Biology subjects

Aaltonen, M. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Aaltonen, M. J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Loss of mitochondrial Chchd10 or Chchd2 in zebrafish leads to an ALS-like phenotype and Complex I deficiency independent of the mt-ISR

Mutations in CHCHD10 and CHCHD2, coding for two paralogous mitochondrial proteins, have been identified in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTD), and Parkinsons disease (PD). Here we investigated the biological roles of these proteins during vertebrate development using knockout (KO) models in zebrafish. We demonstrate that loss of either or both proteins leads to a motor impairment, reduced survival, and compromised neuromuscular junction (NMJ) integrity in larval zebrafish. Compensation by Chchd10 was observed in the chchd2-/- model, but not by Chchd2 in the chchd10 -/- model. The assembly of mitochondrial respiratory chain Complex I was impaired in chchd10 -/- and chchd2 -/- zebrafish larvae, but unexpectedly not in the double chchd10 -/- & chchd2 -/- model, suggesting that reduced mitochondrial Complex I cannot be solely responsible for the observed phenotypes, which are generally more severe in the double KO. Activation of the mitochondrial integrated stress response (mt-ISR) was only observed in the double KO model, possibly implicating this pathway in the recovery of the Complex I defect, and suggesting that Complex I assembly defect in our single KO is independent of the mt-ISR. Our results demonstrate that both proteins are required for normal vertebrate development, but their precise molecular function in the mitochondrial biology of motor neurons remains to be discovered.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2022

SPTLC1 variants associated with childhood onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis produce distinct sphingolipid signatures through impaired interaction with ORMDL proteins

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. Mutations in the SPTLC1 subunit of serine-palmitoyltransferase (SPT), which catalyzes the first step in the de novo synthesis of sphingolipids cause childhood-onset ALS. SPTLC1-ALS variants map to a transmembrane domain that interacts with ORMDL proteins, negative regulators of SPT activity. We show that ORMDL binding to the holoenzyme complex is impaired in cells expressing pathogenic SPTLC1-ALS alleles, resulting in increased sphingolipid synthesis and a distinct lipid signature. C-terminal SPTLC1 variants cause the peripheral sensory neuropathy HSAN1 due to the synthesis of 1-deoxysphingolipids (1-deoxySLs) that form when SPT metabolizes L-alanine instead of L-serine. Limiting L-serine availability in SPTLC1-ALS expressing cells increased 1-deoxySL and shifted the SL profile from an ALS to an HSAN1-like signature. This effect was corroborated in an SPTLC1-ALS pedigree in which the index patient uniquely presented with an HSAN1 phenotype, increased 1-deoxySL levels, and an L-serine deficiency. These data demonstrate how pathogenic variants in different domains of SPTLC1 give rise to distinct clinical presentations that are nonetheless modifiable by substrate availability.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2020

Disturbed intramitochondrial phosphatidic acid transport impairs cellular stress signaling

Lipid transfer proteins of the Ups1/PRELID1 family facilitate the transport of phospholipids across the intermembrane space of mitochondria in a lipid-specific manner. Heterodimeric complexes of yeast Ups1/Mdm35 or human PRELID1/TRIAP1 shuttle phosphatidic acid (PA) synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the inner membrane, where it is converted to cardiolipin (CL), the signature phospholipid of mitochondria. Loss of Ups1/PRELID1 proteins impairs the accumulation of CL and broadly affects mitochondrial structure and function. Unexpectedly and unlike yeast cells lacking the cardiolipin synthase Crd1, Ups1 deficient yeast cells exhibit glycolytic growth defects, pointing to functions of Ups1-mediated PA transfer beyond CL synthesis. Here, we show that the disturbed intramitochondrial transport of PA in ups1{Delta} cells leads to altered phospholipid composition of the ER membrane, independent of disturbances in CL synthesis. The impaired flux of PA into mitochondria is associated with the increased synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and a reduced phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)/PC ratio in the ER of ups1{Delta} cells which suppresses the unfolded protein response (UPR). Moreover, we observed inhibition of TORC1 signaling in these cells. Activation of either UPR by ER protein stress or of TORC1 signaling by disruption of its negative regulator, the SEACIT complex, increased cytosolic protein synthesis and restored glycolytic growth of ups1{Delta} cells. These results demonstrate that PA influx into mitochondria is required to preserve ER membrane homeostasis and that its disturbance is associated with impaired glycolytic growth and cellular stress signaling.

cell biology↗