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Apoptosi; Motoneurones; Atròfia muscular espinal Apoptosis; Motoneuronas; Atrofia muscular espinal Apoptosis; Motoneurons; Spinal muscular atrophy Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a severe neuromuscular disorder caused by loss of the Survival Motor Neuron 1 gene (SMN1). Due to this depletion of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein, the disease is characterized by the degeneration of spinal cord motoneurons (MNs), progressive muscular atrophy, and weakness. Nevertheless, the ultimate cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to cell loss in SMN-reduced MNs are only partially known. We have investigated the activation of apoptotic and neuronal survival pathways in several models of SMA cells. Even though the antiapoptotic proteins FAIM-L and XIAP were increased in SMA MNs, the apoptosis executioner cleaved-caspase-3 was also elevated in these cells, suggesting the activation of the apoptosis process. Analysis of the survival pathway PI3K/Akt showed that Akt phosphorylation was reduced in SMA MNs and pharmacological inhibition of PI3K diminished SMN and Gemin2 at transcriptional level in control MNs. In contrast, ERK phosphorylation was increased in cultured mouse and human SMA MNs. Our observations suggest that apoptosis is activated in SMA MNs and that Akt phosphorylation reduction may control cell degeneration, thereby regulating the transcription of Smn and other genes related to SMN function. This work was supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias, Unión Europea, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) “Una manera de hacer Europa” (PI17/00231 and PI20/00098) to RMS and AG; CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya; and Spanish Agency of Research (Agencia Estatal de Investigacion-PID2019-107286RB-I00) and CIBERNED to JXC. AS holds a fellowship from Universitat de Lleida and SdF holds a fellowship from “Ajuts de Promoció de la Recerca en Salut” (IRBLleida-Diputació de Lleida). We thank Elaine Lilly, PhD, for English language revision of the paper.

Disruption in membrane excitability contributes to malfunction and differential vulnerability of specific neuronal subpopulations in a number of neurological diseases. The adaptor protein p11, and background potassium channel TASK1, have overlapping distributions in the CNS. Here, we report that the transcription factor Sp1 controls p11 expression, which impacts on excitability by hampering functional expression of TASK1. In the SOD1-G93A mouse model of ALS, Sp1-p11-TASK1 dysregulation contributes to increased excitability and vulnerability of motor neurons. Interference with either Sp1 or p11 is neuroprotective, delaying neuron loss and prolonging lifespan in this model. Nitrosative stress, a potential factor in human neurodegeneration, stimulated Sp1 expression and human p11 promoter activity, at least in part, through a Sp1-binding site. Disruption of Sp1 or p11 also has neuroprotective effects in a traumatic model of motor neuron degeneration. Together our work suggests the Sp1-p11-TASK1 pathway is a potential target for treatment of degeneration of motor neurons., The adaptor protein p11 and K+ channel TASK1 have overlapping distributions in the CNS. Here, the authors demonstrate that the transcription factor Sp1 regulates p11 levels, which in turn affects intrinsic membrane properties and can contribute to degeneration of motor neurons in disease and injury models.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a leading genetic cause of infant death, is caused by the loss of survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. SMA is characterized by the degeneration and loss of spinal cord motoneurons (MNs), muscular atrophy, and weakness. SMN2 is the centromeric duplication of the SMN gene, whose numbers of copies determine the intracellular levels of SMN protein and define the disease onset and severity. It has been demonstrated that elevating SMN levels can be an important strategy in treating SMA and can be achieved by several mechanisms, including promotion of protein stability. SMN protein is a direct target of the calcium-dependent protease calpain and induces its proteolytic cleavage in muscle cells. In this study, we examined the involvement of calpain in SMN regulation on MNs. In vitro experiments showed that calpain activation induces SMN cleavage in CD1 and SMA mouse spinal cord MNs. Additionally, calpain 1 knockdown or inhibition increased SMN level and prevent neurite degeneration in these cells. We examined the effects of calpain inhibition on the phenotype of two severe SMA mouse models. Treatment with the calpain inhibitor, calpeptin, significantly improved the lifespan and motor function of these mice. Our observations show that calpain regulates SMN level in MNs and calpeptin administration improves SMA phenotype demonstrating the potential utility of calpain inhibitors in SMA therapy. This work was financially supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Inversiones Sanitarias, Unión Europea, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) “Una manera de hacer Europa” (PI14/00060 and PI17/00231).

During development, motoneurons experience significant changes in their size and in the number and strength of connections that they receive, which requires adaptive changes in their passive and active electrical properties. Even after reaching maturity, motoneurons continue to adjust their intrinsic excitability and synaptic activity for proper functioning of the sensorimotor circuit in accordance with physiological demands. Likewise, if some elements of the circuit become dysfunctional, the system tries to compensate for the alterations to maintain appropriate function. In Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a severe motor disease, spinal motoneurons receive less excitation from glutamatergic sensory fibers and interneurons and are electrically hyperexcitable. Currently, the origin and relationship among these alterations are not completely established. In this study, we investigated whether Survival of Motor Neuron (SMN), the ubiquitous protein defective in SMA, regulates the excitability of motoneurons before and after the establishment of the synaptic contacts. To this end, we performed patch-clamp recordings in embryonic spinal motoneurons forming complex synaptic networks in primary cultures, and in differentiated NSC-34 motoneuron-like cells in the absence of synaptic contacts. Our results show that in both conditions, Smn-deficient cells displayed lower action potential threshold, greater action potential amplitudes, and larger density of voltage-dependent sodium currents than cells with normal Smn-levels. These results indicate that Smn participates in the regulation of the cell-autonomous excitability of motoneurons at an early stage of development. This finding may contribute to a better understanding of motoneuron excitability in SMA during the development of the disease. This study was supported by Fundación Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation/FEDER (BFU2013-43763-P and BFU2016-78934-P), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI14/00060), Unión Europea, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) ‘‘Una manera de hacer Europa’’ and Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR740).

Survival motor neuron (SMN) protein deficiency causes the genetic neuromuscular disorder spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), characterized by spinal cord motoneuron degeneration. Since SMN protein level is critical to disease onset and severity, analysis of the mechanisms involved in SMN stability is one of the central goals of SMA research. Here, we describe the role of several members of the NF-κB pathway in regulating SMN in motoneurons. NF-κB is one of the main regulators of motoneuron survival and pharmacological inhibition of NF-κB pathway activity also induces mouse survival motor neuron (Smn) protein decrease. Using a lentiviral-based shRNA approach to reduce the expression of several members of NF-κB pathway, we observed that IKK and RelA knockdown caused Smn reduction in mouse-cultured motoneurons whereas IKK or RelB knockdown did not. Moreover, isolated motoneurons obtained from the severe SMA mouse model showed reduced protein levels of several NF-κB members and RelA phosphorylation. We describe the alteration of NF-κB pathway in SMA cells. In the context of recent studies suggesting regulation of altered intracellular pathways as a future pharmacological treatment of SMA, we propose the NF-κB pathway as a candidate in this new therapeutic approach. This work was supported by grants from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI14/00060), Unión Europea, Fondo europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) "Una manera de hacer Europa", and Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR740). AP holds a fellowship from Comissionat d’Universitats i Recerca, Departament d’Innovació, Universitats i Empresa de la Generalitat de Catalunya i Fons Social Europeu, SA and SdF hold a fellowship from Universitat de Lleida. We thank Elaine Lilly, Ph.D., for the English language revision of the manuscript.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a recessive autosomal neuromuscular disease, due to homozygous mutations or deletions in the telomeric survival motoneuron gene 1 (SMN1). SMA is characterized by motor impairment, muscle atrophy, and premature death following motor neuron (MN) degeneration. Emerging evidence suggests that dysregulation of autophagy contributes to MN degeneration. We here investigated the role of autophagy in the SMNdelta7 mouse model of SMA II (intermediate form of the disease) which leads to motor impairment by postnatal day 5 (P5) and to death by P13. We first showed by immunoblots that Beclin 1 and LC3-II expression levels increased in the lumbar spinal cord of the SMA pups. Electron microscopy and immunofluorescence studies confirmed that autophagic markers were enhanced in the ventral horn of SMA pups. To clarify the role of autophagy, we administered intracerebroventricularly (at P3) either an autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine, 3-MA), or an autophagy inducer (rapamycin) in SMA pups. Motor behavior was assessed daily with different tests: tail suspension, righting reflex, and hindlimb suspension tests. 3-MA significantly improved motor performance, extended the lifespan, and delayed MN death in lumbar spinal cord (10372.36 ± 2716 MNs) compared to control-group (5148.38 ± 94 MNs). Inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA suppressed autophagosome formation, reduced the apoptotic activation (cleaved caspase-3 and Bcl2) and the appearance of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive neurons, underlining that apoptosis and autophagy pathways are intricately intertwined. Therefore, autophagy is likely involved in MN death in SMA II, suggesting that it might represent a promising target for delaying the progression of SMA in humans as well. The project was supported by grants of the Associazione Girotondo Onlus (Trivero, Italy), the Smarathon Association (Milan, Italy), and by a grant of the Italian Ministry of Health (Project RF-2009-1475235). AP was the recipient of a fellowship (3 years) from the ‘’Master and Back” project 2009 by the Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (Cagliari, Italy).

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a severe neurodegenerative disease, affects the upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. In some studies, ALS disease progression has been associated with an increase in calcium-dependent degeneration processes. Motoneurons are specifically vulnerable to sustained membrane depolarization and excessive elevation of intracellular calcium concentration. The present study analyzed intracellular events in embryonic motoneurons and adult spinal cords of the hSOD1G93A ALS mouse model. We observed activation of calpain, a calcium-dependent cysteine protease that degrades a variety of substrates, and a reduction in calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase type IV (CaMKIV) levels in protein extracts from spinal cords obtained at several time-points of hSOD1G93A mice disease progression. However, in cultured embryonic motoneurons these differences between controls and hSOD1G93A mutants are not evident. Our results support the hypothesis that age-dependent changes in calcium homeostasis and resulting events, e.g., calpain activation and CaMKIV processing, are involved in ALS pathogenesis.

In vivoandin vitromotoneuron survival depends on the support of neurotrophic factors. These factors activate signaling pathways related to cell survival or inactivate proteins involved in neuronal death. In the present work, we analyzed the involvement of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway in mediating mouse spinal cord motoneuron survival promoted by neurotrophic factors. This pathway comprises ubiquitously expressed transcription factors that could be activated by two different routes: the canonical pathway, associated with IKKα/IKKβ kinase phosphorylation and nuclear translocation RelA (p65)/p50 transcription factors; and the noncanonical pathway, related to IKKα kinase homodimer phosphorylation and RelB/p52 transcription factor activation. In our system, we show that neurotrophic factors treatment induced IKKα and IKKβ phosphorylation and RelA nuclear translocation, suggesting NF-κB pathway activation. Protein levels of different members of the canonical or noncanonical pathways were reduced in a primary culture of isolated embryonic motoneurons using an interference RNA approach. Even in the presence of neurotrophic factors, selective reduction of IKKα, IKKβ, or RelA proteins induced cell death. In contrast, RelB protein reduction did not have a negative effect on motoneuron survival. Together these results demonstrated that the canonical NF-κB pathway mediates motoneuron survival induced by neurotrophic factors, and the noncanonical pathway is not related to this survival effect. Canonical NF-κB blockade induced an increase of Bim protein level and apoptotic cell death. Bcl-xLoverexpression or Bax reduction counteracted this apoptotic effect. Finally, RelA knockdown causes changes of CREB and Smn protein levels.

Candida albicans has four ORFs for glutathione transferases (GSTs) of the GTT classes, and another one coding for an Omega class member. Under laboratory conditions, only GTT11 (GTT1/2 class) and GTO1 (Omega class) are expressed significantly in exponentially growing cells, particularly when these are subjected to diverse environmental stresses, including oxidative stress. They also become transitorily upregulated at the early stationary phase. Accordingly, the levels of the CaGto1 and CaGtt11 proteins increase after treatment with oxidants and upon osmotic stress, in addition to the early stationary phase. GTT11 and GTO1 transcription shows a complex dependence on the Hog1 and Cap1 factors upon different stresses. Purified CaGtt11 and CaGto1 proteins display enzyme activities similar to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologues. Thus, CaGtt11 has activity against standard GST substrates and is also active as peroxidase, while CaGto1 displays thiol oxidoreductase and dehydroascorbate reductase activities. Fluorescence microscopy and subfractionation studies indicate that CaGto1 is cytosolic, while CaGtt11 is associated with a particulate fraction. Under ex vivo conditions, CaGto1 and CaGtt11 become transitorily upregulated inside macrophages and neutrophils. Under these conditions, the promoter of GTT14 (GTT1/2 class) also becomes activated. These observations point to the importance of C. albicans GSTs in the defence against phagocytes.

Transcription profiling of Candida albicans cells responding to the elimination of the wall (protoplasts) and posterior regeneration was explored. DNA microarrays were used to measure changes in the expression of 6039 genes, and the upregulated genes during regeneration at 28 degrees C were assigned to fourteen categories. A total of 407 genes were upregulated during the process, of which 144 reached a maximum after 1 h. MKC1, a gene encoding a member of the regulatory pathway involved in cell wall integrity was overexpressed. Time-dependent expression divided the genes into 40 clusters. Clusters 1-19 were highly expressed initially (time 0) and downregulated following incubation, whereas transcription of the genes grouped into clusters 20-40 showed the opposite behaviour. These results suggest that the first clusters group genes permitting the cell adaptation to a sub-optimal environment due to removal of the wall, whereas the second group represents genes required for protoplasts regeneration after shifted to optimal conditions from 4 to 28 degrees C.

After screening of aCandida albicansgenome database, the product of an ORF (IPF 3054) that has 62 % homology withSaccharomyces cerevisiaeSsr1p, an internal cell-wall protein, was identified and named CaSsr1p. The deduced amino acid sequence shows that CaSsr1p contains an N-terminal hydrophobic signal peptide, is rich in Ser and Thr amino acids and has a potential glycosylphosphatidylinositol-attachment signal. CaSsr1p is released following degradation of isolated cell walls by zymolyase (mainly a 1,3-β-glucanase) and therefore seems to be covalently linked to theβ-glucan of the cell walls. Both disruption and overexpression of theCaSSR1gene caused an increased sensitivity to calcofluor white, Congo red and zymolyase digestion. These results suggest that CaSsr1p has a structural role associated with the cell-wallβ-glucan.

Identification of PIR/CIS3 gene was carried out by amino-terminal sequencing of a protein band released by β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) from S. cerevisiae mnn9 cell walls. The protein was released also by digestion with β-1,3-glucanases (laminarinase or zymolyase) or by mild alkaline solutions. Deletion of the two carboxyterminal Cys residues (Cys214-12aa-Cys227-COOH), reduced but did not eliminate incorporation of Pir4 (protein with internal repeats) by disulphide bridges. Similarly, site-directed mutation of two other cysteine amino acids (Cys130Ser or Cys197Ser) failed to block incorporation of Pir4; the second mutation produced the appearance of Kex2-unprocessed Pir4. Therefore, it seems that deletion or mutation of individual cysteine molecules does not seem enough to inhibit incorporation of Pir4 by disulphide bridges. In fks1Δ and gsc2/fks2Δ cells, defective in β-1,3-glucan synthesis, modification of the protein pattern found in the supernatant of the growth medium, as well as the material released by β-ME or laminarinase, was evident. However, incorporation of Pir4 by both disulphide bridges and to the β-1,3-glucan of the cell wall continued. Deletion of the repetitive sequence (QIGDGQVQA) resulted in the secretion and incorporation by disulphide bridges of Pir4 in reduced amounts together with substantial quantities of the Kex2-unprocessed Pir4 form. Pir4 failed to be incorporated in alkali-sensitive linkages involving β-1,3-glucan when the first repetitive sequence was deleted. Therefore, this suggests that this sequence is needed in binding Pir4 to the β-1,3-glucan. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease produced by low levels of Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) protein that affects alpha motoneurons in the spinal cord. Notch signaling is a cell-cell communication system well known as a master regulator of neural development, but also with important roles in the adult central nervous system. Aberrant Notch function is associated with several developmental neurological disorders; however, the potential implication of the Notch pathway in SMA pathogenesis has not been studied yet. We report here that SMN deficiency, induced in the astroglioma cell line U87MG after lentiviral transduction with a shSMN construct, was associated with an increase in the expression of the main components of Notch signaling pathway, namely its ligands, Jagged1 and Delta1, the Notch receptor and its active intracellular form (NICD). In the SMNΔ7 mouse model of SMA we also found increased astrocyte processes positive for Jagged1 and Delta1 in intimate contact with lumbar spinal cord motoneurons. In these motoneurons an increased Notch signaling was found, as denoted by increased NICD levels and reduced expression of the proneural gene neurogenin 3, whose transcription is negatively regulated by Notch. Together, these findings may be relevant to understand some pathologic attributes of SMA motoneurons. This work was supported by grants from Fundación Genoma España, GENAME to JL, LT and RMS, and from Instituto de Salud Carlos III-Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI11/01047) to RMS. AG holds a postdoctoral contract from Genoma España. VC-M and AC-R have been supported by a predoctoral fellowship from “Govern de les Illes Balears, Conselleria d’Educació, Cultura i Universitats” under a program of joint financing with the European Social Fund.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects alpha motoneurons in the spinal cord caused by homozygous deletion or specific mutations in the survival motoneuron-1 (SMN1) gene. Cell migration is critical at many stages of nervous system development; to investigate the role of SMN in cell migration, U87MG astroglioma cells were transduced with shSMN lentivectors and about 60% reduction in SMN expression was achieved. In a monolayer wound-healing assay, U87MG SMN-depleted cells exhibit reduced cell migration. In these cells, RhoA was activated and phosphorylated levels of myosin regulatory light chain (MLC), a substrate of the Rho kinase (ROCK), were found increased. The decrease in cell motility was related to activation of RhoA/Rho kinase (ROCK) signaling pathway as treatment with the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 abrogated both the motility defects and MLC phosphorylation in SMN-depleted cells. As cell migration is regulated by continuous remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton, the actin distribution was studied in SMN-depleted cells. A shift from filamentous to monomeric (globular) actin, involving the disappearance of stress fibers, was observed. In addition, profilin I, an actin-sequestering protein showed an increased expression in SMN-depleted cells. SMN is known to physically interact with profilin, reducing its actin-sequestering activity. The present results suggest that in SMN-depleted cells, the increase in profilin I expression and the reduction in SMN inhibitory action on profilin could lead to reduced filamentous actin polymerization, thus decreasing cell motility. We propose that the alterations reported here in migratory activity in SMN-depleted cells, related to abnormal activation of RhoA/ROCK pathway and increased profilin I expression could have a role in developing nervous system by impairing normal neuron and glial cell migration and thus contributing to disease pathogenesis in SMA.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome encodes three proteins that display similarities with human GSTOs (Omega class glutathione S-transferases) hGSTO1-1 and hGSTO2-2. The three yeast proteins have been named Gto1, Gto2 and Gto3, and their purified recombinant forms are active as thiol transferases (glutaredoxins) against HED (β-hydroxyethyl disulphide), as dehydroascorbate reductases and as dimethylarsinic acid reductases, while they are not active against the standard GST substrate CDNB (1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene). Their glutaredoxin activity is also detectable in yeast cell extracts. The enzyme activity characteristics of the Gto proteins contrast with those of another yeast GST, Gtt1. The latter is active against CDNB and also displays glutathione peroxidase activity against organic hydroperoxides such as cumene hydroperoxide, but is not active as a thiol transferase. Analysis of point mutants derived from wild-type Gto2 indicates that, among the three cysteine residues of the molecule, only the residue at position 46 is required for the glutaredoxin activity. This indicates that the thiol transferase acts through a monothiol mechanism. Replacing the active site of the yeast monothiol glutaredoxin Grx5 with the proposed Gto2 active site containing Cys46 allows Grx5 to retain some activity against HED. Therefore the residues adjacent to the respective active cysteine residues in Gto2 and Grx5 are important determinants for the thiol transferase activity against small disulphide-containing molecules.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells contain three omega-class glutathione transferases with glutaredoxin activity (Gto1, Gto2, and Gto3), in addition to two glutathione transferases (Gtt1 and Gtt2) not classifiable into standard classes. Gto1 is located at the peroxisomes, where it is targeted through a PTS1-type sequence, whereas Gto2 and Gto3 are in the cytosol. Among the GTO genes, GTO2 shows the strongest induction of expression by agents such as diamide, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, tert -butyl hydroperoxide or cadmium, in a manner that is dependent on transcriptional factors Yap1 and/or Msn2/4. Diamide and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (causing depletion of reduced glutathione) also induce expression of GTO1 over basal levels. Phenotypic analyses with single and multiple mutants in the S. cerevisiae glutathione transferase genes show that, in the absence of Gto1 and the two Gtt proteins, cells display increased sensitivity to cadmium. A gto1 -null mutant also shows growth defects on oleic acid-based medium, which is indicative of abnormal peroxisomal functions, and altered expression of genes related to sulfur amino acid metabolism. As a consequence, growth of the gto1 mutant is delayed in growth medium without lysine, serine, or threonine, and the mutant cells have low levels of reduced glutathione. The role of Gto1 at the S. cerevisiae peroxisomes could be related to the redox regulation of the Str3 cystathionine β-lyase protein. This protein is also located at the peroxisomes in S. cerevisiae , where it is involved in transulfuration of cysteine into homocysteine, and requires a conserved cysteine residue for its biological activity.

Incorporation into the wall of Candida albicans Ssr1, a GPI-dependent protein, was investigated by construction of different truncated genes for which the three potential omega sites (S199, S215 and G216) and the corresponding omega+1 and omega+2 were eliminated or modified. Cells of the C. albicans ssr1Delta mutant were transformed with pADH-pl harboring the truncated versions of CaSSR1, pADH-DeltaCaSSR1t(217-234) (lacking a C-terminal hydrophobic stretch of 18 aa including the putative omega+2 and omega+1, omega+2 of S215 and G216) or pADH-DeltaCaSSR1t(199-201) (lacking three serine residues), and their walls were analyzed for the protein. Results suggested that the three serine residues are essential for incorporation of CaSsr1 into the wall beta-glucan. This interpretation was confirmed when the truncated protein CaSsr1pt(199-201) was found in the spent medium. The transcription profile of the 6039 genes in C. albicans ssr1Delta showed that seven genes are upregulated (1.4-fold), including SRP54 (a signal recognition particle subunit), IPF29 (a zinc finger protein) and PTR3 (a transcriptional regulator), whereas 27 genes are downregulated (0.7-fold), including IPF6318 (a beta-glucosidase) and SOU1 (a sorbitol utilization protein). Additional genes showed a reduced increase, or decreased expression, suggesting that some current orphan genes may have unknown cell wall functions. In addition, a compensatory mechanism would appear to occur, as a substantial increase in the amount of beta-1,3-glucan (2.34-fold) was detected in the cell wall of the mutant cells.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe neuromuscular disorder caused by loss of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. SMA is characterized by the degeneration of spinal cord motoneurons (MNs), progressive skeletal muscle atrophy, and weakness. The cellular and molecular mechanisms causing MN loss of function are only partially known. Recent advances in SMA research postulate the role of calpain protease regulating survival motor neuron (SMN) protein and the positive effect on SMA phenotype of treatment with calpain inhibitors. We analyzed the level of calpain pathway members in mice and human cellular SMA models. Results indicate an increase of calpain activity in SMN-reduced MNs. Spinal cord analysis of SMA mice treated with calpeptin, a calpain inhibitor, showed an increase of SMN, calpain, and its endogenous inhibitor calpastatin in MNs. Finally, in vitro calpeptin treatment prevented microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3) increase in MNs neurites, indicating that calpain inhibition may reduce autophagosome accumulation in neuron prolongations, but not in soma. Thus, our results show that calpain activity is increased in SMA MNs and its inhibition may have a beneficial effect on SMA phenotype through the increase of SMN in spinal cord MNs. This work was supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Inversiones Sanitarias, Unión Europea, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) “Una manera de hacer Europa” (PI17/00231 and PI17/00134). CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya. SdF holds a fellowship from Universitat de Lleida and “Ajuts de Promoció de la Recerca en Salut 2018” (IRBLLEIDA-Diputació de Lleida). AS holds a fellowship from Universitat de Lleida. AG holds a postdoctoral fellowship from Universitat de Lleida. We thank Dr. Manuel Portero from Metabolic Physiopathology Group, Universitat de Lleida-IRBLLEIDA for human iPSC differentiation protocol and assistance. We thank Elaine Lilly, PhD, for English language revision of the paper.

Searches in a Candida albicans database (http://genolist.pasteur.fr/CandidaDB/) identified two Individual Protein Files (IPF 15363 and 19968) whose deduced amino acid sequences showed 42 % and 45 % homology with Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pir4. The two DNA sequences are alleles of the same gene (CaPIR1) but IPF 19968 has a deletion of 117 bases. IPF 19968 encodes a putative polypeptide of 364 aa, which is highly O-glycosylated and has an N-mannosylated chain, four cysteine residues and seven repeats. Both alleles are expressed under different growth conditions and during wall construction by regenerating protoplasts. The heterozygous mutant cells are elongated, form clumps of several cells and are hypersensitive to drugs that affect cell wall assembly. CaPir1 was labelled with the V5 epitope and found linked to the 1,3-beta-glucan of the C. albicans wall and also by disulphide bridges when expressed in S. cerevisiae.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disorder characterized by degeneration of spinal cord motoneurons (MNs), resulting in muscular atrophy and weakness. SMA is caused by mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1) gene and decreased SMN protein. SMN is ubiquitously expressed and has a general role in the assembly of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins and pre-mRNA splicing requirements. SMN reduction causes neurite degeneration and cell death without classical apoptotic features, but the direct events leading to SMN degeneration in SMA are still unknown. Autophagy is a conserved lysosomal protein degradation pathway whose precise roles in neurodegenerative diseases remain largely unknown. In particular, it is unclear whether autophagosome accumulation is protective or destructive, but the accumulation of autophagosomes in the neuritic beadings observed in several neurite degeneration models suggests a close relationship between the autophagic process and neurite collapse. In the present work, we describe an increase in the levels of the autophagy markers including autophagosomes, Beclin1 and light chain (LC)3-II proteins in cultured mouse spinal cord MNs from two SMA cellular models, suggesting an upregulation of the autophagy process in Smn (murine survival motor neuron protein)-reduced MNs. Overexpression of Bcl-xL counteracts LC3-II increase, contributing to the hypothesis that the protective role of Bcl-xL observed in some SMA models may be mediated by its role in autophagy inhibition. Our in vitro experimental data indicate an upregulation in the autophagy process and autophagosome accumulation in the pathogenesis of SMA, thus providing a valuable clue in understanding the mechanisms of axonal degeneration and a possible therapeutic target in the treatment of SMA. This work was supported by grants from GENAME (Defining targets for Therapeutics in SMA) to RMS; from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI11-01047), Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR740) and Consolider-Ingenio 2010 (CSD2007-00020) to RMS. AG holds a post-doctoral contract from Genoma Espan˜a; SA holds a fellowship from Universitat de Lleida and AP holds a fellowship from Comissionat de Universitats i Recerca, Departament d’Innovacio´, Universitats i Empresa de la Generalitat de Catalunya and Fons Social Europeu.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting motoneurons (MNs), is caused by the loss of the Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1) gene and reduced levels of full-length survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. The exact cellular/molecular mechanisms involved in SMN-induced MN degeneration are under study. Autophagy is a degradation pathway whose precise roles in neurodegeneration remain largely unknown, but abnormal autophagy has a central role in some neurodegenerative diseases, including MN disorders. The analysis of the autophagy response in SMA and its role in the development of the disease could be essential to understand the disease. In the present work, we describe an increase of autophagosomes and LC3-II protein in spinal cord MNs of severe SMA mouse model. A time-course experiment demonstrated increased LC3-II levels from embryonic to postnatal stage, suggesting a deregulation of the autophagy process as the disease progressed. Using an in vitro model of MN culture, we analyzed the effect of autophagy modulators on Smn (murine survival motor neuron) protein level. Results suggest that the inhibitors of the autophagy flux cause reduction of Smn protein, whereas autophagy inducers increase the level of Smn protein in MNs. In order to evaluate other proteolytic systems involved to SMN degradation, we also studied the effect of the inhibition of the calcium-dependent protease, calpain, on Smn protein level. Our results demonstrate that calpain reduction increases Smn and LC3-II level in cultured MNs. Collectively, these results provide new insight into the role of autophagy and its modulation in SMN protein regulation.