Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Accumulating evidence has shown that 43kDa TAR-DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) is the disease protein in ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. We previously reported a familial ALS with Bumina bodies and TDP-43-positive skein-like inclusions in the lower motor neurons; these findings are indistinguishable from those of sporadic ALS. In three affected individuals in two generations of one family, we found a single base-pair change from A to G at position 1028 in TDP-43, which resulted in a Gln-to-Arg substitution at position 343. Our findings provide a new insight into the molecular pathogenesis of ALS.

Recently, 43-kDa TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) was identified as a component of ubiquitinated inclusions (UIs) in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS). To clarify whether TDP-43 immunoreactivity is present in neuronal inclusions in familial ALS (FALS), we examined immunohistochemically the brains and spinal cords from four cases of FALS, two with Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene mutation and two without, together with three cases of SALS and three control subjects, using two antibodies, one polyclonal and one monoclonal, against TDP-43. Neuropathologically, the SOD1-related FALS cases were characterized by Lewy body-like hyaline inclusions (LBHIs) in the lower motor neurons. On the other hand, the SOD1-unrelated FALS cases showed degeneration restricted to the upper and lower motor neuron systems, with Bunina bodies (BBs) and UIs in the lower motor neurons, being indistinguishable from SALS. No cytoplasmic TDP-43 immunoreactivity was observed in the control subjects or SOD1-related FALS cases; LBHIs were ubiquitinated, but negative for TDP-43. UIs observed in the SALS and SOD1-unrelated FALS cases were clearly positive for TDP-43. BBs were negative for this protein. Interestingly, in these SALS and FALS cases, glial cells were also found to have cytoplasmic TDP-43-positive inclusions. These findings indicate that the histological and molecular pathology of SALS can occur as a phenotype of FALS without SOD1 mutation.

Edited by Jesus AvilaKeywords: PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 Parkin Mitophagy Autophagy Parkinson's disease a b s t r a c t Mutations in PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) cause recessive form of Parkinson's disease (PD). PINK1 acts upstream of parkin, regulating mitochondrial integrity and functions. Here, we show that PINK1 in combination with parkin results in the perinuclear mitochondrial aggregation followed by their elimination. This elimination is reduced in cells expressing PINK1 mutants with wild-type parkin. Although wild-type PINK1 localizes in aggregated mitochondria, PINK1 mutants localization remains diffuse and mitochondrial elimination is not observed. This phenomenon is not observed in autophagy-deficient cells. These results suggest that mitophagy controlled by the PINK1/parkin pathway might be associated with PD pathogenesis. Structured summary:MINT-7557195: PINK1 (uniprotkb:Q9BXM7) physically interacts (MI:0915) with LC3 (uniprotkb:Q9GZQ8) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007) MINT-7557109: LC3 (uniprotkb:Q9GZQ8) and PINK1

C9ORF72 repeat expansions were present in a Japanese cohort of ALS patients, but they were rare. Intriguingly, Japanese patients appear to carry the same risk haplotype identified in white populations.

1. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive and fatal disease. Patients with CJD usually become akinetic mutism within approximately 6 months. In addition, clinical signs and symptoms at early stage of sporadic CJD may not be easy to distinguish from other neurodegenerative diseases by neurological findings. However, diagnostic biochemical parameters including 14-3-3 protein, S100, neuron-specific enorase in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been used as diagnostic markers, elevated titers of these markers can also be observed in CSF in other neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we examined other biochemical markers to discriminate CJD from other neurodegenerative diseases in CSF. 2. We analyzed CSF samples derived from 100 patients with various neurodegenerative disorders by Western blot of 14-3-3 protein, quantification of total tau (t-tau) protein, and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) protein. All patients with CJD in this study showed positive 14-3-3 protein and elevated t-tau protein (>1000 pg/mL) in CSF. We also detected positive 14-3-3 protein bands in two patients in non-CJD group (patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type; DAT) and also detected elevated t-tau protein in three patients in non-CJD group. Elevated t-tau protein levels were observed in two patients with DAT and in one patient with cerevrovascular disease in acute phase. 3. To distinguish patients with CJD from non-CJD patients with elevated t-tau protein in CSF, we compared the ratio of p-tau and t-tau proteins. The p-/t-tau ratio was dramatically and significantly higher in DAT patients rather than in CJD patients. 4.Therefore, we concluded that the assay of t-tau protein may be useful as 1st screening and the ratio of p-tau protein/t-tau protein would be useful as 2nd screening to discriminate CJD from other neurodegenerative diseases.