The Hairpin Form of r(G4C2)exp in c9ALS/FTD Is Repeat-Associated Non-ATG Translated and a Target for Bioactive Small Molecules
作者:Zi-Fu Wang、Andrei Ursu、Jessica L. Childs-Disney、Rea Guertler、Wang-Yong Yang、Viachaslau Bernat、Suzanne G. Rzuczek、Rita Fuerst、Yong-Jie Zhang、Tania F. Gendron、Ilyas Yildirim、Brendan G. Dwyer、Joseph E. Rice、Leonard Petrucelli、Matthew D. Disney
DOI:10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.10.018
日期:2019.2
The most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an expanded G(4)C(2) repeat [(G(4)C(2))(exp)] in C9ORF72. ALS/FTD-associated toxicity has been traced to the RNA transcribed from the repeat expansion [r(G(4)C(2))(exp)], which sequesters RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and undergoes repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation to generate toxic dipeptide repeats. Using in vitro and cell-based assays, we identified a small molecule (4) that selectively bound r(G(4)C(2))(exp), prevented sequestration of an RBP, and inhibited RAN translation. Indeed, biophysical characterization showed that 4 selectively bound the hairpin form of r(G(4)C(2))(exp), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies and molecular dynamics simulations defined this molecular recognition event. Cellular imaging revealed that 4 localized to r(G(4)C(2))(exp) cytoplasmic foci, the putative sites of RAN translation. Collectively, these studies highlight that the hairpin structure of r(G(4)C(2))(exp) is a therapeutically relevant target and small molecules that bind it can ameliorate c9ALS/FTD-associated toxicity.