Ferroptosis-an iron-dependent, non-apoptotic cell death process-is involved in various degenerative diseases and represents a targetable susceptibility in certain cancers
. The ...ferroptosis-susceptible cell state can either pre-exist in cells that arise from certain lineages or be acquired during cell-state transitions
. However, precisely how susceptibility to ferroptosis is dynamically regulated remains poorly understood. Here we use genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 suppressor screens to identify the oxidative organelles peroxisomes as critical contributors to ferroptosis sensitivity in human renal and ovarian carcinoma cells. Using lipidomic profiling we show that peroxisomes contribute to ferroptosis by synthesizing polyunsaturated ether phospholipids (PUFA-ePLs), which act as substrates for lipid peroxidation that, in turn, results in the induction of ferroptosis. Carcinoma cells that are initially sensitive to ferroptosis can switch to a ferroptosis-resistant state in vivo in mice, which is associated with extensive downregulation of PUFA-ePLs. We further find that the pro-ferroptotic role of PUFA-ePLs can be extended beyond neoplastic cells to other cell types, including neurons and cardiomyocytes. Together, our work reveals roles for the peroxisome-ether-phospholipid axis in driving susceptibility to and evasion from ferroptosis, highlights PUFA-ePL as a distinct functional lipid class that is dynamically regulated during cell-state transitions, and suggests multiple regulatory nodes for therapeutic interventions in diseases that involve ferroptosis.
The Trk family of receptors play a wide variety of roles in physiological and disease processes in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues. Amongst these the TrkB receptor in particular has attracted ...major attention due to its critical role in signalling for brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT3) and neurotrophin-4 (NT4). TrkB signalling is indispensable for the survival, development and synaptic plasticity of several subtypes of neurons in the nervous system. Substantial evidence has emerged over the last decade about the involvement of aberrant TrkB signalling and its compromise in various neuropsychiatric and degenerative conditions. Unusual changes in TrkB signalling pathway have also been observed and implicated in a range of cancers. Variations in TrkB pathway have been observed in obesity and hyperphagia related disorders as well. Both BDNF and TrkB have been shown to play critical roles in the survival of retinal ganglion cells in the retina. The ability to specifically modulate TrkB signalling can be critical in various pathological scenarios associated with this pathway. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms underlying TrkB signalling, disease implications and explore plausible ameliorative or preventive approaches.
Ferroptosis is widely involved in degenerative diseases in various tissues including kidney, liver and brain, and is a targetable vulnerability in multiple primary and therapy-resistant cancers. ...Accumulation of phospholipid hydroperoxides in cellular membranes is the hallmark and rate-limiting step of ferroptosis; however, the enzymes contributing to lipid peroxidation remain poorly characterized. Using genome-wide, CRISPR-Cas9-mediated suppressor screens, we identify cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) as necessary for ferroptotic cell death in cancer cells exhibiting inherent and induced susceptibility to ferroptosis. By genetic depletion of POR in cancer cells, we reveal that POR contributes to ferroptosis across a wide range of lineages and cell states, and in response to distinct mechanisms of ferroptosis induction. Using systematic lipidomic profiling, we further map POR's activity to the lipid peroxidation step in ferroptosis. Hence, our work suggests that POR is a key mediator of ferroptosis and potential druggable target for developing antiferroptosis therapeutics.
Intraocular pressure (IOP) is currently the sole modifiable risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide
. Both IOP and POAG are highly ...heritable
. We report a combined analysis of participants from the UK Biobank (n = 103,914) and previously published data from the International Glaucoma Genetic Consortium (n = 29,578)
that identified 101 statistically independent genome-wide-significant SNPs for IOP, 85 of which have not been previously reported
. We examined these SNPs in 11,018 glaucoma cases and 126,069 controls, and 53 SNPs showed evidence of association. Gene-based tests implicated an additional 22 independent genes associated with IOP. We derived an allele score based on the IOP loci and loci influencing optic nerve head morphology. In 1,734 people with advanced glaucoma and 2,938 controls, participants in the top decile of the allele score were at increased risk (odds ratio (OR) = 5.6; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.1-7.6) of glaucoma relative to the bottom decile.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has a unique role in the neuronal development, differentiation, and survival in the developing and adult nervous system. A common single-nucleotide ...polymorphism in the pro-region of the human BDNF gene, resulting in a valine to methionine substitution (Val66Met), has been associated with the susceptibility, incidence, and clinical features of several neurodegenerative disorders. Much research has been dedicated to evaluating the effects of polymorphism in the past decade, and functional effects of this genetic variation. A better understanding of how this naturally occurring polymorphism associates with or influences physiology, anatomy, and cognition in both healthy and diseased adults in neurodegenerative conditions will help understand neurochemical mechanisms and definable clinical outcomes in humans. Here we review the role and relevance of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in neurodegenerative diseases, with particular emphasis on glaucoma, multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Several controversies and unresolved issues, including small effect sizes, possible ethnicity, gender, and age effects of the BDNF Val66Met are also discussed with respect to future research.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by inflammation, demyelination, neuro-axonal loss, and gliosis. Inflammatory demyelinating lesions are ...a hallmark of the disease. Spontaneous remyelination, however, is often incomplete and strategies that promote remyelination are needed. As a result, accurate and sensitive
measures of remyelination are necessary. The visual pathway provides a unique opportunity for
assessment of myelin damage and repair in the MS-affected brain since it is highly susceptible to damage in MS and is a very frequent site of MS lesions. The visually evoked potential (VEP), an event-related potential generated by the striate cortex in response to visual stimulation, is uniquely placed to serve as a biomarker of the myelination along the visual pathway. The multifocal VEP (mfVEP) represents a most recent addition to the array of VEP stimulations. This article provides a current view on the role of mfVEP as a biomarker of demyelination, spontaneous remyelination, and myelin repair in MS.
Glaucoma, a disease characterized by progressive optic nerve degeneration, can be prevented through timely diagnosis and treatment. We characterize optic nerve photographs of 67,040 UK Biobank ...participants and use a multitrait genetic model to identify risk loci for glaucoma. A glaucoma polygenic risk score (PRS) enables effective risk stratification in unselected glaucoma cases and modifies penetrance of the MYOC variant encoding p.Gln368Ter, the most common glaucoma-associated myocilin variant. In the unselected glaucoma population, individuals in the top PRS decile reach an absolute risk for glaucoma 10 years earlier than the bottom decile and are at 15-fold increased risk of developing advanced glaucoma (top 10% versus remaining 90%, odds ratio = 4.20). The PRS predicts glaucoma progression in prospectively monitored, early manifest glaucoma cases (P = 0.004) and surgical intervention in advanced disease (P = 3.6 × 10
). This glaucoma PRS will facilitate the development of a personalized approach for earlier treatment of high-risk individuals, with less intensive monitoring and treatment being possible for lower-risk groups.
Afferent visual pathways in multiple sclerosis: a review Graham, Stuart L; Klistorner, Alexander
Clinical & experimental ophthalmology,
January/February 2017, 2017-Jan, 2017-01-00, 20170101, Letnik:
45, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that involves inflammation and demyelination at multiple sites and causes a wide variety of clinical presentations with variable ...neurological deficits. The visual pathways are frequently involved with either visual or motor dysfunction. Optic neuritis (ON) is one the most common and best characterized presentations of the disease, but there are many other manifestations depending on the site of the lesion. Eyes that have never had ON show slow progressive loss of axons and retinal ganglion cells. Previously unrecognized optic radiation lesions may be associated with residual latency delays on visual evoked potentials. Both anterograde and retrograde degeneration may occur along the visual pathway. This review covers the features of MS in the anterior and posterior visual system and describes advances that have been made with newer techniques such as retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion tensor imaging and probabilistic tractography (DTI) and multifocal visual evoked potentials (mfVEPs). We report on the inter‐relationship between these measures of structure and function, and how they may be used as biomarkers for the disease.
To investigate the relationship between size of demyelinated lesion, extent of axonal loss, and degree of latency delay of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in a rat model of experimental ...demyelination.
Lysolecithin 1% (0.4 or 0.8 μL) was microinjected into an optic nerve of each of 14 rats 2 mm posterior to the globe. Standard flash VEPs were recorded with skull-implanted electrodes before and 2, 4, and 6 days after the microinjection. The optic nerves were stained with Luxol-fast blue and Bielschowsky's silver to assess demyelination and axonal pathology, respectively. Demyelinated areas were measured on serial sections, and lesion volumes were deduced by three-dimensional reconstruction.
Focal lesions of demyelination and variable axonal loss were observed. The mean volume of the lesion was 3.2 ± 1.1 × 10⁻² mm³. The injected eye showed a significant latency delay and amplitude decrease. Regression analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between N1 latency delay and lesion volume (r = 0.863, P < 0.0001), which remained significant after adjustment for axonal loss (r = 0.829, P < 0.001). N1 latency delay also showed a correlation with axonal loss (r = 0.552, P = 0.041), but the correlation became nonsignificant when controlling for demyelination (r = 0.387, P = 0.191). A linear association between N1-P2 amplitude decrease and axonal loss (r = 0.681, P = 0.007) was also observed.
The latency of the VEP accurately reflected the amount of demyelination in the visual pathway, whereas the amplitude correlated with axonal damage. This study supports the concept that the VEP provides a highly sensitive tool with which to measure demyelination in optic neuritis.
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