Scientific article
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Expression of mitofusin 2(R94Q) in a transgenic mouse leads to Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy type 2A

Published inBrain, vol. 133, no. Pt 5, p. 1460-1469
Publication date2010
Abstract

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A is an autosomal dominant axonal form of peripheral neuropathy caused by mutations in the mitofusin 2 gene. Mitofusin 2 encodes a mitochondrial outer membrane protein that participates in mitochondrial fusion in mammalian cells. How mutations in this protein lead to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A pathophysiology remains unclear. We have generated a transgenic mouse expressing either a mutated (R94Q) or wild-type form of human mitofusin 2 in neurons to evaluate whether the R94Q mutation was sufficient for inducing a Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A phenotype. Only mice expressing mitofusin 2(R94Q) developed locomotor impairments and gait defects thus mimicking the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A neuropathy. In these animals, the number of mitochondria per axon was significantly increased in the distal part of the sciatic nerve axons with a diameter smaller than 3.5 microm. Importantly, the analysis of R94Q transgenic animals also revealed an age-related shift in the size of myelinated axons leading to an over-representation of axons smaller than 3.5 microm. Together these data suggest a link between an increased number of mitochondria in axons and a shift in axonal size distribution in mitofusin 2(R94Q) transgenic animals that may contribute to their neurological phenotype.

Keywords
  • Aging
  • Animals
  • Arginine
  • Axons/ultrastructure
  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease/genetics/pathology/physiopathology
  • DNA, Complementary/metabolism
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases/genetics
  • Glutamine
  • Humans
  • Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Mitochondria/ultrastructure
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Proteins/genetics
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Fibers, Myelinated/pathology
  • Neurons/metabolism
  • Peripheral Nerves/ultrastructure
  • Phenotype
  • Sciatic Nerve/pathology
Citation (ISO format)
CARTONI, Romain et al. Expression of mitofusin 2(R94Q) in a transgenic mouse leads to Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy type 2A. In: Brain, 2010, vol. 133, n° Pt 5, p. 1460–1469. doi: 10.1093/brain/awq082
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Article (Published version)
accessLevelPublic
Identifiers
Journal ISSN0006-8950
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642downloads

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