Mitochondria alterations are present in tissues derived from patients and animal models, but no data are available for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of ALS patients. This work aims to investigate mitophagy in PBMCs of sporadic (sALS) patients and how this pathway can be tuned by using small molecules. We found the presence of morphologically atypical mitochondria by TEM and morphological abnormalities by MitoTracker™. We found a decreased number of healthy mitochondria in sALS PBMCs and an impairment of mitophagy with western blot and immunofluorescence. After rapamycin treatment, we found a higher increase in the LC3 marker in sALS PBMCs, while after NH4Cl treatment, we found a lower increase in the LC3 marker. Finally, mTOR-independent autophagy induction with trehalose resulted in a significant decrease in the lysosomes level sALS PBMCs. Our data suggest that the presence of morphologically altered mitochondria and an inefficient turnover of damaged mitochondria in PBMCs of sALS patients rely on the impairment of the mitophagy pathway. We also found that the induction of the mTOR independent autophagy pathway leads to a decrease in lysosomes level, suggesting a more sensitivity of sALS PBMCs to trehalose. Such evidence suggests that trehalose could represent an effective treatment for ALS patients.

Lysosomes Dysfunction Causes Mitophagy Impairment in PBMCs of Sporadic ALS Patients / M. Bordoni, O. Pansarasa, E. Scarian, R. Cristofani, R. Leone, V. Fantini, M. Garofalo, L. Diamanti, S. Bernuzzi, S. Gagliardi, S. Carelli, A. Poletti, C. Cereda. - In: CELLS. - ISSN 2073-4409. - 11:8(2022 Apr), pp. 1272.1-1272.15. [10.3390/cells11081272]

Lysosomes Dysfunction Causes Mitophagy Impairment in PBMCs of Sporadic ALS Patients

M. Bordoni
Primo
;
R. Cristofani;A. Poletti
Penultimo
;
2022

Abstract

Mitochondria alterations are present in tissues derived from patients and animal models, but no data are available for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of ALS patients. This work aims to investigate mitophagy in PBMCs of sporadic (sALS) patients and how this pathway can be tuned by using small molecules. We found the presence of morphologically atypical mitochondria by TEM and morphological abnormalities by MitoTracker™. We found a decreased number of healthy mitochondria in sALS PBMCs and an impairment of mitophagy with western blot and immunofluorescence. After rapamycin treatment, we found a higher increase in the LC3 marker in sALS PBMCs, while after NH4Cl treatment, we found a lower increase in the LC3 marker. Finally, mTOR-independent autophagy induction with trehalose resulted in a significant decrease in the lysosomes level sALS PBMCs. Our data suggest that the presence of morphologically altered mitochondria and an inefficient turnover of damaged mitochondria in PBMCs of sALS patients rely on the impairment of the mitophagy pathway. We also found that the induction of the mTOR independent autophagy pathway leads to a decrease in lysosomes level, suggesting a more sensitivity of sALS PBMCs to trehalose. Such evidence suggests that trehalose could represent an effective treatment for ALS patients.
ALS; PBMCs; mitochondria; trehalose; mTOR; autolysosomes; autophagy; misfolding
Settore BIO/13 - Biologia Applicata
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   AGENZIA ITALIANA DEL FARMACO - AIFA
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   Membrane-less organelle pathology in ALS: identification of causes and rescuing factors (MLOMALS)
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   FONDAZIONE ITALIANA DI RICERCA PER LA SLA - SCLEROSI LATERALE AMIOTROFICA - ARISLA

   Dipartimenti di Eccellenza 2018-2022 - Dipartimento di SCIENZE FARMACOLOGICHE E BIOMOLECOLARI
   MINISTERO DELL'ISTRUZIONE E DEL MERITO

   Piano di Sostegno alla Ricerca 2015-2017 - Linea 2 "Dotazione annuale per attività istituzionali" (anno 2021)
   UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO
apr-2022
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/921844
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