abt-100 and Progeria

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is caused by a mutant prelamin A, progerin, that terminates with a farnesylcysteine. HGPS knock-in mice (Lmna(HG/+)) develop severe progeria-like disease phenotypes. These phenotypes can be ameliorated with a protein farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI), suggesting that progerin's farnesyl lipid is important for disease pathogenesis and raising the possibility that FTIs could be useful for treating humans with HGPS. Subsequent studies showed that mice expressing non-farnesylated progerin (Lmna(nHG/+) mice, in which progerin's carboxyl-terminal -CSIM motif was changed to -SSIM) also develop severe progeria, raising doubts about whether any treatment targeting protein prenylation would be particularly effective. We suspected that those doubts might be premature and hypothesized that the persistent disease in Lmna(nHG/+) mice could be an unanticipated consequence of the cysteine-to-serine substitution that was used to eliminate farnesylation. To test this hypothesis, we generated a second knock-in allele yielding non-farnesylated progerin (Lmna(csmHG)) in which the carboxyl-terminal -CSIM motif was changed to -CSM. We then compared disease phenotypes in mice harboring the Lmna(nHG) or Lmna(csmHG) allele. As expected, Lmna(nHG/+) and Lmna(nHG/nHG) mice developed severe progeria-like disease phenotypes, including osteolytic lesions and rib fractures, osteoporosis, slow growth and reduced survival. In contrast, Lmna(csmHG/+) and Lmna(csmHG/csmHG) mice exhibited no bone disease and displayed entirely normal body weights and survival. The frequencies of misshapen cell nuclei were lower in Lmna(csmHG/+) and Lmna(csmHG/csmHG) fibroblasts. These studies show that the ability of non-farnesylated progerin to elicit disease depends on the carboxyl-terminal mutation used to eliminate protein prenylation.

Topics: Amino Acid Substitution; Animals; Enzyme Inhibitors; Farnesyltranstransferase; Female; Gene Knock-In Techniques; Imidazoles; Lamin Type A; Male; Mice; Mutation; Nuclear Proteins; Phenotype; Progeria; Protein Precursors; Protein Prenylation

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is caused by the accumulation of a farnesylated form of prelamin A (progerin). Previously, we showed that blocking protein farnesylation with a farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) ameliorates the disease phenotypes in mouse model of HGPS (Lmna(HG/+)). However, the interpretation of the FTI treatment studies is open to question in light of recent studies showing that mice expressing a nonfarnesylated version of progerin (Lmna(nHG/+)) develop progeria-like disease phenotypes. The fact that Lmna(nHG/+) mice manifest disease raised the possibility that the beneficial effects of an FTI in Lmna(HG/+) mice were not due to the effects of the drug on the farnesylation of progerin, but may have been due to unanticipated secondary effects of the drug on other farnesylated proteins. To address this issue, we compared the ability of an FTI to improve progeria-like disease phenotypes in both Lmna(HG/+) and Lmna(nHG/+) mice. In Lmna(HG/+) mice, the FTI reduced disease phenotypes in a highly significant manner, but the drug had no effect in Lmna(nHG/+) mice. The failure of the FTI to ameliorate disease in Lmna(nHG/+) mice supports the idea that the beneficial effects of an FTI in Lmna(HG/+) mice are due to the effect of drug on the farnesylation of progerin.

Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Body Weight; Disease Models, Animal; Enzyme Inhibitors; Farnesyltranstransferase; Female; Fibroblasts; Imidazoles; Male; Mice; Phenotype; Prenylation; Progeria; Survival Analysis; Time Factors

Progerias are rare genetic diseases characterized by premature aging. Several progeroid disorders are caused by mutations that lead to the accumulation of a lipid-modified (farnesylated) form of prelamin A, a protein that contributes to the structural scaffolding for the cell nucleus. In progeria, the accumulation of farnesyl-prelamin A disrupts this scaffolding, leading to misshapen nuclei. Previous studies have shown that farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs) reverse this cellular abnormality. We tested the efficacy of an FTI (ABT-100) in Zmpste24-deficient mice, a mouse model of progeria. The FTI-treated mice exhibited improved body weight, grip strength, bone integrity, and percent survival at 20 weeks of age. These results suggest that FTIs may have beneficial effects in humans with progeria.

Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Disease Models, Animal; Enzyme Inhibitors; Farnesyltranstransferase; Female; Hand Strength; Imidazoles; Lamin Type A; Male; Membrane Proteins; Metalloendopeptidases; Mice; Nuclear Proteins; Progeria; Protein Precursors; Protein Prenylation; Rib Fractures; Survival Rate