Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.
J Neurosci. 2020 Oct 14;40(42):8174-8187. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0957-20.2020. Epub 2020 Sep 24.
Myelin Protein Zero (MPZ/P0) is the most abundant glycoprotein of peripheral nerve myelin. P0 is synthesized by myelinating Schwann cells, processed in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and delivered to myelin via the secretory pathway. The mutant P0S63del (deletion of serine 63 in the extracellular domain of P0), that causes Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1B (CMT1B) neuropathy in humans and a similar demyelinating neuropathy in transgenic mice, is instead retained the ER where it activates an unfolded protein response. Under ER-stress conditions, protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) phosphorylates eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) to attenuate global translation, thus reducing the misfolded protein overload in the ER. Genetic and pharmacological inactivation of Gadd34 (damage-inducible protein 34), a subunit of the PP1 phosphatase complex that promotes the dephosphorylation of eIF2α, prolonged eIF2α phosphorylation and improved motor, neurophysiological, and morphologic deficits in S63del mice. However, PERK ablation in S63del Schwann cells ameliorated, rather than worsened, S63del neuropathy despite reduced levels of phosphorylated eIF2α. These contradictory findings prompted us to genetically explore the role of eIF2α phosphorylation in P0S63del-CMT1B neuropathy through the generation of mice in which eIF2α cannot be phosphorylated specifically in Schwann cells. Morphologic and electrophysiological analysis of male and female S63del mice showed a worsening of the neuropathy in the absence of eIF2α phosphorylation. However, we did not detect significant changes in ER stress levels, but rather a dramatic increase of the MEK/ERK/c-Jun pathway accompanied by a reduction in expression of myelin genes and a delay in Schwann cell differentiation. Our results support the hypothesis that eIF2α phosphorylation is protective in CMT1B and unveil a possible cross talk between eIF2α and the MEK/ERK pathway in neuropathic nerves. In the P0S63del (deletion of serine 63 in the extracellular domain of P0) mouse model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1B (CMT1B), the genetic and pharmacological inhibition of Gadd34 (damage-inducible protein 34) prolonged eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) phosphorylation, leading to a proteostatic rebalance that significantly ameliorated the neuropathy. Yet, ablation of protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) also ameliorated the S63del neuropathy, despite reduced levels of eIF2α phosphorylation (P-eIF2α). In this study, we provide genetic evidence that eIF2α phosphorylation has a protective role in CMT1B Schwann cells by limiting ERK/c-Jun hyperactivation. Our data support the targeting of the P-eIF2α/Gadd34 complex as a therapeutic avenue in CMT1B and also suggest that PERK may hamper myelination via mechanisms outside its role in the unfolded protein response.
髓鞘蛋白零 (MPZ/P0) 是周围神经髓鞘中含量最丰富的糖蛋白。P0 由施万细胞合成,在内质网 (ER) 中进行加工,并通过分泌途径输送到髓鞘。导致人类 Charcot-Marie-Tooth 型 1B (CMT1B) 神经病和转基因小鼠类似脱髓鞘神经病的突变 P0S63del(P0 细胞外结构域丝氨酸 63 的缺失),而是保留在 ER 中,在那里它激活未折叠蛋白反应。在 ER 应激条件下,蛋白激酶 R 样内质网激酶 (PERK) 磷酸化真核起始因子 2α (eIF2α) 以减弱全局翻译,从而减少 ER 中错误折叠蛋白的过载。Gadd34(诱导损伤蛋白 34)的遗传和药理学失活,Gadd34 是促进 eIF2α 去磷酸化的 PP1 磷酸酶复合物的一个亚基,延长了 eIF2α 的磷酸化,并改善了 S63del 小鼠的运动、神经生理和形态学缺陷。然而,尽管 S63del 施万细胞中磷酸化的 eIF2α 水平降低,但 PERK 缺失却改善了 S63del 神经病,而不是恶化了它。这些矛盾的发现促使我们通过生成不能在施万细胞中特异性磷酸化 eIF2α 的小鼠来从遗传上探讨 eIF2α 磷酸化在 P0S63del-CMT1B 神经病中的作用。对雄性和雌性 S63del 小鼠的形态和电生理分析显示,在没有 eIF2α 磷酸化的情况下,神经病恶化。然而,我们没有检测到 ER 应激水平的显著变化,而是观察到 MEK/ERK/c-Jun 通路的急剧增加,伴随着髓鞘基因表达的减少和施万细胞分化的延迟。我们的结果支持了 eIF2α 磷酸化在 CMT1B 中具有保护作用的假设,并揭示了在神经病变神经中 eIF2α 和 MEK/ERK 通路之间可能存在交叉对话。在 P0S63del(P0 细胞外结构域丝氨酸 63 的缺失)CMT1B 小鼠模型中,Gadd34(诱导损伤蛋白 34)的遗传和药理学抑制延长了真核起始因子 2α (eIF2α) 的磷酸化,导致稳态失衡得到显著改善。然而,蛋白激酶 R 样内质网激酶 (PERK) 的缺失也改善了 S63del 神经病,尽管磷酸化的 eIF2α(P-eIF2α)水平降低。在这项研究中,我们提供了遗传证据,证明 eIF2α 磷酸化通过限制 ERK/c-Jun 的过度激活在 CMT1B 施万细胞中发挥保护作用。我们的数据支持将 P-eIF2α/Gadd34 复合物作为 CMT1B 的治疗靶点,也表明 PERK 可能通过其在未折叠蛋白反应中的作用之外的机制阻碍髓鞘形成。