RNA Toxicity from the ALS/FTD C9ORF72 Expansion Is Mitigated by Antisense Intervention

Authors

Christopher J. Donnelly, Johns Hopkins University
Ping Wu Zhang, Johns Hopkins University
Jacqueline T. Pham, Johns Hopkins University
Aaron R. Heusler, Johns Hopkins University
Nipun A. Mistry, Johns Hopkins University
Svetlana Vidensky, Johns Hopkins University
Elizabeth L. Daley, Johns Hopkins University
Erin M. Poth, Johns Hopkins University
Benjamin Hoover, Johns Hopkins University
Daniel M. Fines, Johns Hopkins University
Nicholas Maragakis, Johns Hopkins University
Pentti J. Tienari, Helsingin Yliopisto
Leonard Petrucelli, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida
Bryan J. Traynor, Johns Hopkins University
Jiou Wang, Johns Hopkins University
Frank Rigo, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
C. Frank Bennett, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Seth Blackshaw, Johns Hopkins University
Rita Sattler, Johns Hopkins University
Jeffrey D. Rothstein, Johns Hopkins University

Document Type

Article

Abstract

A hexanucleotide GGGGCC repeat expansion in the noncoding region of the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic abnormality in familial and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The function of the C9ORF72 protein is unknown, as is the mechanism by which the repeat expansion could cause disease. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-differentiated neurons from C9ORF72 ALS patients revealed disease-specific (1) intranuclear GGGGCCexp RNA foci, (2) dysregulated gene expression, (3) sequestration of GGGGCCexp RNA binding protein ADARB2, and (4) susceptibility to excitotoxicity. These pathological and pathogenic characteristics were confirmed in ALS brain and were mitigated with antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics to the C9ORF72 transcript or repeat expansion despite the presence of repeat-associated non-ATG translation (RAN) products. These data indicate a toxic RNA gain-of-function mechanism as a cause of C9ORF72 ALS and provide candidate antisense therapeutics and candidate human pharmacodynamic markers for therapy.

Publication Date

10-16-2013

Publication Title

Neuron

ISSN

08966273

E-ISSN

10974199

Volume

80

Issue

2

First Page

415

Last Page

428

PubMed ID

24139042

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.neuron.2013.10.015

Recommended Citation

Donnelly, Christopher J.; Zhang, Ping Wu; Pham, Jacqueline T.; Heusler, Aaron R.; Mistry, Nipun A.; Vidensky, Svetlana; Daley, Elizabeth L.; Poth, Erin M.; Hoover, Benjamin; Fines, Daniel M.; Maragakis, Nicholas; Tienari, Pentti J.; Petrucelli, Leonard; Traynor, Bryan J.; Wang, Jiou; Rigo, Frank; Bennett, C. Frank; Blackshaw, Seth; Sattler, Rita; and Rothstein, Jeffrey D., "RNA Toxicity from the ALS/FTD C9ORF72 Expansion Is Mitigated by Antisense Intervention" (2013). Translational Neuroscience. 1375.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neurobiology/1375