Descripción del proyecto
Información sobre el perfil epigenético de las enfermedades de las motoneuronas
Las enfermedades de las motoneuronas, que incluyen la atrofia muscular espinal (AME) y la esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (ELA), son un grupo de enfermedades desoladoras que se manifiestan principalmente por la degeneración de las neuronas motoras. Los datos recientes sugieren que la gravedad de la enfermedad se modula a través de la epigenética, donde la metilación del ADN desempeña un papel dominante. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos MANTIS tiene por objeto investigar el mecanismo epigenético problemático que da lugar a las enfermedades de las motoneuronas. Aprovechando técnicas de vanguardia que van desde la secuenciación de próxima generación a la citometría de masa de células individuales y las células madre pluripotentes inducidas derivadas de pacientes, los científicos estudiarán el papel de las enzimas de traslocación diez-once (TET, por sus siglas en inglés). En la metilación del ADN, las TET son responsables de equilibrar las citosinas hidroximetiladas (5hmC) para favorecer la expresión génica. Asimismo, se analizará el potencial terapéutico de la desmetilación para corregir el perfil epigenético y restaurar la expresión génica alterada.
Objetivo
Motor neuron disorders (MND) are a spectrum of devastating diseases caused by motor neuron (MN) cell death. Recent findings revealed that DNA methylation is a hallmark of MN cell death. However, the cause and affected mechanisms leading to methylation increase remain mostly unknown, therefore limiting the design of therapeutic intervention. The discovery of a novel DNA modification has provided a paradigm shift in the understanding of DNA methylation and demethylation regulatory network. In fact, methylated cytosines (5mC) can be converted to hydroxymethylated cytosines (5hmC) by Ten-eleven-translocation (TET) enzyme family. 5hmC is found to be stably present in DNA and to influence gene expression as an epigenetic mark independent of 5mC. My preliminary experiments showed that MN death in a severe mouse model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is correlated to a genome-wide increase in 5mC levels and loss of 5hmC. This research proposal therefore aims to define the role of 5hmC and the TET family of enzymes in controlling MN pathophysiology. To address the common role of DNA demethylation loss in MND, I will investigate the methylation mechanism in SMA and another MND- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The specific aims of this project are to (1) define the exact profile of 5mC and 5hmC in regulating gene expression in SMA and ALS via a genome-wide reduced representation sequencing; (2) test whether TETs interact with the Survival of Motor Neuron (SMN1) protein that is responsible for MNs cell death in SMA; (3) establish the therapeutic potential of a locus-specific demethylation in promoting restoration of the diseased epigenetic profile using the Crispr/Cas9 technology. These studies will greatly advance the understanding of the epigenetic regulation of MN cell death by 5hmC and TET proteins, and will set the stage for testing the therapeutic potential of these novel regulators in MNs disorders.
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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
75654 Paris
Francia