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International audience; Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is a complex multisystemic inherited disorder, which displays multiple debilitating neurological manifestations. Despite recent progress in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 in skeletal muscle and heart, the pathways affected in the central nervous system are largely unknown. To address this question, we studied the only transgenic mouse line expressing CTG trinucleotide repeats in the central nervous system. These mice recreate molecular features of RNA toxicity, such as RNA foci accumulation and missplicing. They exhibit relevant behavioural and cognitive phenotypes, deficits in short-term synaptic plasticity, as well as changes in neurochemical levels. In the search for disease intermediates affected by disease mutation, a global proteomics approach revealed RAB3A upregulation and synapsin I hyperphosphorylation in the central nervous system of transgenic mice, transfected cells and post-mortem brains of patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1. These protein defects were associated with electrophysiological and behavioural deficits in mice and altered spontaneous neurosecretion in cell culture. Taking advantage of a relevant transgenic mouse of a complex human disease, we found a novel connection between physiological phenotypes and synaptic protein dysregulation, indicative of synaptic dysfunction in myotonic dystrophy type 1 brain pathology.

International audience; Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is a complex multisystemic inherited disorder, which displays multiple debilitating neurological manifestations. Despite recent progress in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 in skeletal muscle and heart, the pathways affected in the central nervous system are largely unknown. To address this question, we studied the only transgenic mouse line expressing CTG trinucleotide repeats in the central nervous system. These mice recreate molecular features of RNA toxicity, such as RNA foci accumulation and missplicing. They exhibit relevant behavioural and cognitive phenotypes, deficits in short-term synaptic plasticity, as well as changes in neurochemical levels. In the search for disease intermediates affected by disease mutation, a global proteomics approach revealed RAB3A upregulation and synapsin I hyperphosphorylation in the central nervous system of transgenic mice, transfected cells and post-mortem brains of patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1. These protein defects were associated with electrophysiological and behavioural deficits in mice and altered spontaneous neurosecretion in cell culture. Taking advantage of a relevant transgenic mouse of a complex human disease, we found a novel connection between physiological phenotypes and synaptic protein dysregulation, indicative of synaptic dysfunction in myotonic dystrophy type 1 brain pathology.

International audience; Dystrophin and dystrophin-associated proteins (DAPs) form a complex around the sarcolemma, which gives stability to the sarcolemma and leads signal transduction. Recently, the nuclear presence of dystrophin Dp71 and DAPs has been revealed in different non-muscle cell types, opening the possibility that these proteins could also be present in the nucleus of muscle cells. In this study, we analyzed by Immunofluorescence assays and Immunoblotting analysis of cell fractions the subcellular localization of Dp71 and DAPs in the C(2)C(12) muscle cell line. We demonstrated the presence of Dp71, alpha-sarcoglycan, alpha-dystrobrevin, beta-dystroglycan and alpha-syntrophin not only in plasma membrane but also in the nucleus of muscle cells. In addition, we found by Immunoprecipitation assays that these proteins form a nuclear complex. Interestingly, myogenesis modulates the presence and/or relative abundance of DAPs in the plasma membrane and nucleus as well as the composition of the nuclear complex. Finally, we demonstrated the presence of Dp71, alpha-sarcoglycan, beta-dystroglycan, alpha-dystrobrevin and alpha-syntrophin in the C(2)C(12) nuclear envelope fraction. Interestingly, alpha-sarcoglycan and beta-dystroglycan proteins showed enrichment in the nuclear envelope, compared with the nuclear fraction, suggesting that they could function as inner nuclear membrane proteins underlying the secondary association of Dp71 and the remaining DAPs to the nuclear envelope. Nuclear envelope localization of Dp71 and DAPs might be involved in the nuclear envelope-associated functions, such as nuclear structure and modulation of nuclear processes. J. Cell. Biochem. 105: 735-745, 2008. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Dystrophin Dp71 is the main product of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene in the brain; however, its function is unknown. To study the role of Dp71 in neuronal cells, we previously generated by antisense treatment PC12 neuronal cell clones with decreased Dp71 expression (antisense-Dp71 cells). PC12 cells express two different splicing isoforms of Dp71, a cytoplasmic variant called Dp71f and a nuclear isoform called Dp71d. We previously reported that antisense-Dp71 cells display deficient adhesion to substrate and reduced immunostaining of beta1-integrin in the cell area contacting the substrate. In this study, we isolated additional antisense-Dp71 clones to analyze in detail the potential involvement of Dp71f isoform with the beta1-integrin adhesion system of PC12 cells. Immunofluorescence analyses as well as immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that the PC12 cell beta1-integrin adhesion complex is composed of beta1-integrin, talin, paxillin, alpha-actinin, FAK and actin. In addition, our results showed that Dp71f associates with most of the beta1-integrin complex components (beta1-integrin, FAK, alpha-actinin, talin and actin). In the antisense-Dp71 cells, the deficiency of Dp71 provokes a significant reduction of the beta1-integrin adhesion complex and, consequently, the deficient adhesion of these cells to laminin. In vitro binding experiments confirmed the interaction of Dp71f with FAK and beta1-integrin. Our data indicate that Dp71f is a structural component of the beta1-integrin adhesion complex of PC12 cells that modulates PC12 cell adhesion by conferring proper complex assembly and/or maintenance.