The small GTPase Rho and its effector Rho-kinase are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Accumulating evidence shows that hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a key regulator of renal sclerosis under diabetic conditions. However, the interactions of Rho-kinase and HIF-1α in the development of renal dysfunction have not been defined. Here, we assessed whether Rho-kinase blockade attenuates HIF-1α induction and the subsequent fibrotic response using type 2 diabetic mice and cultured mesangial cells. Fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, reduced urinary albumin excretion, mesangial matrix expansion, and the expression of fibrotic mediators in db/db mice. Mechanistically, HIF-1α accumulation and the expression of its target genes that contribute to diabetic glomerulosclerosis were also prevented by fasudil in the renal cortex. In mesangial cells, Rho/Rho-kinase signaling was activated under hypoxic conditions. Further in vitro studies showed that pharmacological and genetic inhibition of Rho-kinase promoted proteasomal HIF-1α degradation, which subsequently suppressed HIF-1-dependent profibrotic gene expression by upregulation of prolyl hydroxylase 2. Thus, we found a previously unrecognized renoprotective mechanism for the effects of Rho-kinase inhibition and this could be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Amyloid β (Aβ) deposition in the brain is an early and invariable feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Aβ peptides are composed of about 40 amino acids and are generated from amyloid precursor proteins (APP), by β- and γ-secretases. The distribution of individual Aβ peptides in the brains of aged people, and those suffering from AD and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), is not fully characterized. We employed the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) to illustrate the spatial distribution of a broad range of Aβ species in human autopsied brains. With technical advancements such as formic acid pretreatment of frozen autopsied brain samples, we have: i) demonstrated that Aβ1–42 and Aβ1–43 were selectively deposited in senile plaques while full-length Aβ peptides such as Aβ1–36, 1–37, 1–38, 1–39, 1–40, and Aβ1–41 were deposited in leptomeningeal blood vessels. ii) Visualized distinct depositions of N-terminal truncated Aβ40 and Aβ42, including pyroglutamate modified at Glu-3 (N3pE), only with IMS for the first time. iii) Demonstrated that one single amino acid alteration at the C-terminus between Aβ1–42 and Aβ1–41 results in profound changes in their distribution pattern. In vitro, this can be attributed to the difference in the self-aggregation ability amongst Aβ1–40, Aβ1–41, and Aβ1–42. These observations were further confirmed with immunohistochemistry (IHC), using the newly developed anti-Aβ1–41 antibody. Here, distinct depositions of truncated and/or modified C- and N-terminal fragments of Aβs in AD and CAA brains with MALDI-IMS were visualized in a spacio-temporal specific manner. Specifically, Aβ1–41 was detected both with MALDI-IMS and IHC suggesting that a single amino acid alteration at the C-terminus of Aβ results in drastic distribution changes. These results suggest that MALDI-IMS could be used as a standard approach in combination with clinical, genetic, and pathological observations in understanding the pathology of AD and CAA.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40478-017-0477-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Post-translational modification by SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) was proposed to modulate the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is a neurodegenerative disorder, whose pathology is caused by an expansion of a polyglutamine stretch in the protein ataxin-7 (ATXN7). Here, we identified ATXN7 as new target for SUMOylation in vitro and in vivo. The major SUMO acceptor site was mapped to lysine 257, which is part of an evolutionarily conserved consensus SUMOylation motif. SUMOylation did not influence the subcellular localization of ATXN7 nor its interaction with components of the TFTC/STAGA complex. Expansion of the polyglutamine stretch did not impair the SUMOylation of ATXN7. Furthermore, SUMO1 and SUMO2 colocalized with ATXN7 in a subset of neuronal intranuclear inclusions in the brain of SCA7 patients and SCA7 knock-in mice. In a COS-7 cellular model of SCA7, in addition to diffuse nucleoplasmic staining we identified two populations of nuclear inclusions: homogenous or non-homogenous. Non-homogenous inclusions showed significantly reduced colocalization with SUMO1 and SUMO2, but were highly enriched in Hsp70, 19S proteasome and ubiquitin. Interestingly, they were characterized by increased staining with the apoptotic marker caspase-3 and by disruption of PML nuclear bodies. Importantly, preventing the SUMOylation of expanded ATXN7 by mutating the SUMO site increased both the amount of SDS-insoluble aggregates and of caspase-3 positive non-homogenous inclusions, which act toxic to the cells. Our results demonstrate an influence of SUMOylation on the multistep aggregation process of ATXN7 and implicate a role for ATXN7 SUMOylation in SCA7 pathogenesis.

Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 is an autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the TATA box-binding protein gene. Ataxia is typically the first sign whereas behavioral symptoms occur later. Objective: To characterize the unusual phenotypic expression of a large spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 kindred. Design: Clinical, neuropathological, and molecular genetic characterization of a 4-generation family with 16 affected patients. Results: Behavioral symptoms and frontal impairment dominated the early stages preceding ataxia, rigidity, and dystonic movements. Neuropathological examination showed cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar atrophy. Pur

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