Prosaposin variants in sporadic, familial, and early-onset Parkinson's disease: a Taiwanese case-control study and meta-analysis.

Polymorphisms in the PSAP gene, which encodes prosaposin and is involved in the lysosomal function, yielded conflicting results regarding the association with Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, this study aims to investigate the role of PSAP in familial PD (FPD), early onset PD (EOPD) with age at onset before 50 years old, and sporadic PD (SPD) among Taiwanese population, and summarize relevant studies via meta-analysis. By sequencing exon 1 to 14 in 183 FPD and 219 EOPD, two novel exonic variants were found in EOPD, including p.A146E (c.437C > A) on exon 5 and p.Y248C (c.743A > G) on exon 7. Furthermore, four previously reported intronic variants (rs142614739/rs74733861), rs749823, rs4747203 and rs885828) in intron 11 and 12 were analyzed in 485 SPD and 712 in-hospital controls, in addition to the aforementioned FPD and EOPD groups. The adjusted odd ratios (ORs) by age and sex, only rs142614739 was significantly associated with higher risk of EOPD (OR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.33-2.58). The risk effect was further confirmed by the meta-analysis of the association between rs142614739 and the risk of PD in both common effect (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.11-1.50) and random effect (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.11-1.50). Our findings suggest that the PSAP rs142614739 variant is associated with the risk of EOPD. Further functional studies are warranted to elucidate the biochemical mechanisms.

Cuticular competing endogenous RNAs regulate insecticide penetration and resistance in a major agricultural pest.

BACKGROUND: The continuously developing pesticide resistance is a great threat to agriculture and human health. Understanding the mechanisms of insecticide resistance is a key step in dealing with the phenomenon. Insect cuticle is recently documented to delay xenobiotic penetration which breaks the previous stereotype that cuticle is useless in insecticide resistance, while the underlying mechanism remains scarce. RESULTS: Here, we find the integument contributes over 40.0% to insecticide resistance via different insecticide delivery strategies in oriental fruit fly. A negative relationship exists between cuticle thickening and insecticide penetration in resistant/susceptible, also in field strains of oriental fruit fly which is a reason for integument-mediated resistance. Our investigations uncover a regulator of insecticide penetration that miR-994 mimic treatment causes cuticle thinning and increases susceptibility to malathion, whereas miR-994 inhibitor results in opposite phenotypes. The target of miR-994 is a most abundant cuticle protein (CPCFC) in resistant/susceptible integument expression profile, which possesses capability of chitin-binding and influences the cuticle thickness-mediated insecticide penetration. Our analyses find an upstream transcriptional regulatory signal of miR-994 cascade, long noncoding RNA (lnc19419), that indirectly upregulates CPCFC in cuticle of the resistant strain by sponging miR-994. Thus, we elucidate the mechanism of cuticular competing endogenous RNAs for regulating insecticide penetration and demonstrate it also exists in field strain of oriental fruit fly. CONCLUSIONS: We unveil a regulatory axis of lnc19419 ~ miR-994 ~ CPCFC on the cuticle thickness that leads to insecticide penetration resistance. These findings indicate that competing endogenous RNAs regulate insecticide resistance by modulating the cuticle thickness and provide insight into the resistance mechanism in insects.

Defective cerebellar ryanodine receptor type 1 and endoplasmic reticulum calcium 'leak' in tremor pathophysiology.

Essential Tremor (ET) is a prevalent neurological disease characterized by an 8-10 Hz action tremor. Molecular mechanisms of ET remain poorly understood. Clinical data suggest the importance of the cerebellum in disease pathophysiology, and pathological studies indicate Purkinje Cells (PCs) incur damage. Our recent cerebellar cortex and PC-specific transcriptome studies identified alterations in calcium (Ca2+) signaling pathways that included ryanodine receptor type 1 (RyR1) in ET. RyR1 is an intracellular Ca2+ release channel located on the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), and in cerebellum is predominantly expressed in PCs. Under stress conditions, RyR1 undergoes several post-translational modifications (protein kinase A [PKA] phosphorylation, oxidation, nitrosylation), coupled with depletion of the channel-stabilizing binding partner calstabin1, which collectively characterize a "leaky channel" biochemical signature. In this study, we found markedly increased PKA phosphorylation at the RyR1-S2844 site, increased RyR1 oxidation and nitrosylation, and calstabin1 depletion from the RyR1 complex in postmortem ET cerebellum. Decreased calstabin1-RyR1-binding affinity correlated with loss of PCs and climbing fiber-PC synapses in ET. This 'leaky' RyR1 signature was not seen in control or Parkinson's disease cerebellum. Microsomes from postmortem cerebellum demonstrated excessive ER Ca2+ leak in ET vs. controls, attenuated by channel stabilization. We further studied the role of RyR1 in tremor using a mouse model harboring a RyR1 point mutation that mimics constitutive site-specific PKA phosphorylation (RyR1-S2844D). RyR1-S2844D homozygous mice develop a 10 Hz action tremor and robust abnormal oscillatory activity in cerebellar physiological recordings. Intra-cerebellar microinfusion of RyR1 agonist or antagonist, respectively, increased or decreased tremor amplitude in RyR1-S2844D mice, supporting a direct role of cerebellar RyR1 leakiness for tremor generation. Treating RyR1-S2844D mice with a novel RyR1 channel-stabilizing compound, Rycal, effectively dampened cerebellar oscillatory activity, suppressed tremor, and normalized cerebellar RyR1-calstabin1 binding. These data collectively support that stress-associated ER Ca2+ leak via RyR1 may contribute to tremor pathophysiology.

An Antenna-Abundant Glutathione S-Transferase BdGSTd8 Participates in Detoxification of Two Organophosphorus Insecticides in Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel).

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, is a damaging insect pest for many vegetable and fruit crops that has evolved severe chemical insecticide resistance, including organophosphorus, neonicotinoid, pyrethroid, and macrolides. Hence, it is important to elucidate its detoxification mechanism to improve its management and mitigate resource destruction. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a critical secondary phase enzyme that plays multiple detoxification functions against xenobiotics. In this study, we identified several BdGSTs by characterizing their potential relationships with five insecticides using inducible and tissue-specific expression pattern analyses. We found that an antenna-abundant BdGSTd8 responded to four different classes of insecticides. Subsequently, our immunohistochemical and immunogold staining analysis further confirmed that BdGSTd8 was primarily located in the antenna. Our investigations also confirmed that BdGSTd8 possesses the capability to enhance cell viability by directly interacting with malathion and chlorpyrifos, which clarified the function of antenna-abundant GST in B. dorsalis. Altogether, these findings enrich our understanding of GST molecular characteristics in B. dorsalis and provide new insights into the detoxification of superfluous xenobiotics in the insect antenna.

Identification and characterization of UDP-glycosyltransferase genes and the potential role in response to insecticides exposure in Bactrocera dorsalis.

BACKGROUND: The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is a worldwide pest damaging a wide range of hosts. Due to the long-term indiscriminate use of insecticides, B. dorsalis has developed serious resistance to several insecticides. UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are secondary metabolic enzymes involved in biotransformation and play an important role in the metabolism of plant secondary metabolites and synthetic insecticides in insects. Thus, we suspect that UGTs in B. dorsalis play an important role in insecticide tolerance. RESULTS: In this study, 31 UGT genes were identified in the genome of B. dorsalis, belonging to 13 subfamilies. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results revealed that 12 UGT genes were highly expressed in the antennae, midgut, Malpighian tubule and fat body. The mRNA expressions of 17 UGT genes were up-regulated upon exposure to λ-cyhalothrin, imidacloprid, abamectin and chlorpyrifos. Knockdown of the selected five UGT genes (BdUGT301D2, BdUGT35F2, BdUGT36K2, BdUGT49D2, BdUGT50B5) by RNA interference increased the mortality of B. dorsalis from 9.29% to 27.22% upon exposure to four insecticides. CONCLUSION: The abundance of UGTs in B. dorsalis is similar to other insect species, and 12 out of 31 UGTs were specifically expressed in metabolic tissues, suggesting a key role in detoxification. Down-regulation of five selected UGT genes increased the susceptibility of B. dorsalis to various insecticides, indicating that UGTs may play an important role in tolerance of B. dorsalis to multiple insecticides. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

A saliva α-glucosidase MpAgC2-2 enhance the feeding of green peach aphid Myzus persicae via extra-intestinal digestion.

Aphids feed on plant phloem sap that contains massive amounts of sucrose; this not only provides vital nutrition for the aphids but also produces high osmotic pressure. To utilize this carbon source and overcome the osmotic pressure, sucrose is hydrolyzed into the monosaccharides, glucose and fructose. In the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), we show that this process is facilitated by a key α-glucosidase (MpAgC2-2), which is abundant in the aphid salivary gland and is secreted into leaves during feeding. MpAgC2-2 has a pH optimum of 8.0 in vitro, suggesting it has adapted to the environment of plant cells. Silencing MpAgC2-2 (but not the gut-specific MpAgC3-4) significantly increased the amount of sucrose ingested and hindered aphid feeding on the phloem of tobacco seedlings, resulting in a smaller body size, as well as lower α-glucosidase activity and glucose levels. These effects could be rescued by feeding aphids on tobacco plants transiently expressing MpAgC2-2. The transient expression of MpAgC2-2 also led to the hydrolysis of sucrose in tobacco leaves. Taken together, these results demonstrate that MpAgC2-2 is a salivary protein that facilitates extra-intestinal feeding via sucrose hydrolysis. Our findings provide insight into the ability of aphids to digest the high concentration of sucrose in phloem, and the underlying mechanism of extra-intestinal digestion.

Knockdown of a Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit Gene Bdorß1 Decreases Susceptibility to Oxa-Bridged trans- instead of cis-Nitromethylene Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Bactrocera dorsalis.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate the fast action of acetylcholine in synaptic cholinergic transmissions. Insect nAChRs are the target of several classes of insecticides. Here, the full-length cDNA encoding a nAChR beta1 subunit (Bdorß1) was identified and characterized from a destructive pest, Bactrocera dorsalis. The amino acid sequence of Bdorß1 shows high identities to other insect nAChRs ß1 subunits. Double injection of dsBdorß1 reduced the expression of Bdorß1 and in turn significantly decreased susceptibility to oxa-bridged trans- instead of cis-nitromethylene neonicotinoids. Our results support the involvement of Bdorß1 in the susceptibility of B. dorsalis to oxa-bridged trans- instead of cis-nitromethylene neonicotinoids and imply that these two classes of neonicotinoids might be acting at different nAChR subtypes.

Homozygous mutation of the LRRK2 ROC domain as a novel genetic model of parkinsonism.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most important neurodegenerative disorders in elderly people. Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are found in a large proportion of the patients with sporadic and familial PD. Mutations can occur at different locations in the LRRK2. Patients with LRRK2 ROC-COR mutations face an increased risk of typical motor symptoms of PD, along with cognitive decline. An animal model with a monogenic LRRK2 gene mutation is a suitable model for exploring the pathophysiology of PD and identifying potential drug therapies. However, the effect of homozygous (HOM) LRRK2 in PD pathophysiology is unclear. METHODS: We established human LRRK2 (hLRRK2) R1441G HOM transgenic (Tg) mice to explore the phenotype and pathological features that are associated with hLRRK2 R1441G Tg mouse models and discuss the potential clinical relevance. The open field test (OFT) was performed to examine motor and nonmotor behaviors. A CatWalk analysis system was used to study gait function. [18F]FDOPA PET was used to investigate functional changes in the nigrostriatal pathway in vivo. Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the morphological changes in mitochondria and lysosomes in the substantia nigra. RESULTS: The R1441G HOM Tg mice demonstrated gait disturbance and exhibited less anxiety-related behavior and exploratory behavior than mice with hLRRK2 at 12 months old. Additionally, [18F]FDOPA PET showed a reduction in FDOPA uptake in the striatum of the HOM Tg mice. Notably, there was significant lysosome and autophagosome accumulation in the cytoplasm of dopaminergic neurons in R1441G hemizygous (HEM) and HOM mice. Moreover, it was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that the mitochondria of R1441G Tg mice were smaller than those of hLRRK2 mice. CONCLUSION: This animal provides a novel HOM hLRRK2 R1441G Tg mouse model that reproduces some phenotype of Parkinsonism in terms of both motor and behavioral dysfunction. There is an increased level of mitochondrial fission and no change in the fusion process in the group of HOM hLRRK2 R1441G Tg mouse. This mutant animal model of PD might be used to study the mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction and explore potential new drug targets.

COQ2 and SNCA polymorphisms interact with environmental factors to modulate the risk of multiple system atrophy and subtype disposition.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) has no definitive genetic or environmental (G-E) risk factors, and the integrated effect of these factors on MSA etiology remains unknown. This study was undertaken to investigate the integrated effect of G-E factors associated with MSA and its subtypes, MSA-P and MSA-C. METHODS: A consecutive case-control study was conducted at two medical centers, and the interactions between genotypes of five previously reported susceptible single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; SNCA_rs3857059, SNCA_rs11931074, COQ2_rs148156462, EDN1_rs16872704, MAPT_rs9303521) and graded exposure (never, ever, current) of four environmental factors (smoking, alcohol, drinking well water, pesticide exposure) were analyzed by a stepwise logistic regression model. RESULTS: A total of 207 MSA patients and 136 healthy controls were enrolled. In addition to SNP COQ2_rs148156462 (TT), MSA risk was correlated with G-E interactions, including COQ2_rs148156462 (Tc) × pesticide nonexposure, COQ2_rs148156462 (TT) × current smokers, SNCA_rs11931074 (tt) × alcohol nonusers, and SNCA_rs11931074 (GG) × well water nondrinkers (all p < 0.01), with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.804 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.671-0.847). Modulated risk of MSA-C, with MSA-P as a control, correlated with COQ2_rs148156462 (TT) × alcohol nondrinkers, SNCA_rs11931074 (GG) × well water ever drinkers, SNCA_rs11931074 (Gt) × well water never drinkers, and SNCA_rs3857059 (gg) × pesticide nonexposure (all p < 0.05), with an AUC of 0.749 (95% CI = 0.683-0.815). CONCLUSIONS: Certain COQ2 and SNCA SNPs interact with common environmental factors to modulate MSA etiology and subtype disposition. The mechanisms underlying the observed correlation between G-E interactions and MSA etiopathogenesis warrant further investigation.

Rating scales and biomarkers for CAG-repeat spinocerebellar ataxias: Implications for therapy development.

Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of dominantly-inherited cerebellar ataxias, among which CAG expansion-related SCAs are most common. These diseases have very high penetrance with defined disease progression, and emerging therapies are being developed to provide either symptomatic or disease-modifying benefits. In clinical trial design, it is crucial to incorporate biomarkers to test target engagement or track disease progression in response to therapies, especially in rare diseases such as SCAs. In this article, we review the available rating scales and recent advances of biomarkers in CAG-repeat SCAs. We divided biomarkers into neuroimaging, body fluid, and physiological studies. Understanding the utility of each biomarker will facilitate the design of robust clinical trials to advance therapies for SCAs.

Genome-wide identification of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with malathion resistance in Bactrocera dorsalis.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of biological processes and have been identified in many species including insects. However, the association between lncRNAs and pesticide resistance in insect species such as Bactrocera dorsalis is unknown. RESULTS: RNA-seq was performed on malathion resistant (MR1) and susceptible (MS) strains of B. dorsalis and a total of 6171 lncRNAs transcripts were identified. These included 3728 lincRNAs, 653 antisense lncRNAs, 1402 intronic lncRNAs, and 388 sense lncRNAs. A total of 40 and 52 upregulated lncRNAs were found in females and males of the MR1 strain compared to 54 and 49 in the same sexes of the MS strain, respectively. Twenty-seven of these lncRNAs showed the same trend of expression in both females and males in the MR1 strain, in which 15 lncRNAs were upregulated and 12 were downregulated. RT-qPCR results indicated that the differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with malathion resistance. The lnc15010.10 and lnc3774.2 were highly expressed in the cuticle of the MR1 strain, indicating that these two lncRNAs may be related to malathion resistance. RNAi of lnc3774.2 and a bioassay showed that malathion resistance was possibly influenced by changes in the B. dorsalis cuticle. CONCLUSION: LncRNAs of B. dorsalis potentially related to the malathion resistance were identified. Two lncRNAs appear to influence malathion resistance via modulating the structure, or components, of the cuticle. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase mediates the susceptibility of Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam.

BACKGROUND: The Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri has developed high levels of resistance to many insecticides, and understanding its resistance mechanism will aid in the chemical control of this species. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is crucial in cytochrome P450 function, and in some insects CPR knockdown has increased their susceptibility to insecticides. However, the CPR from D. citri has not been characterized and its function is undescribed. RESULTS: The CPR gene of D. citri (DcCPR) was cloned and sequenced. The expression level of DcCPR, determined by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis, was highest in the midgut and in nymphs. After feeding on double-stranded RNA for 72 h, the DcCPR messenger RNA level in D. citri adults decreased by 68.4%, and the susceptibility of D. citri to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam significantly increased. Meanwhile, after DcCPR silencing, the specific activities of DcCPR protein and P450s were significantly reduced by 41.6% and 44.7%, respectively. The subsequent western blot analysis and quantification of band intensity also showed that DcCPR content significantly decreased, consistent with the results of the specific activity test. In a eukaryotic expression assay, the viability of cells expressing DcCPR was significantly higher than the viability of cells expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) when cells were exposed to imidacloprid or thiamethoxam. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that DcCPR contributes to D. citri susceptibility to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam.

Mitochondrial UQCRC1 mutations cause autosomal dominant parkinsonism with polyneuropathy.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with a multifactorial aetiology. Nevertheless, the genetic predisposition in many families with multi-incidence disease remains unknown. This study aimed to identify novel genes that cause familial Parkinson's disease. Whole exome sequencing was performed in three affected members of the index family with a late-onset autosomal-dominant parkinsonism and polyneuropathy. We identified a novel heterozygous substitution c.941A>C (p.Tyr314Ser) in the mitochondrial ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 1 (UQCRC1) gene, which co-segregates with disease within the family. Additional analysis of 699 unrelated Parkinson's disease probands with autosomal-dominant Parkinson's disease and 1934 patients with sporadic Parkinson's disease revealed another two variants in UQCRC1 in the probands with familial Parkinson's disease, c.931A>C (p.Ile311Leu) and an allele with concomitant splicing mutation (c.70-1G>A) and a frameshift insertion (c.73_74insG, p.Ala25Glyfs*27). All substitutions were absent in 1077 controls and the Taiwan Biobank exome database from healthy participants (n = 1517 exomes). We then assayed the pathogenicity of the identified rare variants using CRISPR/Cas9-based knock-in human dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cell lines, Drosophila and mouse models. Mutant UQCRC1 expression leads to neurite degeneration and mitochondrial respiratory chain dysfunction in SH-SY5Y cells. UQCRC1 p.Tyr314Ser knock-in Drosophila and mouse models exhibit age-dependent locomotor defects, dopaminergic neuronal loss, peripheral neuropathy, impaired respiratory chain complex III activity and aberrant mitochondrial ultrastructures in nigral neurons. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injection of levodopa could significantly improve the motor dysfunction in UQCRC1 p.Tyr314Ser mutant knock-in mice. Taken together, our in vitro and in vivo studies support the functional pathogenicity of rare UQCRC1 variants in familial parkinsonism. Our findings expand an additional link of mitochondrial complex III dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.

A glutathione S-transferase (BdGSTd9) participates in malathion resistance via directly depleting malathion and its toxic oxide malaoxon in Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel).

BACKGROUND: The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is a widespread agricultural pest that has evolved resistance to many commonly used insecticides including malathion. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are multifunctional enzymes that metabolize insecticides directly or indirectly. The specific mechanism used by GSTs to confer malathion resistance in B. dorsalis is unclear. RESULTS: BdGSTd9 was identified from B. dorsalis and was expressed at twice the level in a malathion-resistant strain (MR) than in a susceptible strain (MS). By using RNAi of BdGSTd9, the toxicity of malathion against MR was increased. Protein modelling and docking of BdGSTd9 with malathion and malaoxon indicated key amino acid residues for direct binding in the active site. In vitro assays with engineered Sf9 cells overexpressing BdGSTd9 demonstrated lower cytotoxicity of malathion. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that malathion could be broken down significantly by BdGSTd9, and it also could deplete the malathion metabolite malaoxon, which possesses a higher toxicity to B. dorsalis. Taken together, the BdGSTd9 of B. dorsalis could not only deplete malathion, but also react with malaoxon and therefore enhance malathion resistance. CONCLUSION: BdGSTd9 is a component of malathion resistance in B. dorsalis. It acts by depleting both malathion and malaoxon. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

A clinical and genetic study of early-onset and familial parkinsonism in taiwan: An integrated approach combining gene dosage analysis and next-generation sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Recent genetic progress has allowed for the molecular diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. However, genetic causes of PD vary widely in different ethnicities. Mutational frequencies and clinical phenotypes of genes associated with PD in Asian populations are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to identify the mutational frequencies and clinical spectrums of multiple PD-causative genes in a Taiwanese PD cohort. METHODS: A total of 571 participants including 324 patients with early-onset parkinsonism (onset age, <50 years) and 247 parkinsonism pedigrees were recruited at a tertiary referral center in Taiwan from 2002 to 2017. Genetic causes were identified by an integrated approach including gene dosage analysis, a targeted next-generation sequencing panel containing 40 known PD-causative genes, repeat-primed polymerase chain reaction, and whole-exome sequencing analysis. RESULTS: Thirty of the 324 patients with early-onset parkinsonism (9.3%) were found to carry mutations in Parkin, PINK1, or PLA2G6 or had increased trinucleotide repeats in SCA8. Twenty-nine of 109 probands with autosomal-recessive inheritance of parkinsonism (26.6%) were found to carry mutations in Parkin, PINK1, GBA, or HTRA2. The genetic causes for the 138 probands with an autosomal-dominant inheritance pattern of parkinsonism were more heterogeneous. Seventeen probands (12.3%) carried pathogenic mutations in LRRK2, VPS35, MAPT, GBA, DNAJC13, C9orf72, SCA3, or SCA17. A novel missense mutation in the UQCRC1 gene was found in a family with autosomal-dominant inheritance parkinsonism via whole-exome sequencing analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide a better understanding of the genetic architecture of PD in eastern Asia and broaden the clinical spectrum of PD-causing mutations. © 2019 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Similar Uptake of 99mTc-MDP and 67Ga-Citrate at the Sites of Metastatic Calcification.

A 59-year-old woman presented with fever for 2 weeks. The patient had end-stage renal disease and was undergoing dialysis therapy for 10 years. Plain radiographs revealed extensive calcification in the subcutaneous tissues of the shoulders, thighs, and hips. In this case, TC-MDP bone scan detected all sites of subcutaneous metastatic calcification in one sweep. Ga-citrate scintigraphy was also performed and showed similar uptake at the same locations as those revealed by the bone scan, suggesting the existence of an inflammatory process at the sites of metastatic calcification.

LRRK 2 gene mutations in the pathophysiology of the ROCO domain and therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease: a review.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder and manifests as resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. Pathologically, PD is characterized by selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the formation of intracellular inclusions containing α-synuclein and ubiquitin called Lewy bodies. Consequently, a remarkable deficiency of dopamine in the striatum causes progressive disability of motor function. The etiology of PD remains uncertain. Genetic variability in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is the most common genetic cause of sporadic and familial PD. LRRK2 encodes a large protein containing three catalytic and four protein-protein interaction domains. Patients with LRRK2 mutations exhibit a clinical and pathological phenotype indistinguishable from sporadic PD. Recent studies have shown that pathological mutations of LRRK2 can reduce the rate of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis, increase kinase activity and GTP binding activity, and subsequently cause cell death. The process of cell death involves several signaling pathways, including the autophagic-lysosomal pathway, intracellular trafficking, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. This review summarizes the cellular function and pathophysiology of LRRK2 ROCO domain mutations in PD and the perspective of therapeutic approaches.

The anti-tumor effect of regorafenib in lung squamous cell carcinoma in vitro.

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a common type of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and lacks effective treatment. Regorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, has demonstrated promising anti-tumor activity in various solid tumors. To study whether regorafenib inhibits LSCC cells, we investigate the compound in several LSCC cell lines and explore the possible mechanism. In this study, we confirmed that regorafenib had anti-proliferation effect on LSCC cell lines by inducing G0/G1 arrest. In addition, glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) remained at the same level and Ser9 phosphorylation of GSK3ß decreased with increasing incubation time and increasing regorafenib concentration in LSCC cells. GSK3ß inhibition enhanced the anti-tumor activity of regorafenib. Thus, GSK3ß activation restricted the anti-cancer effect of regorafenib on LSCC. In conclusion, regorafenib might be a promising drug for LSCC therapy. GSK3ß might be a potential target to increase the anti-tumor effect of regorafenib in LSCC cells.

Lack of TMEM230 mutations in patients with familial and sporadic Parkinson's disease in a Taiwanese population.

Mutations in transmembrane protein 230 (TMEM230) have recently been reported to be associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a North American population. A highly prevalent mutation, c.550_552delTAGinsCCCGGG (p.*184ProGlyext*5) was found in 3.1% of Chinese familial PD patients. However, subsequent studies failed to replicate these findings in different populations. Our objective was to confirm the role of this gene in a large number of PD patients and controls in a Taiwanese population. Among 1,672 participants, we sequenced all coding exons and exon-intron boundary junctions of the TMEM230 gene in 180 probands with familial PD. We also genotyped the potential pathogenic variants identified and the previously reported mutations (p.Arg141Leu, p.Tyr92Cys, p.*184Trpext*5, and p.*184ProGlyext*5) in an additional cohort of 500 patients with sporadic PD, and 992 age and gender-matched neurologically normal control subjects. We did not find any of the previously reported mutations, but we observed one novel missense exonic variant, c.G68A (p.Arg23Gln), in one patient with familial PD, and two patients with sporadic PD in a heterozygous state. However, subsequent analysis of this variant in 992 controls did not find any significant associations between p.Arg23Gln and the risk of PD (0.44% vs. 0.30%, p = 0.22). Our findings suggest that genetic variants of TMEM230 do not play a major role in PD in our Taiwanese population. Further experimental studies are warranted to confirm the pathogenicity of this gene in PD disease process.

Lack of RAB39B mutations in early-onset and familial Parkinson's disease in a Taiwanese cohort.

Loss of function mutations in RAB39B were recently linked to X-linked recessive early-onset Parkinsonism with variable degrees of intellectual dysfunction. Postmortem examination of the brain biopsy from a patient carrying the gene deletion revealed widespread α-synuclein pathology. However, subsequent analyses reported conflict results to replicate the role of RAB39B mutations in patients with early-onset Parkinsonism. The aim of this study was to address the genetic contribution of RAB39B in early-onset and familial Parkinson's disease (PD) in a Taiwanese population. Among 466 subjects, we sequenced both the exons and exon-intron boundaries of RAB39B from 235 patients with early-onset PD (age of onset <50 years), 119 probands with familial PD, and 112 ethnicity-matched control subjects. We did not find any coding variants or previously reported mutations, suggesting that RAB39B mutations are not a common cause of early-onset or familial PD in our Taiwanese population.