A repeat expansion in C9ORF72 causes frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (c9FTD/ALS). RNA of the expanded repeat (r(GGGGCC)exp) forms nuclear foci or undergoes repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation producing “c9RAN proteins”. Since neutralizing r(GGGGCC)exp could inhibit these potentially toxic events, we sought to identify small molecule binders of r(GGGGCC)exp. Chemical and enzymatic probing of r(GGGGCC)8 indicate it adopts a hairpin structure in equilibrium with a quadruplex structure. Using this model, bioactive small molecules targeting r(GGGGCC)exp were designed and found to significantly inhibit RAN translation and foci formation in cultured cells expressing r(GGGGCC)66 and neurons trans-differentiated from fibroblasts of repeat expansion carriers. Finally, we show that poly(GP) c9RAN proteins are specifically detected in c9ALS patient cerebrospinal fluid. Our findings highlight r(GGGGCC)exp-binding small molecules as a possible c9FTD/ALS therapeutic, and suggest c9RAN proteins could potentially serve as a pharmacodynamic biomarker to assess efficacy of therapies that target r(GGGGCC)exp.
C9ORF72 的重复扩增会导致额颞叶痴呆症和肌萎缩侧索硬化症(c9FTD/ALS)。扩增重复序列(r(GGGGCC)exp)的 RNA 会形成核病灶或进行重复序列相关的非ATG(RAN)翻译,产生 "c9RAN 蛋白"。由于中和 r(GGGGCC)exp 可以抑制这些潜在的毒性事件,我们试图找出 r(GGGGCC)exp 的小分子结合剂。r(GGGGCC)8的
化学和酶学探测结果表明,它采用了与四重结构平衡的发夹结构。利用这一模型,我们设计了靶向 r(GGGGCC)exp 的
生物活性小分子,并发现它们能显著抑制表达 r(GGGGCC)66 的培养细胞和从重复扩增携带者的成纤维细胞转分化而来的神经元中的 RAN 翻译和病灶形成。最后,我们发现在 c9ALS 患者的脑脊液中能特异性地检测到 poly(GP) c9RAN 蛋白。我们的研究结果突显了r(GGGGCC)exp结合小分子是一种可能的c9FTD/ALS疗法,并表明c9RAN蛋白有可能成为一种药效学
生物标记物,用于评估针对r(GGGGCC)exp的疗法的疗效。