PUBLICATION

NCS1 overexpression restored mitochondrial activity and behavioral alterations in a zebrafish model of Wolfram syndrome

Authors
Crouzier, L., Richard, E.M., Diez, C., Denus, M., Peyrel, A., Alzaeem, H., Cubedo, N., Delaunay, T., Maurice, T., Delprat, B.
ID
ZDB-PUB-221103-2
Date
2022
Source
Molecular therapy. Methods & clinical development   27: 295-308 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Cubedo, Nicolas
Keywords
NCS1, Wolfram syndrome, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondria, zebrafish larvae
MeSH Terms
none
PubMed
36320410 Full text @ Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev
Abstract
Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a rare neurodegenerative disease resulting in deafness, optic atrophy, diabetes, and neurological disorders. Currently, no treatment is available for patients. The mutated gene, WFS1, encodes an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein, Wolframin. We previously reported that Wolframin regulated the ER-mitochondria Ca2+ transfer and mitochondrial activity by protecting NCS1 from degradation in patients' fibroblasts. We relied on a zebrafish model of WS, the wfs1abKO line, to analyze the functional and behavioral impact of NCS1 overexpression as a novel therapeutic strategy. The wfs1abKO line showed an increased locomotion in the visual motor and touch-escape responses. The absence of wfs1 did not impair the cellular unfolded protein response, in basal or tunicamycin-induced ER stress conditions. In contrast, metabolic analysis showed an increase in mitochondrial respiration in wfs1abKO larvae. Interestingly, overexpression of NCS1 using mRNA injection restored the alteration of mitochondrial respiration and hyperlocomotion. Taken together, these data validated the wfs1abKO zebrafish line as a pertinent experimental model of WS and confirmed the therapeutic potential of NCS1. The wfs1abKO line therefore appeared as an efficient model to identify novel therapeutic strategies, such as gene or pharmacological therapies targeting NCS1 that will correct or block WS symptoms.
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Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
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Mapping