English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Biopolymers consist of three major classes, i.e., polynucleotides (DNA, RNA), polypeptides (proteins) and polysaccharides (sugar chains). It is widely accepted that polynucleotides and polypeptides play fundamental roles in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. But, sugar chains have been poorly studied in this process, and their biological/clinical significance remains largely unexplored. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motoneuron-degenerative disease, the pathogenesis of which requires both cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous processes. Here, we investigated the role of keratan sulfate (KS), a sulfated long sugar chain of proteoglycan, in ALS pathogenesis. We employed ALS model SOD1 G93A  mice and GlcNAc6ST-1 −/−  mice, which are KS-deficient in the central nervous system. Unexpectedly, SOD1 G93A GlcNAc6ST-1 −/−  mice exhibited a significantly shorter lifespan than SOD1 G93A  mice and an accelerated appearance of clinical symptoms (body weight loss and decreased rotarod performance). KS expression was induced exclusively in a subpopulation of microglia in SOD1 G93A  mice, and became detectable around motoneurons in the ventral horn during the early disease phase before body weight loss. During this phase, the expression of M2 microglia markers was transiently enhanced in SOD1 G93A  mice, while this enhancement was attenuated in SOD1 G93A GlcNAc6ST-1 −/−  mice. Consistent with this, M2 microglia were markedly less during the early disease phase in SOD1 G93A GlcNAc6ST-1 −/−  mice. Moreover, KS expression in microglia was also detected in some human ALS cases. This study suggests that KS plays an indispensable, suppressive role in the early phase pathogenesis of ALS and may represent a new target for therapeutic intervention.

Ablation of Keratan Sulfate Accelerates Early Phase Pathogenesis of ALS