中国神经再生研究(英文版) ›› 2017, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (6): 902-905.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.208564

• 综述:退行性病与再生 • 上一篇    下一篇

遗传学和环境毒素在肌萎缩性侧索硬化症中的相互作用:动物模型结果

  

  • 收稿日期:2017-06-12 出版日期:2017-06-15 发布日期:2017-06-15

The interaction of genetics and environmental toxicants in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: results from animal models

Roger B. Sher   

  1. (Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
  • Received:2017-06-12 Online:2017-06-15 Published:2017-06-15
  • Contact: Roger B. Sher, Ph.D., roger.sher@stonybrook.edu.

摘要:

 

肌萎缩性侧索硬化(ALS)会导致脊髓、脑干和运动皮层运动神经元变性。目前,有29种已知的遗传危险因素会导致或促成ALS,但这些基因仅占所有ALS病例的5-10%左右。尽管目前尚不清楚导致ALS发展的遗传因素,但暴露于环境毒物与潜在遗传风险相结合是ALS发展最有可能的解释。事实上,越来越多的证据表明,ALS的发展是一个多步骤过程,其中潜在的遗传缺陷可导致若干结果,这取决于随后的环境触发因素。为了正确评估由遗传学、表观遗传学和环境暴露相互作用对ALS的起始和进展的风险和途径影响,需要研究、充分利用神经退行性动物模型的优势。动物模型允许我们在临床诊断之前进行长时间平行研究并代表人类疾病过程的临床前阶段。

研究表明,与暴露的非突变斑马鱼模型相比,ALS的SOD1-G93R斑马鱼模型特别适合于检查发育毒物暴露于成年ALS表型改变的组合基因 - 环境效应。事实上,这种模式已被证明是一个强大的模型,用于调查ALS发展的长期临床前阶段。研究发现,蓝藻细菌神经毒素β-N-甲基氨基-1-丙氨酸(BMAA)的胚胎暴露是由蓝细菌,二磷灰石和硅藻产生的非蛋白质氨基酸,并且与全世界的ALS簇流行病学相关,导致早期的神经发育缺陷和成年临床前运动功能障碍。

ORCID:0000-0003-3327-537X(Roger B. Sher)

Abstract:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive death of motor neurons, leading to paralysis and eventual death. There is presently no cure for ALS, and only two drugs are available, neither of which provide significant extension of life. The wide variation in onset and progression of the disease, both in sporadic and even in strongly penetrant monogenic familial forms of ALS, indicate that in addition to background genetic variation impacting the disease process, environmental exposures are likely contributors. Epidemiological evidence worldwide implicates exposures to bacterial toxins, heavy metals, pesticides, and trauma as probable environmental factors. Here, we review current advances in gene-environment interactions in ALS animal models. We report our recent discoveries in a zebrafish model of ALS in relation to exposure to the cyanobacterial toxin BMAA, and discuss several results from mouse models that show interactions with exposure to mercury and statin drugs, both leading to acceleration of the disease process. The increasing research into this combinatorial gene-environment process is just starting, but shows early promise to uncover the underlying biochemical pathways that instigate the initial motor neuron defects and lead to their rapidly progressive dysfunction.

Key words: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, gene-environment, animal models, toxicants, genetic susceptibility, risk factors