4.7 Article

Sex-dependent effects of amyloid precursor-like protein 2 in the SOD1-G37R transgenic mouse model of MND

Journal

CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
Volume 78, Issue 19-20, Pages 6605-6630

Publisher

SPRINGER BASEL AG
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03924-5

Keywords

Amyloid precursor protein; Amyloid precursor-like protein; Motor neuron disease; SOD1-G37R; Sex differences; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Funding

  1. National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
  2. MND Research Australia
  3. Nancy Frances Curry PhD Scholarship

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The study demonstrates a significant role of APLP2 in MND, with APLP2 deletion delaying disease progression and increasing survival rate. Female SOD1-G37R:APLP2-/- mice showed improved neuromuscular junction innervation and muscle fiber condition.
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by progressive destruction of motor neurons, muscle paralysis and death. The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is highly expressed in the central nervous system and has been shown to modulate disease outcomes in MND. APP is part of a gene family that includes the amyloid precursor-like protein 1 (APLP1) and 2 (APLP2) genes. In the present study, we investigated the role of APLP2 in MND through the examination of human spinal cord tissue and by crossing APLP2 knockout mice with the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1-G37R) transgenic mouse model of MND. We found the expression of APLP2 is elevated in the spinal cord from human cases of MND and that this feature of the human disease is reproduced in SOD1-G37R mice at the End-stage of their MND-like phenotype progression. APLP2 deletion in SOD1-G37R mice significantly delayed disease progression and increased the survival of female SOD1-G37R mice. Molecular and biochemical analysis showed female SOD1-G37R:APLP2-/- mice displayed improved innervation of the neuromuscular junction, ameliorated atrophy of muscle fibres with increased APP protein expression levels in the gastrocnemius muscle. These results indicate a sex-dependent role for APLP2 in mutant SOD1-mediated MND and further support the APP family as a potential target for further investigation into the cause and regulation of MND.

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