Evaluating dendritic DJ-1 targets as a framework for identifying pharmacotherapies for TSC-related neurological disorders

项目摘要/摘要 癫痫、自闭症谱系障碍和焦虑症高度并存。事实上，台积电就是这种情况。 尽管这个问题很重要，但这些疾病之间的分子联系很差。 明白了。重要的是，目前还缺乏能够缓解这些并存症状的药物疗法。 由于这些医疗需求，我们正在利用TSC作为一个模型系统，以获得更好的 了解癫痫、自闭症和焦虑症的联系机制。哺乳动物/机械学 雷帕霉素的靶点(MTOR)在癫痫、自闭症、焦虑症和TSC中是过度活跃的。一种激活剂 调节蛋白质的合成，我们以前的工作已经证明，mTOR的扰动极大地影响了 突触处的蛋白质水平--关键的亚细胞结构，在神经元之间进行沟通。 值得注意的是，这些并存的疾病表现为突触功能障碍。此外，我们还发现mTOR 同样地诱导和抑制突触蛋白水平。因此，慢性、过度活跃的mTOR可能会永久保持 疾病状态下的突触，导致某些蛋白质过度表达，而另一些蛋白质表达不足。 与mTOR过度活跃时过度表达的蛋白质不同，低表达的蛋白质的身份 蛋白质及其水平是如何调节的还相对未知。对潜在机制的洞察 当mTOR过度活跃时，蛋白质的表达减少对于更好地理解 这些共病障碍是如何在分子上联系在一起的。我们最近发现，mTOR控制着 突触DJ-1，一种新发现的RNA结合蛋白，抑制其相关mRNAs的翻译。 因此，当mTOR激活时，DJ-1可能介导突触或突触附近蛋白质的低表达。其中两个 这些与DJ-1相关的低表达蛋白为CaV1.2和α2delta2-L型 电压依赖性钙通道(L-VDCC)亚单位与癫痫、自闭症和焦虑障碍有关。 利用分子和行为学方法，我们将确定异常DJ-的机制和影响。 1/L-VDCC通路在两种TSC小鼠模型中介导焦虑样障碍和癫痫的作用这些 研究将建立一个生物学框架，以描绘可能在 神经和神经精神疾病并存，为癫痫的潜在治疗铺平了道路， 自闭症、焦虑症和TSC。我们对DJ-1及其下游目标的研究也可能为 这条路径可以被用来扩展我们治疗复杂的神经疾病的工具和途径。 最后，这些研究将发展和保持北卡罗来纳州一名新调查员的研究卓越 大学，一个历史悠久的黑人学院和大学，催化机构研究文化，丰富 大学的研究环境。重要的是，我们提议的调查将为未得到充分服务的毕业生 和拥有强大研究机会的生物医学科学本科生，为 发展一支多样化的科学队伍。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and anxiety disorders are highly comorbid. Indeed, this is the case in TSC. Despite the importance of this problem, the molecular connection among these disorders are poorly understood. Importantly, pharmacological therapies that can mitigate these comorbid symptoms are lacking. Because of these medical needs, we are taking advantage of TSC as a model system to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms linking epilepsy, autism and anxiety disorders. The mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is hyperactive in epilepsy, autism, anxiety disorders, and TSC. A kinase that regulates protein synthesis, our previous work has demonstrated that perturbations in mTOR greatly affects the levels of proteins at synapses—critical subcellular structures that mediate communication among neurons. Of note, these comorbid disorders manifest synaptic dysfunction. Moreover, we have discovered that mTOR equally induces and inhibits synaptic protein levels. Thus, chronic, overactive mTOR may perpetually keep synapses in a state of disease causing some proteins to be overexpressed and others to be underexpressed. Unlike the proteins that are overexpressed when mTOR is hyperactive, the identity of the underexpressed proteins and how their levels are regulated are relatively unknown. Insights into the mechanisms underlying the diminished expression of proteins when mTOR is hyperactive is essential to gain a better understanding of how these comorbid disorders are molecularly linked. We have recently found that mTOR controls the levels of synaptic DJ-1, a newly-identified RNA binding protein that represses the translation of its associated mRNAs. Thus, DJ-1 may mediate the underexpression of proteins at or near the synapse when mTOR is active. Two of these underexpressed proteins whose mRNAs associated with DJ-1 are CaV1.2 and alpha2delta2—L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel (L-VDCC) subunits implicated in epilepsy, autism and anxiety disorders. Using molecular and behavioral approaches, we will determine the mechanisms and impact of aberrant DJ- 1/L-VDCC pathway in mediating anxiety-like disorders and epilepsy in two mouse models of TSC. These studies will lay down a biological framework to delineate underlying mechanisms that may be shared among comorbid neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, paving a way for potential treatments for epilepsy, autism, anxiety disorders and TSC. Our investigations on DJ-1 and its downstream targets may also offer a pathway that can be exploited to expand our tools and avenues in treating complex, neurological disorders. Lastly, these studies will develop and sustain research excellence of a new investigator at NC A&T State University, a Historically Black College and University, catalyze institutional research culture, and enrich the university’s research environment. Importantly, our proposed investigations will provide underserved graduate and undergraduate students in biomedical sciences with robust research opportunities, contributing to the development of a diverse scientific workforce.