和 AU 的元素获得高 RNA 结合亲和力。通过与细胞 RNA 结合蛋白 (RBP) 的相互作用，这些元件控制转录物的稳定性和翻译，并为细胞应激期间生存因子的快速上调提供重要途径。 RBP、HuR 通过与这些元件结合，在此分子途径中发挥着重要的积极作用。我们之前表明，突变型 SOD1 通过获得高 RNA 结合亲和力，破坏了 HuR 的稳定和血管内皮生长因子 mRNA 的翻译，血管内皮生长因子 mRNA 是运动神经元的关键神经保护因子。我们发现表达突变型 SOD1 的细胞中的凋亡和线粒体功能障碍可以通过上调 HuR 来逆转。基于这项工作，我们假设 HuR 的上调可以通过直接逆转运动神经元中生存因子 mRNA 的异常转录后加工或通过增强周围星形胶质细胞的 VEGF 产生来挽救突变型 SOD1 诱导的运动神经元变性。我们拥有测试这种令人兴奋的可能性所需的动物细胞模型。这项工作确实有潜力为开发针对这种毁灭性疾病的新治疗方法奠定基础。具体目标： 1. 使用体外和体内小鼠模型确定 HuR 是否可以挽救运动神经元和星形胶质细胞中突变型 SOD1 的细胞毒性表型。 2.确定运动神经元和星形胶质细胞中转基因HuR表达对转录后调节和细胞保护因子产生的分子影响。