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Richard, I.

Publications and source records attributed to Richard, I..

2 recordsLinked to original sources
bioRxiv2021

Dlk1-Dio3 cluster miRNAs regulate mitochondrial functions in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

BackgroundDuchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a severe muscle disease caused by impaired expression of dystrophin. While mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to play an important role in DMD, the mechanism of this dysfunction remains to be clarified. We recently identified in DMD and in other muscular dystrophies the upregulation of a large number of the Dlk1-Dio3 clustered miRNAs (DD-miRNAs), in both the muscle and the serum. The objective of the present study was to define the biological functions of DD-miRNAs in skeletal muscle, particularly in the context of muscular dystrophy. MethodsDD-miRNAs expression pattern was characterized in vitro and in vivo, in normal and dystrophic situations. Epigenomic characterization was performed, to elucidate the molecular control of DD-miRNAs dysregulation. The biological effect of muscle DD-miRNAs dysregulation was investigated by an in vivo simultaneous overexpression of 14 DD-miRNAs in the wild-type muscle, together with CRISPR-Cas9-based knockdown of the entire DD-miRNA cluster in an iPS-derived myotubes. Omics data and bioinformatics tools were used for the prediction of DD-miRNAs biological functions, and functional characterization of mitochondrial pathways was performed. ResultsWe found that DD-miRNAs dysregulation is not specific to DMD since observed in mouse models for other muscular dystrophies. We showed that DD-miRNAs expression in mdx, is reduced in satellite cells, but highly upregulated in regenerating myofibers, suggesting a myofibers origin of DD6miRNA upregulation in muscular dystrophy in both muscles and serum. We demonstrated that upregulation of DD-miRNAs in the dystrophic muscle is controlled epigenetically by DNA and histone methylation (p<0.0001 and p=0.001, respectively) at the Intergenic Differentially Methylated Region (IG-DMR) of Dlk1-Dio3 locus. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a substantial overlap between the dystrophic muscle of the mdx mouse and the normal muscle that overexpressed 14 DD-miRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that DD-miRNAs could regulate mitochondrial functions. The ectopic overexpression of 14 DD-miRNAs, in the healthy muscle, resulted in a drastic downregulation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) (NES=-2.8, p=8.7E-17), similarly to the level in dystrophic muscles of mdx mice and DMD patients (NES=-2.88, p=7.7E-28). Knocking down the entire DD-miRNA cluster in iPS-derived myotubes resulted in increased mitochondrial OxPhos expression and activities. ConclusionsThe present study provides evidence for the modulation of mitochondrial activity in the dystrophic muscle by the upregulated DD-miRNAs and supports an updated model for mitochondrial dysfunction in DMD. The regulation of mitochondrial OxPhos by DD-miRNAs may have a broader impact beyond DMD in physiological and pathological situations of muscle adaptation and regeneration.

physiology↗
bioRxiv2020

Cholesterol metabolism is a potential therapeutic target in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

BackgroundDuchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal muscle disease detected in approximately 1:5000 male births. DMD is caused by mutations in the DMD gene, encoding a critical protein that link the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix in skeletal and cardiac muscles. The primary consequence of the disrupted link between the extracellular matrix and the myofiber actin cytoskeleton is thought to involve sarcolemma destabilization, perturbation of Ca+2 homeostasis, activation of proteases, mitochondrial damage and tissue degeneration. A recently emphasized secondary aspect of the dystrophic process is a progressive metabolic change of the dystrophic tissue; however, the mechanism and nature of the metabolic dysregulation is yet poorly understood. In this study, we characterized a molecular mechanism of metabolic perturbation in DMD. MethodsWe sequenced plasma miRNA in a DMD cohort, comprising of 54 DMD patients treated or not by glucocorticoid, compared to 27 healthy controls, in three age groups. We developed an original approach for the biological interpretation of miRNA dysregulation, and produced a novel hypothesis concerning metabolic perturbation in DMD. We then used the mdx mouse model for DMD for the investigation of this hypothesis. ResultsWe identified 96 dysregulated miRNAs, of which 74 were up- and 22 down-regulated in DMD. We confirmed the dysregulation in DMD of Dystro-miRs, Cardio-miRs and a large number of the DLK1-DIO3 miRNAs. We also identified numerous dysregulated miRNAs, yet unreported in DMD. Bioinformatics analysis of both target and host genes for dysregulated miRNAs predicted that lipid metabolism might be a critical metabolic perturbation in DMD. Investigation of skeletal muscles of the mdx mouse uncovered dysregulation of transcription factors of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism (SREBP1 and SREBP2), perturbation of the mevalonate pathway, and accumulation of cholesterol. Elevated cholesterol level was also found in muscle biopsies of DMD patients. Treatment of mdx mice with Simvastatin, a cholesterol-reducing agent, normalized these perturbations and partially restored the dystrophic parameters. ConclusionThis investigation supports that cholesterol metabolism and the mevalonate pathway are potential therapeutic targets in DMD.

genetics↗