Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0002736 (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
 19,048 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The causative pathomechanism of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is not clearly understood. Using microarray technology combined with laser-captured microdissection, gene expression profiles of degenerating spinal motor neurons isolated from autopsied patients with sporadic ALS were examined. Gene expression was quantitatively assessed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. Spinal motor neurons showed a distinct gene expression profile from the whole spinal ventral horn. Three percent of genes examined were downregulated, and 1% were upregulated in motor neurons. Downregulated genes included those associated with cytoskeleton/axonal transport, transcription, and cell surface antigens/receptors, such as dynactin, microtubule-associated proteins, and early growth response 3 (EGR3). In contrast, cell death-associated genes were mostly upregulated. Promoters for cell death pathway, death receptor 5, cyclins A1 and C, and caspases-1, -3, and -9, were upregulated, whereas cell death inhibitors, acetyl-CoA transporter, and NF-kappaB were also upregulated. Moreover, neuroprotective neurotrophic factors such as ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor were upregulated. Inflammation-related genes, such as those belonging to the cytokine family, were not, however, significantly upregulated in either motor neurons or ventral horns. The motor neuron-specific gene expression profile in sporadic ALS can provide direct information on the genes leading to neurodegeneration and neuronal death and are helpful for developing new therapeutic strategies.
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PMID:Gene expression profile of spinal motor neurons in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 1566 76

In a differential gene expression profile, we showed previously that dynactin 1 (DCTN1), early growth response 3 (EGR3), acetyl-CoA transporter (ACATN), death receptor 5 (DR5), and cyclin C (CCNC) were prominently up- or downregulated in motor neurons of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the present study, we examined the correlation between the expression levels of these genes and the levels of pathologic markers for motor neuron degeneration (i.e. cytoplasmic accumulation of phosphorylated neurofilament H [pNF-H] and ubiquitylated protein) and the numbers of residual motor neurons in 20 autopsies of patients with sporadic ALS. DCTN1 and EGR3 were widely downregulated, and the changes in gene expression were correlated to the number of residual motor neurons. In particular, DCTN1 was markedly downregulated in most residual motor neurons before the accumulation of pNF-H, even in cases with well-preserved motor neuron populations. ACATN, DR5, and CCNC were upregulated in subpopulations of residual motor neurons, and their expression levels were well correlated with the levels of pNF-H accumulation and the number of residual motor neurons. The expressions of DCTN1, EGR3, ACATN, and DR5 were all markedly altered before ubiquitylated protein accumulation. DCTN1 downregulation appears to be an early event before the appearance of neurodegeneration markers, whereas upregulations of DR5 and CCNC are relatively later phenomena associated with pathologic markers and leading to neuronal death. The sequence of motor neuron-specific gene expression changes in sporadic ALS can be beneficial information in developing appropriate therapeutic strategies for neurodegeneration.
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PMID:Gene expressions specifically detected in motor neurons (dynactin 1, early growth response 3, acetyl-CoA transporter, death receptor 5, and cyclin C) differentially correlate to pathologic markers in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 1762 Sep 87

The causative pathomechanism of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is not clearly understood. Using microarray technology combined with laser-captured microdissection, gene expression profiles of degenerating spinal motor neurons as well as spinal ventral horn from autopsied patients with sporadic ALS were examined. Spinal motor neurons showed a distinct gene expression profile from the whole spinal ventral horn. Three percent of genes examined were significantly downregulated, and 1% were upregulated in motor neurons. In contrast with motor neurons, the total spinal ventral horn homogenates demonstrated 0.7% and 0.2% significant upregulation and downregulation of gene expression, respectively. Downregulated genes in motor neurons included those associated with cytoskeleton/axonal transport, transcription and cell surface antigens/receptors, such as dynactin 1 (DCTN1) and early growth response 3 (EGR3). In particular, DCTN1 was markedly downregulated in most residual motor neurons prior to the accumulation of pNF-H and ubiquitylated protein. Promoters for cell death pathway, death receptor 5 (DR5), cyclins C (CCNC) and A1 (CCNA), and caspases were upregulated, whereas cell death inhibitors, acetyl-CoA transporter (ACATN) and NF-kappaB (NFKB) were also upregulated. In terms of spinal ventral horn, the expression of genes related to cell surface antigens/receptors, transcription and cell adhesion/ECM were increased. The gene expression resulting in neurodegenerative and neuroprotective changes were both present in spinal motor neurons and ventral horn. Moreover, Inflammation-related genes, such as belonging to the cytokine family were not, however, significantly upregulated in either motor neurons or ventral horn. The sequence of motor neuron-specific gene expression changes from early DCTN1 downregulation to late CCNC upregulation in sporadic ALS can provide direct information on the genes leading to neurodegeneration and neuronal death, and are helpful for developing new therapeutic strategies.
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PMID:[Gene expression profile of spinal ventral horn in ALS]. 1796 53