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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset incurable motor neuron (MN) disease. The reasons for selective MN vulnerability in ALS are unknown. Axonal pathology is among the earliest signs of ALS. We searched for novel modulatory genes in human MN axon shortening affected by TARDBP mutations. In transcriptome analysis of RNA present in the axon compartment of human-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MNs, PHOX2B (paired-like homeobox protein 2B) showed lower expression in TARDBP mutant axons, which was consistent with axon qPCR and in situ hybridization. PHOX2B mRNA stability was reduced in TARDBP mutant MNs. Furthermore, PHOX2B knockdown reduced neurite length in human MNs. Finally, phox2b knockdown in zebrafish induced short spinal axons and impaired escape response. PHOX2B is known to be highly express in other types of neurons maintained after ALS progression. Collectively, TARDBP mutations induced loss of axonal resilience, which is an important ALS-related phenotype mediated by PHOX2B downregulation., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The interaction of glucocorticoid modulatory element-binding protein 1 (GMEB1) with procaspase-2, -8, or -9 prevents caspase oligomerization and maturation. In the present study, we examined the effect of GMEB1 on neuronal apoptosis induced by hypoxia and oxidative stress. GMEB1 effectively attenuated caspase activation and apoptosis caused by these stresses in human neuroblastoma SK-N-MC cells, indicating that it functions as a potent inhibitor of caspase activation and apoptosis in response to oxidative stress. We propose that GMEB1 blocks pro-apoptosis signals induced by a variety of stresses.

Caspases are divided into two classes: initiator caspases, which include caspase-8 and -9 and possess long prodomains, and effector caspases, which include caspase-3 and -7 and possess short prodomains. Recently, we demonstrated that glucocorticoid modulatory element-binding protein 1 (GMEB1) interacts with the prodomain of procaspase-2, thereby disrupting its autoactivation and the induction of apoptosis. Here we show that GMEB1 is also capable of binding to procaspase-8 and -9. GMEB1 attenuated the Fas-mediated activation of these caspases and the subsequent apoptosis. The knockdown of endogenous GMEB1 using RNA interference revealed that cells with decreased GMEB1 expression are more sensitive to stress and undergo accelerated apoptosis. Transgenic mice expressing a neurospecific GMEB1 had smaller cerebral infarcts and less brain swelling than wild-type mice in response to transient focal ischemia. These results suggest that GMEB1 is an endogenous regulator that selectively binds to initiator procaspases and inhibits caspase-induced apoptosis.

Caspases are the primary executioners of apoptosis. Although procaspases believe to exist as inactive forms in cells, the detailed regulatory system remains unclear. Here we show that glucocorticoid modulatory element-binding protein 1 (GMEB1) is capable of binding to the prodomain of caspase-2. We found that this molecule inhibits the autoproteolytic activation of procaspase-2 by oligomerization on a chemical compound-dependent system. These findings indicated that GMEB1 might be an endogenous inhibitory protein that selectively interacts with prodomain of caspase-2 to disrupt the autoactivation.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related progressive neurodegenerative disease. Previously, we identified midnolin (MIDN) as a genetic risk factor for PD. Although MIDN copy number loss increases the risk of PD, the molecular function of MIDN remains unclear. To investigate the role of MIDN in PD, we established monoclonal Midn knockout (KO) PC12 cell models. Midn KO inhibited neurite outgrowth and neurofilament light chain (Nefl) gene expression. Although MIDN is mainly localized in the nucleus, it does not encode DNA-binding domains. We therefore hypothesized that MIDN might bind to certain transcription factors and regulate gene expression. Of the candidate transcription factors, we focused on early growth response 1 (EGR1) because it is required for neurite outgrowth and its target genes are downregulated by Midn KO. An interaction between MIDN and EGR1 was confirmed by immunoprecipitation. Surprisingly, although EGR1 protein levels were significantly increased in Midn KO cells, the binding of EGR1 to the Nefl promoter and resulting transcriptional activity were downregulated as measured by luciferase assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Overall, we identified the MIDN-dependent regulation of EGR1 function. This mechanism may be an underlying reason for the neurite outgrowth defects of Midn KO PC12 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract β-TrCP is the substrate recognition subunit of an SCF-type ubiquitin ligase. We recently showed that deletion of the genes for both β-TrCP1 and β-TrCP2 paralogs in germ cells of male mice resulted in accumulation of the transcription factor DMRT1 and spermatogenic failure, whereas systemic β-TrCP1 knockout combined with β-TrCP2 knockdown had previously been shown to lead to disruption of testicular organization and accumulation of the transcription factor SNAIL. Here we investigated β-TrCP function in Sertoli cells by generating mice with targeted deletion of the β-TrCP2 gene in Sertoli cells on a background of whole-body β-TrCP1 knockout. Loss of β-TrCP in Sertoli cells caused infertility due to a reduction in the number of mature sperm. Whereas spermatogonia were not affected, male germ cells entered meiosis prematurely and the number of round spermatids was reduced in the mutant mice. Extracts of Sertoli cells and of the testis from the mutant mice manifested accumulation of SNAIL, and expression of the SNAIL target gene for E-cadherin was down-regulated in Sertoli cells from these animals. Our results indicate that β-TrCP in Sertoli cells regulates Sertoli cell–germ cell interaction through degradation of SNAIL, with such regulation being critical for sperm development. Highlights • Sertoli cell–specific β-TrCP1/2 double-knockout (DKO) male mice are sterile. • Germ cells of the DKO mice enter meiosis prematurely during the first postnatal month. • Spermatid and spermatozoa numbers are lower and sperm are immotile in the DKO mice. • The β-TrCP1/2 substrate SNAIL accumulates in Sertoli cells of the DKO mice. • Expression of E-cadherin is down-regulated in Sertoli cells of the DKO mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]