A mouse model for fucosidosis recapitulates storage pathology and neurological features of the milder form of the human disease

作者：Wolf Heike; Damme Markus; Stroobants Stijn; D'Hooge Rudi; Beck Hans Christian; Hermans Borgmeyer Irm; Luellmann Rauch Renate; Dierks Thomas; Luebke Torben

来源：Disease Models & Mechanisms, 2016, 9(9): 1015-1028.

DOI：10.1242/dmm.025122

• Fucosidosis
• Neurodegeneration
• Lysosomal storage disorder

Fucosidosis is a rare lysosomal storage disorder caused by the inherited deficiency of the lysosomal hydrolase alpha-L-fucosidase, which leads to an impaired degradation of fucosylated glycoconjugates. Here, we report the generation of a fucosidosis mouse model, in which the gene for lysosomal alpha-L-fucosidase (Fuca1) was disrupted by gene targeting. Homozygous knockout mice completely lack alpha-L-fucosidase activity in all tested organs leading to highly elevated amounts of the core-fucosylated glycoasparagine Fuc (alpha 1,6)-GlcNAc(beta 1-N)-Asn and, to a lesser extent, other fucosylated glycoasparagines, which all were also partially excreted in urine. Lysosomal storage pathology was observed in many visceral organs, such as in the liver, kidney, spleen and bladder, as well as in the central nervous system (CNS). On the cellular level, storage was characterized by membrane-limited cytoplasmic vacuoles primarily containing water-soluble storage material. In the CNS, cellular alterations included enlargement of the lysosomal compartment in various cell types, accumulation of secondary storage material and neuroinflammation, as well as a progressive loss of Purkinje cells combined with astrogliosis leading to psychomotor and memory deficits. Our results demonstrate that this new fucosidosis mouse model resembles the human disease and thus will help to unravel underlying pathological processes. Moreover, this model could be utilized to establish diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for fucosidosis.

• 出版日期2016-9-1