mitoTALEN reduces the mutant mtDNA load in neurons

Autor: Sandra R. Bacman, Jose Domingo Barrera-Paez, Milena Pinto, Derek Van Booven, James B. Stewart, Anthony J. Griswold, Carlos T. Moraes
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acids, Vol 35, Iss 1, Pp 102132- (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2162-2531
DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102132
Popis: Mutations within mtDNA frequently give rise to severe encephalopathies. Given that a majority of these mtDNA defects exist in a heteroplasmic state, we harnessed the precision of mitochondrial-targeted TALEN (mitoTALEN) to selectively eliminate mutant mtDNA within the CNS of a murine model harboring a heteroplasmic mutation in the mitochondrial tRNA alanine gene (m.5024C>T). This targeted approach was accomplished by the use of AAV-PHP.eB and a neuron-specific synapsin promoter for effective neuronal delivery and expression of mitoTALEN. We found that most CNS regions were effectively transduced and showed a significant reduction in mutant mtDNA. This reduction was accompanied by an increase in mitochondrial tRNA alanine levels, which are drastically reduced by the m.5024C>T mutation. These results showed that mitochondrial-targeted gene editing can be effective in reducing CNS-mutant mtDNA in vivo, paving the way for clinical trials in patients with mitochondrial encephalopathies.
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