Aberrant induction of type I IFN is a hallmark of the inherited encephalopathy Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS), but the mechanisms triggering disease in the human central nervous system (CNS) remain elusive. Here, we generated human models of AGS using genetically modified and patient-derived pluripotent stem cells harboring TREX1 or RNASEH2B loss-of-function alleles. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis reveals that spontaneous proinflammatory activation in AGS astrocytes initiates signaling cascades impacting multiple CNS cell subsets analyzed at the single-cell level. We identify accumulating DNA damage, with elevated R-loop and micronuclei formation, as a driver of STING- and NLRP3-related inflammatory responses leading to the secretion of neurotoxic mediators. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of proapoptotic or inflammatory cascades in AGS astrocytes prevents neurotoxicity without apparent impact on their increased type I IFN responses. Together, our work identifies DNA damage as a major driver of neurotoxic inflammation in AGS astrocytes, suggests a role for AGS gene products in R-loop homeostasis, and identifies common denominators of disease that can be targeted to prevent astrocyte-mediated neurotoxicity in AGS.

Aberrant induction of type I IFN is a hallmark of the inherited encephalopathy Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS), but the mechanisms triggering disease in the human central nervous system (CNS) remain elusive. Here, we generated human models of AGS using genetically modified and patient-derived pluripotent stem cells harboring TREX1 or RNASEH2B loss-of-function alleles. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis reveals that spontaneous proinflammatory activation in AGS astrocytes initiates signaling cascades impacting multiple CNS cell subsets analyzed at the single-cell level. We identify accumulating DNA damage, with elevated R-loop and micronuclei formation, as a driver of STING- and NLRP3-related inflammatory responses leading to the secretion of neurotoxic mediators. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of proapoptotic or inflammatory cascades in AGS astrocytes prevents neurotoxicity without apparent impact on their increased type I IFN responses. Together, our work identifies DNA damage as a major driver of neurotoxic inflammation in AGS astrocytes, suggests a role for AGS gene products in R-loop homeostasis, and identifies common denominators of disease that can be targeted to prevent astrocyte-mediated neurotoxicity in AGS.

DNA damage contributes to neurotoxic inflammation in Aicardi-Goutières syndrome astrocytes / Giordano, Anna Maria Sole; Luciani, Marco; Gatto, Francesca; Abou Alezz, Monah; Beghè, Chiara; Della Volpe, Lucrezia; Migliara, Alessandro; Valsoni, Sara; Genua, Marco; Dzieciatkowska, Monika; Frati, Giacomo; Tahraoui-Bories, Julie; Giliani, Silvia Clara; Orcesi, Simona; Fazzi, Elisa; Ostuni, Renato; D'Alessandro, Angelo; Di Micco, Raffaella; Merelli, Ivan; Lombardo, Angelo; Reijns, Martin A M; Gromak, Natalia; Gritti, Angela; Kajaste-Rudnitski, Anna. - In: THE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE. - ISSN 1540-9538. - 219:4(2022). [10.1084/jem.20211121]

DNA damage contributes to neurotoxic inflammation in Aicardi-Goutières syndrome astrocytes

Giordano, Anna Maria Sole
Primo
;
Luciani, Marco
Secondo
;
Della Volpe, Lucrezia;Migliara, Alessandro;Ostuni, Renato;Lombardo, Angelo;Gritti, Angela
Penultimo
;
2022-01-01

Abstract

Aberrant induction of type I IFN is a hallmark of the inherited encephalopathy Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS), but the mechanisms triggering disease in the human central nervous system (CNS) remain elusive. Here, we generated human models of AGS using genetically modified and patient-derived pluripotent stem cells harboring TREX1 or RNASEH2B loss-of-function alleles. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis reveals that spontaneous proinflammatory activation in AGS astrocytes initiates signaling cascades impacting multiple CNS cell subsets analyzed at the single-cell level. We identify accumulating DNA damage, with elevated R-loop and micronuclei formation, as a driver of STING- and NLRP3-related inflammatory responses leading to the secretion of neurotoxic mediators. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of proapoptotic or inflammatory cascades in AGS astrocytes prevents neurotoxicity without apparent impact on their increased type I IFN responses. Together, our work identifies DNA damage as a major driver of neurotoxic inflammation in AGS astrocytes, suggests a role for AGS gene products in R-loop homeostasis, and identifies common denominators of disease that can be targeted to prevent astrocyte-mediated neurotoxicity in AGS.
2022
Aberrant induction of type I IFN is a hallmark of the inherited encephalopathy Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS), but the mechanisms triggering disease in the human central nervous system (CNS) remain elusive. Here, we generated human models of AGS using genetically modified and patient-derived pluripotent stem cells harboring TREX1 or RNASEH2B loss-of-function alleles. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis reveals that spontaneous proinflammatory activation in AGS astrocytes initiates signaling cascades impacting multiple CNS cell subsets analyzed at the single-cell level. We identify accumulating DNA damage, with elevated R-loop and micronuclei formation, as a driver of STING- and NLRP3-related inflammatory responses leading to the secretion of neurotoxic mediators. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of proapoptotic or inflammatory cascades in AGS astrocytes prevents neurotoxicity without apparent impact on their increased type I IFN responses. Together, our work identifies DNA damage as a major driver of neurotoxic inflammation in AGS astrocytes, suggests a role for AGS gene products in R-loop homeostasis, and identifies common denominators of disease that can be targeted to prevent astrocyte-mediated neurotoxicity in AGS.
Autoimmunity, Innate immunity and inflammation, Neuroinflammation
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11768/158578
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