Cystamine and cysteamine increase brain levels of BDNF in Huntington disease via HSJ1b and transglutaminase.
There is no treatment for the neurodegenerative disorder Huntington disease (HD). Cystamine is a candidate drug; however, the mechanisms by which it operates remain unclear. We show here that cystamine increases levels of the heat shock DnaJ-containing protein 1b (HSJ1b) that are low in HD patients. HSJ1b inhibits polyQ-huntingtin-induced death of striatal neurons and neuronal dysfunction in Caenorhabditis elegans. This neuroprotective effect involves stimulation of the secretory pathway through formation of clathrin-coated vesicles containing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Cystamine increases BDNF secretion from the Golgi region that is blocked by reducing HSJ1b levels or by overexpressing transglutaminase. We demonstrate that cysteamine, the FDA-approved reduced form of cystamine, is neuroprotective in HD mice by increasing BDNF levels in brain. Finally, cysteamine increases serum levels of BDNF in mouse and primate models of HD. Therefore, cysteamine is a potential treatment for HD, and serum BDNF levels can be used as a biomarker for drug efficacy.
Borrell-Pagès
Maria
M
Institut Curie, CNRS UMR 146, Orsay, France.
Canals
Josep M
JM
Cordelières
Fabrice P
FP
Parker
J Alex
JA
Pineda
José R
JR
Grange
Ghislaine
G
Bryson
Elzbieta A
EA
Guillermier
Martine
M
Hirsch
Etienne
E
Hantraye
Philippe
P
Cheetham
Michael E
ME
Néri
Christian
C
Alberch
Jordi
J
Brouillet
Emmanuel
E
Saudou
Frédéric
F
Humbert
Sandrine
S
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D003538:Cystamine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003543:Cysteamine / Q000737:chemistry*; D050956:HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D008251:Macaca; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008875:Middle Aged; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000502:physiology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000378:metabolism*
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C121958:DNAJB2 protein, human; D050956:HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D003543:Cysteamine; D011503:Transglutaminases; D003538:Cystamine