A novel mouse model of mitochondrial disease exhibits juvenile-onset severe neurological impairment due to parvalbumin cell mitochondrial dysfunction
Communications biology(2023)
Abstract
Mitochondrial diseases comprise a common group of neurometabolic disorders resulting from OXPHOS defects, that may manifest with neurological impairments, for which there are currently no disease-modifying therapies. Previous studies suggest inhibitory interneuron susceptibility to mitochondrial impairment, especially of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV + ). We have developed a mouse model of mitochondrial dysfunction specifically in PV + cells via conditional Tfam knockout, that exhibited a juvenile-onset progressive phenotype characterised by cognitive deficits, anxiety-like behaviour, head-nodding, stargazing, ataxia, and reduced lifespan. A brain region-dependent decrease of OXPHOS complexes I and IV in PV + neurons was detected, with Purkinje neurons being most affected. We validated these findings in a neuropathological study of patients with pathogenic mtDNA and POLG variants showing PV + interneuron loss and deficiencies in complexes I and IV. This mouse model offers a drug screening platform to propel the discovery of therapeutics to treat severe neurological impairment due to mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Key words
mitochondrial dysfunction,mitochondrial disease,severe neurological impairment,parvalbumin cell,novel mouse model,juvenile-onset
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