Astrocytic expression of ALS-causative mutant FUS leads to TNFa-dependent neurodegeneration in vivo

Abstract

Genetic mutations that cause Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a progressively lethal motor neuron disease, are commonly found in ubiquitously expressed genes. In addition to direct defects within motor neurons, growing evidence suggests that dysfunction of non-neuronal cells is also an important driver of disease. Previously, we demonstrated that mutations in DNA/RNA binding protein Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) induce neurotoxic phenotypes in astrocytes in vitro, via activation of the NF-{kappa}B pathway and release of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF. Here, we developed an intraspinal cord injection model to test whether astrocyte-specific expression of ALS-causative FUSR521G variant (mtFUS) causes neuronal damage in vivo. We show that mtFUS expression causes TNF upregulation, motor function deficits, and spinal motor neuron loss. We further demonstrate a lack of phenotype in TNF knockout animals expressing mtFUS, and prevention of neurodegeneration in mtFUS-transduced animals through administration of TNF neutralizing antibodies. Together, these studies strengthen evidence that astrocytes contribute to disease in ALS, establish that FUS-ALS astrocytes induce pathogenic changes to motor neurons in vivo, and provide insights identifying FUS-ALS specific potential therapeutic targets.