Overexpression of CCS in G93A-SOD1 mice leads to accelerated neurological deficits with severe mitochondrial pathology

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Apr 3;104(14):6072-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0610923104. Epub 2007 Mar 26.

Abstract

Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) has been detected within spinal cord mitochondria of mutant SOD1 transgenic mice, a model of familial ALS. The copper chaperone for SOD1 (CCS) provides SOD1 with copper, facilitates the conversion of immature apo-SOD1 to a mature holoform, and influences in yeast the cytosolic/mitochondrial partitioning of SOD1. To determine how CCS affects G93A-SOD1-induced disease, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing CCS and crossed them to G93A-SOD1 or wild-type SOD1 transgenic mice. Both CCS transgenic mice and CCS/wild-type-SOD1 dual transgenic mice are neurologically normal. In contrast, CCS/G93A-SOD1 dual transgenic mice develop accelerated neurological deficits, with a mean survival of 36 days, compared with 242 days for G93A-SOD1 mice. Immuno-EM and subcellular fractionation studies on the spinal cord show that G93A-SOD1 is enriched within mitochondria in the presence of CCS overexpression. Our results indicate that CCS overexpression in G93A-SOD1 mice produces severe mitochondrial pathology and accelerates disease course.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Fractionation
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Copper / metabolism*
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice
  • Mice, Neurologic Mutants
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Mitochondria / enzymology
  • Mitochondria / pathology*
  • Mitochondria / ultrastructure
  • Motor Neurons / enzymology
  • Motor Neurons / pathology*
  • Motor Neurons / ultrastructure
  • Spinal Cord / enzymology
  • Spinal Cord / ultrastructure
  • Subcellular Fractions
  • Superoxide Dismutase / genetics
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism*
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Copper
  • Superoxide Dismutase