Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 9RX, London, UK.
Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2024 Feb 23;12(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s40478-024-01742-x.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are clinically linked major neurodegenerative diseases. Notably, TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP43) accumulations are hallmark pathologies of FTD/ALS and mutations in the gene encoding TDP43 cause familial FTD/ALS. There are no cures for FTD/ALS. FTD/ALS display damage to a broad range of physiological functions, many of which are regulated by signaling between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. This signaling is mediated by the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethering proteins that serve to recruit regions of ER to the mitochondrial surface so as to facilitate inter-organelle communications. Several studies have now shown that disrupted ER-mitochondria signaling including breaking of the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers are features of FTD/ALS and that for TDP43 and other familial genetic FTD/ALS insults, this involves activation of glycogen kinase-3β (GSK3β). Such findings have prompted suggestions that correcting damage to ER-mitochondria signaling and the VAPB-PTPIP51 interaction may be broadly therapeutic. Here we provide evidence to support this notion. We show that overexpression of VAPB or PTPIP51 to enhance ER-mitochondria signaling corrects mutant TDP43 induced damage to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor delivery of Ca to mitochondria which is a primary function of the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers, and to synaptic function. Moreover, we show that ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), an FDA approved drug linked to FTD/ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases therapy and whose precise therapeutic target is unclear, corrects TDP43 linked damage to the VAPB-PTPIP51 interaction. We also show that this effect involves inhibition of TDP43 mediated activation of GSK3β. Thus, correcting damage to the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers may have therapeutic value for FTD/ALS and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
额颞叶痴呆(FTD)和肌萎缩侧索硬化症(ALS)是两种临床上相关的主要神经退行性疾病。值得注意的是,TAR DNA 结合蛋白-43(TDP43)的积累是 FTD/ALS 的标志性病理学特征,而 TDP43 基因的突变会导致家族性 FTD/ALS。目前尚无 FTD/ALS 的治愈方法。FTD/ALS 表现出广泛的生理功能损伤,其中许多功能受到内质网(ER)和线粒体之间信号传递的调节。这种信号传递是由 VAPB-PTPIP51 连接蛋白介导的,这些蛋白将 ER 的区域募集到线粒体表面,以促进细胞器之间的通讯。现在有几项研究表明,包括 VAPB-PTPIP51 连接体的破坏在内的 ER-线粒体信号传递的中断是 FTD/ALS 的特征,而对于 TDP43 和其他家族性遗传 FTD/ALS 损伤,这涉及到糖原激酶-3β(GSK3β)的激活。这些发现促使人们提出这样的观点,即纠正 ER-线粒体信号传递和 VAPB-PTPIP51 相互作用的损伤可能具有广泛的治疗作用。在这里,我们提供了支持这一观点的证据。我们发现,过表达 VAPB 或 PTPIP51 以增强 ER-线粒体信号传递,可以纠正突变型 TDP43 诱导的内质网肌醇 1,4,5-三磷酸(IP3)受体向线粒体输送 Ca2+的损伤,这是 VAPB-PTPIP51 连接体的主要功能,也可以纠正突触功能。此外,我们发现熊去氧胆酸(UDCA),一种与 FTD/ALS 和其他神经退行性疾病治疗相关的 FDA 批准药物,其确切的治疗靶点尚不清楚,可以纠正 TDP43 对 VAPB-PTPIP51 相互作用的损伤。我们还发现,这种作用涉及到抑制 TDP43 介导的 GSK3β 的激活。因此,纠正 VAPB-PTPIP51 连接体的损伤可能对 FTD/ALS 和其他与年龄相关的神经退行性疾病具有治疗价值。