Warren C. Ladiges

Mitochondrial point mutations do not limit the natural lifespan of mice

Whether mitochondrial mutations cause mammalian aging, or are merely correlated with it, is an area of intense debate. Here, we use a new, highly sensitive assay to redefine the relationship between mitochondrial mutations and age. We measured the in vivo rate of change of the mitochondrial genome at a single–base pair level in mice, and we demonstrate that the mutation frequency in mouse mitochondria is more than ten times lower than previously reported. Although we observed an 11-fold increase in mitochondrial point mutations with age, we report that a mitochondrial mutator mouse was able to sustain a 500-fold higher mutation burden than normal mice, without any obvious features of rapidly accelerated aging. Thus, our results strongly indicate that mitochondrial mutations do not limit the lifespan of wild-type mice.

Overexpression of Catalase Targeted to Mitochondria Attenuates Murine Cardiac Aging

Background— Age is a major risk for cardiovascular diseases. Although mitochondrial reactive oxygen species have been proposed as one of the causes of aging, their role in cardiac aging remains unclear. We have previously shown that overexpression of catalase targeted to mitochondria (mCAT) prolongs murine median lifespan by 17% to 21%. Methods and Results— We used echocardiography to study cardiac function in aging cohorts of wild-type and mCAT mice. Changes found in wild-type mice recapitulate human aging: age-dependent increases in left ventricular mass index and left atrial dimension, worsening of the myocardial performance index, and a decline in diastolic function. Cardiac aging in mice is accompanied by accumulation of mitochondrial protein oxidation, increased mitochondrial DNA mutations and deletions and mitochondrial biogenesis, increased ventricular fibrosis, enlarged myocardial fiber size, decreased cardiac SERCA2 protein, and activation of the calcineurin–nuclear factor of activated T-cell pathway. All of these age-related changes were significantly attenuated in mCAT mice. Analysis of survival of 130 mice demonstrated that echocardiographic cardiac aging risk scores were significant predictors of mortality. The estimated attributable risk to mortality for these 2 parameters was 55%. Conclusions— This study shows that cardiac aging in the mouse closely recapitulates human aging and demonstrates the critical role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in cardiac aging and the impact of cardiac aging on survival. These findings also support the potential application of mitochondrial antioxidants in reactive oxygen species–related cardiovascular diseases.

Rapamycin Reverses Elevated mTORC1 Signaling in Lamin A/C–Deficient Mice, Rescues Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Function, and Extends Survival

Rapamycin treatment of a mouse model for a human laminopathy improves cardiac and muscle function, suggesting a therapy for human patients. Rapping Down mTORC1 Aids Ailing Muscles Rapamycin—a bacterial product discovered in soil samples from the eponymous Rapa Nui, or Easter Island—is a markedly versatile drug. Clinically, it is used to prevent organ transplant rejection, treat cancer, and improve angioplasty outcomes; it also increases life span in organisms ranging from yeast to mice. Now, Ramos and colleagues show its potential for treating muscle disease caused by mutations in LMNA. LMNA encodes A-type lamins, intermediate filament proteins that form the nuclear lamina, a layer just under the nuclear membrane. Different LMNA mutations cause distinct diseases, but reduced A-type lamin function is generally linked to skeletal muscle dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy, in which the heart is enlarged and weakened. Mice that lack Lmna likewise develop these conditions, dying young of heart problems. Ramos et al. speculated that signaling pathways involved in muscle remodeling, such as that for the kinase mTOR—the mammalian target of rapamycin—might be dysregulated in Lmna−/− mice, contributing to their problems. mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) senses information about energy, nutrients, and stress; in response, it regulates cellular processes such as protein synthesis and autophagy (in which cellular components are degraded to reallocate nutrients). The authors found that mTORC1 signaling was hyperactivated in skeletal and heart muscle in Lmna−/− mice. Furthermore, the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin decreased mTORC1 signaling, improved skeletal and cardiac muscle function, and increased the life span of these mice. Lmna−/− mice also exhibited defective autophagy, which could be improved by rapamycin. In addition, previous work showed abnormal aggregation of desmin, which normally forms filaments that are important for muscle structure, in these mice. Rapamycin decreased these aggregates. This study indicates that hyperactive mTORC1 signaling helps to create the phenotypes of Lmna−/− mice. There are no effective treatments for the related conditions in humans; this work—and related findings reported by Choi et al. in this issue—indicate that rapamycin-related compounds might serve such a role. Mutations in LMNA, the gene that encodes A-type lamins, cause multiple diseases including dystrophies of the skeletal muscle and fat, dilated cardiomyopathy, and progeria-like syndromes (collectively termed laminopathies). Reduced A-type lamin function, however, is most commonly associated with skeletal muscle dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy rather than lipodystrophy or progeria. The mechanisms underlying these diseases are only beginning to be unraveled. We report that mice deficient in Lmna, which corresponds to the human gene LMNA, have enhanced mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1) signaling specifically in tissues linked to pathology, namely, cardiac and skeletal muscle. Pharmacologic reversal of elevated mTORC1 signaling by rapamycin improves cardiac and skeletal muscle function and enhances survival in mice lacking A-type lamins. At the cellular level, rapamycin decreases the number of myocytes with abnormal desmin accumulation and decreases the amount of desmin in both muscle and cardiac tissue of Lmna−/− mice. In addition, inhibition of mTORC1 signaling with rapamycin improves defective autophagic-mediated degradation in Lmna−/− mice. Together, these findings point to aberrant mTORC1 signaling as a mechanistic component of laminopathies associated with reduced A-type lamin function and offer a potential therapeutic approach, namely, the use of rapamycin-related mTORC1 inhibitors.

Hepatocyte-specific inhibition of NF-κB leads to apoptosis after TNF treatment, but not after partial hepatectomy

One of the earliest TNF-dependent events to occur during liver regeneration is the activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB through TNF receptor type 1. NF-kappaB activation in the liver can have both antiapoptotic and proliferative effects, but it is unclear which liver cell types, hepatocytes or nonparenchymal cells (NPCs), contribute to these effects. To specifically evaluate the role of hepatocyte NF-kappaB, we created GLVP/DeltaN-IkappaB(alpha) transgenic mice, in which expression of a deletion mutant of IkappaB(alpha) (DeltaN-IkappaB(alpha)) was induced in hepatocytes after injection of mifepristone. In control mice, injection of 25 microg/kg TNF caused NF-kappaB nuclear translocation in virtually all hepatocytes by 30 minutes and no detectable apoptosis, while in mice expressing DeltaN-IkappaB(alpha), NF-kappaB nuclear translocation was blocked in 45% of hepatocytes, leading to apoptosis 4 hours after TNF injection. In contrast, expression of DeltaN-IkappaBalpha in hepatocytes during the first several hours after partial hepatectomy did not lead to apoptosis or decreased proliferation. As NF-kappaB activation was not inhibited in liver NPCs, it is likely that these cells are responsible for mediating the proliferative and antiapoptotic effects of NF-kappaB during liver regeneration.

Mitochondrial targeted catalase suppresses invasive breast cancer in mice

BackgroundTreatment of invasive breast cancer has an alarmingly high rate of failure because effective targets have not been identified. One potential target is mitochondrial generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) because ROS production has been associated with changes in substrate metabolism and lower concentration of anti-oxidant enzymes in tumor and stromal cells and increased metastatic potential.MethodsTransgenic mice expressing a human catalase gene (mCAT) were crossed with MMTV-PyMT transgenic mice that develop metastatic breast cancer. All mice (33 mCAT positive and 23 mCAT negative) were terminated at 110 days of age, when tumors were well advanced. Tumors were histologically assessed for invasiveness, proliferation and metastatic foci in the lungs. ROS levels and activation status of p38 MAPK were determined.ResultsPyMT mice expressing mCAT had a 12.5 per cent incidence of high histological grade primary tumor invasiveness compared to a 62.5 per cent incidence in PyMT mice without mCAT. The histological grade correlated with incidence of metastasis with 56 per cent of PyMT mice positive for mCAT showing evidence of pulmonary metastasis compared to 85.4 per cent of PyMT mice negative for mCAT with pulmonary metastasis (p ≤ 0.05). PyMT tumor cells expressing mCAT had lower ROS levels and were more resistant to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress than wild type tumor cells, suggesting that mCAT has the potential of quenching intracellular ROS and subsequent invasive behavior. The metastatic tumor burden in PyMT mice expressing mCAT was 0.1 mm2/cm2 of lung tissue compared with 1.3 mm2/cm2 of lung tissue in PyMT mice expressing the wild type allele (p ≤ 0.01), indicating that mCAT could play a role in mitigating metastatic tumor progression at a distant organ site. Expression of mCAT in the lungs increased resistance to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress that was associated with decreased activation of p38MAPK suggesting ROS signaling is dependent on p38MAPK for at least some of its downstream effects.ConclusionTargeting catalase within mitochondria of tumor cells and tumor stromal cells suppresses ROS-driven tumor progression and metastasis. Therefore, increasing the antioxidant capacity of the mitochondrial compartment could be a rational therapeutic approach for invasive breast cancer.Please see related commentary article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/9/62

Mutation at the Polymerase Active Site of Mouse DNA Polymerase δ Increases Genomic Instability and Accelerates Tumorigenesis

ABSTRACT Mammalian DNA polymerase δ (Pol δ) is believed to replicate a large portion of the genome and to synthesize DNA in DNA repair and genetic recombination pathways. The effects of mutation in the polymerase domain of this essential enzyme are unknown. Here, we generated mice harboring an L604G or L604K substitution in highly conserved motif A in the polymerase active site of Pol δ. Homozygous Pold1L604G/L604G and Pold1L604K/L604K mice died in utero. However, heterozygous animals were viable and displayed no overall increase in disease incidence, indicative of efficient compensation for the defective mutant polymerase. The life spans of wild-type and heterozygous Pold1+/L604G mice did not differ, while that of Pold1+/L604K mice was reduced by 18%. Cultured embryonic fibroblasts from the heterozygous strains exhibited comparable increases in both spontaneous mutation rate and chromosome aberrations. We observed no significant increase in cancer incidence; however, Pold1+/L604K mice bearing histologically diagnosed tumors died at a younger median age than wild-type mice. Our results indicate that heterozygous mutation at L604 in the polymerase active site of DNA polymerase δ reduces life span, increases genomic instability, and accelerates tumorigenesis in an allele-specific manner, novel findings that have implications for human cancer.

Lifespan extension in genetically modified mice

Major advances in aging research have been made by studying the effect of genetic modifications on the lifespan of organisms, such as yeast, invertebrates (worms and flies) and mice. Data from yeast and invertebrates have been the most plentiful because of the ease in which genetic manipulations can be made and the rapidity by which lifespan experiments can be performed. With the ultimate focus on advancing human health, testing genetic interventions in mammals is crucial, and the mouse has proven to be the mammal most amenable to this task. Lifespan studies in mice are resource intensive, requiring up to 4 years to complete. Therefore, it is critical that a set of scientifically‐based criteria be followed to assure reliable results and establish statistically significant findings so other laboratories can replicate and build on the data. Only then will it be possible to confidently determine that the genetic modification extends lifespan and alters aging.

Transgenic mice over-expressing the C-99 fragment of βPP with an α-secretase site mutation develop a myopathy similar to human inclusion body myositis

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is the most common muscle disease in the elderly. Amyloid-β protein (Aβ) has been shown to accumulate abnormally in the vacuolated fibers and to localize to amyloid-like fibrils in muscles from IBM patients. We studied the skeletal muscles from a line of transgenic mice over-expressing the carboxyl-terminal 99 amino acids (C99) of the β-amyloid precursor protein (βPP) with a substitution of lysine-612 to valine (K612V), intended to abolish α-secretase recognition and to preserve the Aβ domain of C99. The majority (87%) of the 24-month-old transgenic mice showed myopathic changes, and approximately one-third of them had degenerating fibers with sarcoplasmic vacuoles and thioflavin-S-positive deposits. Ultrastructurally, the inclusions were aggregates of short thin amyloid-like fibrils, 6 to 8 nm in diameter. These features are similar to those of human IBM. Immunocytochemistry using an antibody against Aβ showed membranous staining in most muscle fibers of transgenic mice, as well as granular or vacuolar cytoplasmic staining in the atrophic fibers. Western blots showed a high level of accumulation of carboxyl-terminal fragments of βPP in the muscles of the transgenic mice with the most severe IBM-like lesions. The expression of IBM-like lesions was age dependent. These transgenic mice provide a model for the study of IBM and for the peripheral expression of a key element in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease.

Disruption of protein kinase A in mice enhances healthy aging

Mutations that cause a reduction in protein kinase A (PKA) activity have been shown to extend lifespan in yeast. Loss of function of mammalian RIIβ, a regulatory subunit of PKA expressed in brain and adipose tissue, results in mice that are lean and insulin sensitive. It was therefore hypothesized that RIIB null (RIIβ−/−) mice would express anti-aging phenotypes. We conducted lifespan studies using 40 mutant and 40 wild type (WT) littermates of equal gender numbers and found that both the median and maximum lifespans were significantly increased in mutant males compared to WT littermates. The median lifespan was increased from 884 days to 1005 days (p = 0.006 as determined by the log rank test) and the 80% lifespan (defined here as 80% deaths) was increased from 941 days to 1073 days (p = 0.004 as determined by the Wang-Allison test). There was no difference in either median or 80% lifespan in female genotypes. WT mice of both genders became increasingly obese with age, while mutant mice maintained their lean phenotype into old age. Adiposity was found to correlate with lifespan for males only. 50% of male mice between 30 and 35 g, corresponding to about 5% body fat, for either genotype lived over 1000 days. No male mouse outside of this weight range achieved this lifespan. During their last month of life, WT mice began losing weight (a total of 8% and 15% of body weight was lost for males and females, respectively), but RIIβ−/− male mice maintained their lean body mass to end of life. This attenuation of decline was not seen in female mutant mice. Old male mutant mice were insulin sensitive throughout their life. Both genders showed modestly lower blood glucose levels in old mutants compared to WT. Male mutants were also resistant to age-induced fatty liver. Pathological assessment of tissues from end of life male mutant mice showed a decrease in tumor incidence, decreased severity of renal lesions, and a trend towards a decrease in age-related cardiac pathology. These findings help establish the highly conserved nature of PKA and suggest that disruption of PKA affects physiological mechanisms known to be associated with healthy aging.

Treatment of feline leukemia and reversal of FeLV by ex vivo removal of IgG: A preliminary report

Cats that were spontaneously infected with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) were treated with a combination of low‐dose irradiation and extracorporeal immunosorption using formalin and heat‐fixed S. aureus as a non‐specific immunosorbent to remove plasma IgG and immune complexes. The treatment resulted in reduction of circulating lymphoblasts within two weeks and clinical improvement of three of the five animals. A reversal of the FeLV status is reported in five of five cats. Two of the five cats remain FeLV negative and completely tumor free seven and eight months post‐therapy at the time of writing (July 1979). A third cat returned to an FeLV positive state but remained tumor free for 24 weeks. Another cat responded to the therapy by reduction of lymphoblasts and became FeLV negative but died of a hemorrhage during an immunosorption. The last cats status was FeLV positive, then FeLV negative, and finally FeLV positive again. He died 20 weeks after initiation of therapy. During the treatment there was a weight gain in the three cats responding by tumor regression. The results are discussed in terms of a removal of some type of immunoinhibiting factors such as antigen‐antibody complexes or suppressor molecules.